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THE 


of  Offitafe*. 


WRITTEN   ORIGINALLY    IN   BRITISH   BY   CARADOC    OF   LLANCARVAN; 
TRANSLATED  INTO  ENGLISH  BY  DR.  POWELL; 

AUGMENTED 

/ 

BY   W.   WYNNE,   FELLOW   OF   JESUS   COLLEGE,   OXON.; 

REVISED  AND  CORRECTED,  AND  A  COLLECTION  OF 

TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES 

ATTACHED  THERETO, 

I       '  ! 

BY  |  RICHARD  LLWYD,  GENT. 

OF  LLANNERCH-BROCHWEL,  IN  THE   COUNTY  OF   MONTGOMERY. 


SHREWSBURY: 

PRINTED  BY  JOHN   EDDOWES,   CORN-MAKKET. 


MDCCCXXXII. 


ADVERTISEMENT, 


The  late  Mr.  RICHARD  LLWYD,  when  he  revised  Mr.  WYNNE'S 
History,  and  compiled  the  Topographical  Notices  which  are  now 
appended  thereto,  had  also  an  intention  of  entering  at  some  length 
into  the  Biography  of  Owen  Glyndwr,  and  of  giving  a  sketch  of 
the  ancient  Laws,  Customs,  and  Amusements  of  Wales.  The 
publication,  however,  of  Mr.  Thomas's  Life  of  Glyndwr,  and  the 
appearance  of  several  excellent  essays,  fyc.  in  the  Cambro-Briton 
and  various  periodical  works  on  the  other  subjects  alluded  to, 
having  rendered  it  unnecessary  to  re-state  that  which  had  been  so 
recently  brought  before  the  public,  he,  in  the  present  volume, 
confined  himself  to  the  republication  of  the  History  of  Wales,  as 
given  by  Mr.  WYNNE,  contenting  himself  with  modernising  the 
language,  supplying  notes  of  reference,  and  occasionally  intro- 
ducing notes  explanatory  or  corrective  of  Mr.  WYNNE'S  text.  To 
this  revised  edition  of  the  History,  he  added  a  selection  of 
Topographical  Notices  relative  to  the  several  Counties,  which, 
while  they  are  calculated  to  amuse  and  inform  the  reader,  will 
also  be  found  to  throw  much  additio?ial  light  on  the  history  and 
manners  of  the  Cambro-Britons  of  former  days,  and  give  at  the 
same  time  a  tolerably  correct  view  of  the  present  state  of  the 
Principality.  To  enable  him  to  make  these  notices  more  copious, 
and  to  do  so  without  augmenting  unnecessarily  the  price  of  the 
work,  Mr.  LLWYD  omitted  some  appendages  formerly  attached  to 
r.  Wynnes  History,  but  which,  while  they  were  in  themselves  of 
nature  to  be  of  little  interest  at  any  period,  have  now,  by  reason 
of  the  facts  therein  referred  to  having  been  of  late  years  much  more 
clearly  elucidated  by  writers  in  publications  of  very  general  circu- 
lation, become  obsolete  and  disregarded.  It  is,  therefore,  hoped, 
that  the  present  edition  of  the  HISTORY  AND  DESCRIPTION  OF  WALES 
will  be  favourably  received;  and  that  the  good  intentions  of  its 
deceased  compiler  will  be  accepted  as  an  apology  for  any  errors  or 
omissions  that  may  be  discovered  by  the  historian,  the  antiquarian, 
or  the  topographer. 

JANUARY,  1832. 


THE 

HISTORY  OF  WALES. 


W  HEN  the  Roman  empire,  under  Valentlnian  the 
younger,  began  to  decline,  and  became  sensibly  unable 
to  repress  the  perpetual  incursions  of  the  Goths,  Huns, 
Vandals,  and  other  barbarous  invaders,  it  was  found  neces- 
sary to  abandon  the  remotest  parts  of  that  unwieldy  body, 
and  to  recal  the  Roman  forces  that  defended  them,  the 
better  to  secure  the  interior  and  the  provinces  most  exposed 
to  the  depredations  of  the  barbarians.  And  in  this  exigency 
of  the  Roman  affairs,  Britain,  as  lying  far  remote  from  the 
heart  of  the  empire,  was  deprived  of  the  Roman  garrisons ; 
which,  being  transported  into  Gaul  upon  more  urgent 
occasions,  left  it  naked  and  exposed  to  the  inveterate  cruelty 
of  the  Scots  and  Picts :  for  no  sooner  had  they  understood 
of  the  departure  of  the  Romans  out  of  Britain,  and  that  the 
Britons  were  to  expect  no  further  help  from  the  empire, 
but  they  descended  in  greater  numbers  than  formerly,  and 
with  greater  courage  and  expectation,  being  now  rid  of  the 
fear  they  entertained  of  the  Roman  legions,  who  always 
used  to  hinder  their  progress  and  to  prevent  their  incursions 
into  the  Roman  province.  The  Britons,  perceiving  their 
ancient  and  implacable  enemies  falling  upon  them,  and 
finding  themselves  far  too  weak  to  repel  their  endless 
devastations,  they,  with  a  lamentable  narrative  of  their  own 
miseries  and  the  cruel  oppressions  of  their  enemies,  sent 
over  to  Gaul,  imploring  aid  of  ^Etius,  prefect  of  that 
province ;  who,  being  moved  with  the  deplorable  condition 
of  their  province,  despatched  over  a  legion  under  the  com- 
mand of  Gallio,  which  unexpectedly  surprising  the  Scots 
and  Picts,  forced  them,  with  great  loss  and  destruction, 
to  retire  over  the  seas  or  friths  to  their  own  habitations. 
Then,  helping  the  Britons  to  build  a  wall  of  stone  across 

the 


I  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

the  land,  for  a  bulwark  against  any  future  irruptions,  the 
Romans  at  their  departure  told  them  they  could  not  any 
more  undertake  such  dangerous  expeditions  for  their  de- 
fence, and  therefore  admonished  them  to  take  arms,  and 
like  men  vindicate  their  country,  their  wives,  children,  and 
liberties,  from  the  injuries  of  their  barbarous  enemies. 

But  as  soon  as  the  Roman  legion  was  transported  into 
Gaul,  the  Picts  and  Scots  returned,  and  having  by  a  de- 
sperate assault  passed  the  wall,  pursued  the  Britons  with  a 
more  dreadful  and  bloody  slaughter  than  formerly.  The 
Britons,  perceiving  their  condition  most  desperate,  once 
more  sent  their  miserable  complaints  to  ^Etius,  in  these 
tragical  words :  "  To  SEtius,  thrice  consul,  the  groans  of 
the  Britons  :  the  barbarians  drive  us  to  the  sea,  and  the 
sea  drives  us  back  to  them ,  and  so,  distracted  betwixt  two 
deaths,  we  are  either  drowned  or  perish  by  the  sword.* 
But  they  solicited  to  no  purpose :  the  Romans  having  al- 
ready bid  absolutely  farewell  to  Britain,  and  the  empire 
being  cruelly  oppressed  by  the  Goths  and  other  barbarous 
nations,  they  were  not  in  a  condition  possibly  to  assist  them. 
The  Britons,  therefore,  finding  themselves  absolutely  for- 
saken by  the  Romans,  and  conceiving  it  utterly  impracticable 
to  drive  away  the  barbarians  by  their  own  strength,  saw  it 
urgently  necessary  to  call  in  the  aid  of  some  foreign  nation, 
whose  labour  in  repelling  their  enemies  should  be  gratefully 
and  satisfactorily  rewarded. 

The  reason  that  the  British  nation  was  at  this  time  so 
weak  and  impotent,  and  so  manifestly  unable  to  withstand 
these  barbarous  enemies,  who  were  far  inferior  as  to  extent 
of  country,  and  probably  in  number  of  people,  may  in  great 
measure  be  attributed  to  the  ease  and  quietness  the  Britons 
enjoyed  under  the  Roman  government.  For  whilst  the 
Roman  legions  continued  in  Britain,  they  ever  undertook  the 
security  and  preservation  of  it ;  so  that  the  Britons  hereto- 
fore were  little  concerned  at  the  incursions  of  the  Scots  and 
Picts,  depending  wholly  upon  the  strength  and  valour  of  the 
Romans,  insomuch  that,  within  a  while,  they  fell  into  a  fit 
of  luxury  and  effeminacy,  and  quickly  forgot  that  martial 
prowess  and  military  conduct  which  their  ancestors  so 
famously  excelled  in.  For,  after  their  entire  subjection  to 
the  Romans,  they  had  little  or  no  opportunity  to  exercise 
their  valour,  excepting  in  some  home-bred  commotions 
excited  by  the  aspiring  ambition  of  some  mal-eontented 
general,  which  were  quickly  composed  and  reduced  to 
nothing.  And  after  the  Scots  and  Picts  grew  formidable, 

and 
*  Bede,  lib.  1,  cap.  xiii.  p.  51.— Gildas,  cap.  xvii. — Giraldus  Cambrensis,  lib.  7,  p.  42. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

and  durst  venture  to  make  incursions  into  the  Roman  pro- 
vince, the  Britons  were  the  least  concerned  in  opposing 
them,  leaving  that  to  the  care  and  vigilancy  of  the  Roman 
garrisons.  And  this  easiness  and  supineness  of  the  Britons 
may  not  be  untruly  attributed  to  the  policy  of  the  Roman 
constitution ;  for  when  the  Britons  were  brought  subject  to 
the  empire,  the  first  thing  the  Romans  effected  towards  the 
confirmation  of  their  obedience  was  to  take  the  sword  out  of 
their  hands.  They  were  sensible  how  bold  and  valorous 
the  Britons  naturally  were — how  unlikely  to  submit  their 
necks  to  a  foreign  yoke ;  and  therefore  they  found  it  imprac- 
ticable to  obtain  a  quiet  possession  of  this  province,  as  long 
as  the  Britons  had  power  and  opportunity  to  oppose  them. 
This  course,  therefore,  they  found  very  effectual,  and  when 
they  had  once  lulled  them  asleep,  they  were  not  over- 
solicitous  to  rouse  and  awaken  them. 

The  Britons  also  might  possibly  be  too  much  taken  with 
this  sedentary  and  inactive  life ;  and  as  long  as  they  lived 
secure  under  the  protection  of  the  Roman  empire,  they 
little  feared  their  country  would  become  a  prey  to  any 
barbarous  nation.  No  one  would  have  imagined  that  that 
glorious  empire  would  be  so  soon  crushed  to  pieces,  which 
could  not  otherwise  be  effected  than  by  the  insupportable 
pressure  of  its  own  weight.  The  apprehension  of  the  great- 
ness and  strength  of  the  Romans  made  the  Britons  probably 
less  solicitous  of  enabling  themselves  to  defend  their  coun- 
try, not  thinking  they  would  ever  forsake  and  relinquish  the 
province  of  Britain :  but  to  their  sorrow  they  experienced 
the  contrary,  the  affairs  of  the  empire  elsewhere  requiring 
the  help  of  the  British  legions,  so  that  they  were  left 
exposed  to  the  cruelties  of  the  northern  invaders,  having 
not  as  yet  recovered  any  power  or  conduct  to  oppose  them. 
For  had  not  the  Scots  and  Picts  come  on  so  forcibly  at  first, 
but  had  given  time  to  the  Britons  to  shake  off  the  lethargy 
they  had  for  many  years  been  buried  in,  and  to  renew  their 
ancient  discipline  and  vigour,  there  had  been  no  need  of 
calling  in  the  Saxons,  seeing  they  would  in  all  probability 
have  been  able  to  maintain  their  ground  against  any  opposi- 
tion, and  very  likely  would  have  been  in  possession  of  their 
whole  country  to  this  time.  But,  next  to  the  decree  of 
heaven,  the  ruin  of  the  British  nation  must  be  attributed  to 
its  too  much  luxury  and  effeminacy,  and  to  the  universal 
lapse  of  the  nobility  and  people  into  an  aversion  of  all 
military  action  and  martial  discipline.  For  though  a  con- 
tinued peace  be  in  itself  desirable,  yet  oftentimes  nothing 

tends 
B  2 


HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

tends  more  to  the  future  ruin  and  downfall  of  a  nation. 
For  peace  begets  in  men  generally  a  habit  of  looseness  and 
debauchery,  and  is  the  occasion  of  many  notorious  extra- 
vagancies and  vicious  practices,  which  weaken  their  hands 
and  cool  their  courage  and  greatness  of  mind,  so  that  in 
case  of  any  open  danger  they  are  incapable  of  defending 
their  country,  and  unfit  to  oppose  the  common  enemy. 
Scarce  any  kingdom  or  nation  was  subverted,  but  the  ruin 
of  it  was  ushered  in  by  these  means :  witness  the  Assyrian 
under  Sardanapalus,  the  Persian  under  Darius,  and  the 
Egyptian  under  Cleopatra ;  so  that  it  was  most  prudently 
urged  by  a  Roman  senator  that  Carthage  might  not  be 
demolished,  lest  that,  for  want  of  an  enemy  abroad,  the 
valour  of  the  Romans  might  degenerate,  and  their  conduct 
be  forgotten.  Had  the  Britons  had  the  fortune  to  be  con- 
tinually in  action,  and  not  exchanged  their  courage  and 
discipline  for  ease  and  laziness,  they  would  have  had  no 
reason  to  dread  the  incursions  of  the  Scots  and  Picts,  nor 
any  need  of  the  aid  and  assistance  of  a  foreign  nation ;  but 
the  condition  of  their  affairs  then  required  it,  and  help  must 
be  had,  or  else  their  country  must  unavoidably  become  a 
prey  to  those  northern  invaders. 

To  prevent,  therefore,  and  repel  their  violence,  King 
Vortigern  held  a  council  of  his  great  men  and  nobles,  at 
which  it  was  concluded  to  be  most  advantageous  to  the 
Britons  to  invite  the  Saxons  out  of  Germany  to  their  aid, 
who,  in  all  probability,  would  gladly  embrace  the  oppor- 
tunity, by  reason  that  their  own  country  was  grown  too 
scanty  for  their  superfluous  numbers.  This  message  of  the 
Britons,  however  originally  delivered,  is  by  an  ancient 
Saxon  writer  repeated  in  this  manner : — "  Most  noble 
Saxons,  the  miserable  Britons,  shattered  and  quite  worn 
out  by  the  frequent  incursions  of  their  enemies,  upon 
the  news  of  your  many  signal  victories,  have  sent  us  to 
you,  humbly  requesting  that  you  would  assist  them  at 
'this  juncture.  A  land  large  and  spacious,  abounding 
with  all  manner  of  necessaries,  they  give  up  entirely  to 
your  disposal.  Hitherto  we  have  lived  happily  under 
the  government  and  protection  of  the  Romans'.  Next  to 
the  Romans  we  know  none  of  greater  valour  than  your- 
selves, and  therefore  in  your  arms  do  now  seek  refuge. 
Let  but  that  courage  and  those  arms  make  us  conquerors, 
and  we  shall  refuse  no  service  you  shall  please  to  impose™ 
To  this  message  the  Saxons  returned  this  short  answer : — 
fc  Assure  yourselves  the  Saxons  will  be  true  friends  to 
the  Britons,  and  as  such  shall  be  ahvays  ready  both  to 
relieve  their  necessities  and  to  advance  their  interest" 

The 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  5 

The  Saxons  being  thus  happily  courted  to  what  them- 
selves had  a  thousand  times  wished  for,  arrived  soon  after 
in  Britain,  in  three  gallies,  called  in  their  own  language 
Kiules,  under  the  conduct  of  two  brethren,  Hengist  and 
Horsa.*  Being  honourably  received  by  the  king,  and 
affectionately  treated  by  the  people,  their  faith  was  given 
on  both  sides ;  the  Saxons  stipulating  to  defend  the  country 
of  the  Britons,  and  the  Britons  to  give  the  Saxons  a  satis- 
factory reward  for  all  the  pains  and  dangers  they  should 
undergo  upon  their  account.  At  first  the  Saxons  shewed 
themselves  very  diligent  in  their  employment,  and  success- 
fully repelled  the  Scots  and  Picts,  who,  being  probably 
ignorant  of  the  landing  of  the  Saxons,  and  fearing  no  oppo- 
sition, boldly  advanced  to  the  heart  of  the  country.  But 
when  the  Saxons  became  better  acquainted  with  the  island, 
and  happily  discovered  the  weakness  and  inability  of  the 
Britons,  under  pretence  that  their  pay  was  not  answerable 
to  their  service  and  deserts,  they  quarrelled  with  the  Britons, 
and,  instead  of  siipporting  them  according  to  oath,  entered 
into  a  league  with  their  e-nemies  the  Scots.  Moreover, 
Hengist,  perceiving  with  whom  tie  had  to  do,  sent  over  to 
acquaint  his  countrymen  with  the  beauty  and  fertility  of  the 
island,  and  the  infirmity  and  effeminacy  of  the  inhabitants ; 
inviting  them  to  be  sharers  of  his  future  success  and  ex- 
pectations. With  his  invitation  they  readily  complied,  and 
sailing  over  in  great  numbers  they  thought  to  take  posses- 
sion of  that  country,  which  fortune  promised  should  be  their 
own :  but  they  found  that  they  must  fight  for  it  first ;  the 
Britons  having  resolved  to  defend  themselves  and  their 
country  to  the  last  against  these  treacherous  practices  of  the 
Saxons,  and,  if  possible,  to  drive  them  to  their  primitive 
habitations.  For  when  the  Britons  became  sensible  of  the 
undermining  aim  of  the  Saxons,  how  they  secretly  endea- 
voured the  total  extirpation  of  the  British  nation,  they 
presently  betook  themselves  to  their  swords,  and  in  a  short 
time  became  signally  famous  for  their  valour  and  conduct. 
This  the  Saxons  afterwards  grievously  felt,  though  the  total 
recovery  of  Britain  proved  impracticable  for  want  of  power; 

the 

*  These  were  princes  of  great  distinction.  They  were  the  descendants  of  Woden,  the 
founder  of  the  nation,  and  regarded  by  the  Saxons  as  the  deity  who  presided  in  war, 
agreeably  to  the  custom  of  the  early  ages,  of  paying  divine  honours  to  any  distinguished 
individual  who  had  been  the  instrument  of  glory  or  of  utility  to  his  country.  From 
Woden  is  derived  Wednesday,  being  the  day  dedicated  to  the  honour  of  that  Saxon 
deity  :  Friday,  likewise,  is  derived  from  the  Saxon  goddess  Fria,  being  the  day  dedicated 
to  her  worship.  And  in  the  same  manner  every  other  day  in  the  week  has  taken  its 
derivation  from  the  Saxon  deities.— See  Verstegan,  cap.  iii.  p.  69,  77.  Bede,  lib.  1, 
cap.  xv.  p.  53. 


>  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

the  Saxons  having,   by  massacres  and  other  treacherous 
means,  most  unmercifully  lessened  the  force  and  number  of 
the  Britons.      King  Vortigern  loved  his  ease  too  well  to 
observe  their  practices,  and  besides  became  so  foolishly 
enamoured  with  the  daughter  of  Hengist,  who  purposely 
was  laid  to  entrap  him,  that  the  Saxons  upon  the  strength 
of  this  marriage  began  to  carve  for  themselves,  and  during 
Vortigern's  reign*  laid  so  firm  a  foundation  for  the  Saxon 
conquest,  that  the  succeeding  British  kings,  though  famously 
valiant,  could  never  undermine  it.     The  sottishness  of  his 
father  young  Vortimer  could  not  at  length  endure,  nor  to 
see  himself   and   his  country   so  openly  and    shamefully 
imposed  upon  by  strangers,   and  therefore  he  resolved  to 
take  the  British  government  upon  himself,  and  to  endeavour 
the  universal  expulsion  of  the   Saxons.      With  him  the 
British  nobility  willingly  joined,   and  after  several  famous 
victories  over  the  Saxons  he  was  unhappily  poisoned  by  a 
Saxon  lady.     After  his  death  the  Britons  bravely  defended 
themselves  against  the  prevailing  greatness  of  the  Saxons, 
under  those  valiant  princes,   Aurelius  Ambrosius,  Uther 
Pendragon,    Arthur,    Constantine  II.    Aurelius   Conanus, 
Vortiper,  and  Maelgwyn.     To  him  succeeded  Careticus ;  in 
whose  time  the   Saxons,   aspiring  to  a  total  conquest  of 
Britain,  invited  over  one  Gurmundus,  a  Norwegian  pirate, 
who  had  lately  signalized  himself  in  Ireland,  and  obtained  a 
conquest  over  that  kingdom.    Him  they  employed  to  march 
against  Careticus,  who  being  overcome  and  vanquished  by 
him,   the  Britons  were  forced  some  to  retire  beyond  the 
rivers  Severn  and  Dee,  some  to  Cornwall,  and  the  rest  to 
Little  Britain  (or  Britanny),  in  France.     The  British  affairs 
were  now  brought  very  low,  and  their  government  reduced 
within  a  very  narrow  compass;    so  that  the  title  of  the 
Kings  of  Britain  can  be  but  superficially  attributed  to  the 
succeeding  princes,  Cadwan,  Cadwallon,  and  Cadwalader. 

CADWALADER. 

*  Fabian,  p.  79. 

This  prince  had  by  his  first  wife  three  sons,  Vortimer,  Catigern,  and  Pascensj  and  he 
bad  one  son  named  Faustus,  it  is  said,  by  his  own  daughter. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES. 


CADWALADER. 

C/ADWALADER,  surnamed  Vendiged,  or  the  Blessed, 
was  the  last  of  British  race  that  enjoyed  the  title  of  King 
of  Britain;  after  him,  the  Welsh,  who  were  the  most  AD. 678. 
numerous  remains  of  the  Britons,  disdaining  to  own  any 
subjection  to  the  oppressing  Saxons,  set  up  a  new  govern- 
ment among  themselves,  and  altered  the  style  of  British 
Kings  to  that  of  Princes  of  Wales.  But  whilst  Cadwalader 
ruled  in  Britain,  a  severe  famine,  attended  with  a  raging 
pestilence,  which  assuredly  sprung  from  the  continued  war 
which  was  so  eagerly  carried  on  betwixt  the  Britons  and 
Saxons,  happened  in  the  island,  and  occasioned  a  most 
lamentable  mortality  among  his  subjects ;  insomuch  that  he 
was  compelled,  together  with  a  great  number  of  his  nobility 
and  others,  to  retire  for  refuge  to  his  cousin  Alan,  King  of 
Llydaw,  or  Little  Britain  in  France.  There  he  met  with  A 
all  civility  suitable  to  his  quality  and  condition,  as  well 
because  of  his  own  near  relation  and  consanguinity  to  Alan,* 
as  upon  the  account  that  their  subjects  were  originally  one 
and  the  same  people :  for  the  inhabitants  of  Little  Britain, 
about  the  year  of  Christ  384,  went  over  out  of  this  island, 
under  the  command  of  Conan,  Lord  of  Meriadoc,  to  the 
aid  of  Maximus  the  Tyrant,  against  the  Emperor  Gratianus. 
For  this  service  Maximus  granted  to  Conan  and  his  fol- 
lowers the  country  of  Armorica,  where  the  Britons,  having 
driven  out  the  former  inhabitants,  seated  themselves,  and 
erected  a  kingdom,  which  lasted  for  many  years  under 
several  kings,  whose  names  and  succession  are  as  follow  : — 

LIST  OF  THE  ARMORICAN  KINGS. 

1.  Conan  Meriadoe.  13.  Conobertus. 

2.  Gradlonus.  14.  Budicus  II. 

3.  Salomon  I.  15.  Theordoricus. 

4.  Auldranus.  16.  Ruhalhonus. 

5.  Budicus  I.  17.  Daniel    Dremrost,    i.  e. 

6.  Howelus  Magnus.  rubicunda  facie. 

7.  Howelus  II.  18.  Aregstanus. 

8.  Alanus  I.  19.  Maconus. 

9.  Howelus  III.  20.  Neomenius. 

10.  Gilquellus.  21.  Haruspogius. 

11.  Salomon  II.  22.  Salomon  III. 

12.  Alanus  II. 

Alan 

*  Baker's  Chron,  p.  4.— J.  Fordun's  Hist.  Scot.— Gale's  Scriptor.  p.  647. 


3  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

Alan  II.  reigned  in  Little  Britain,  when  Cadwalader  was 
forced  to  forsake  his  own  dominions,  and  retire  beyond  the 
seas.  He  was  descended  from  Run,  the  son  of  Maelgwyn 
Gwynedd,  King  of  Great  Britain,  by  a  daughter  married  to 
Howel  the  Second,  King  of  Little  Britain.  This  kingdom 
remained  firm  till  Salomon  III.  was  treacherously  slain  by 
his  own  subjects;  upon  which  unhappy  occurrence,  the 
kingdom  was  converted  to  an  earldom,  whereof  one  Alan 
was  the  first,  a  valiant  and  warlike  prince,  who  stoutly 
resisted  the  Normans,  and  frequently  vanquished  and  over- 
came them. 

But  after  Cadwalader  had  continued  some  time  with 
Alan,  the  plague  being  abated  in  Britain,  he  purposed  to 
return,  and,  if  possible,  to  recover  that  part  of  his  kingdom 
which  the  Saxons  were  now  in  possession  of*  He  received 
frequent  intelligence  of  their  number  and  increase,  how  they 
fairly  bid  for  the  conquest  of  that  country  which  had  been 
governed  by  British  kings  for  the  space  of  1827  years. 
This  troubled  him  exceedingly,  and  though  he  had  little 
hope  of  prevailing  by  the  strength  and  number  of  his 
forces,  yet  he  made  the  best  preparation  that  the  oppor- 
tunity would  permit,  and  despatched  his  fleet  for  the 
transportation  of  his  army,  which  consisted  partly  of  his 
own  subjects,  and  partly  of  such  succours  as  he  received 
from  Alan.  Whilst  he  vigorously  prosecuted  this  design, 
and  was  ready  to  strike  sail  for  Britain,  his  voyage  was, 
it  is  said,  prevented  by  a  message  from  heaven,  which 
counselled  him  to  lay  aside  the  thoughts  of  recovering  his 
kingdom,  because  it  was  already  decreed  above  that  the 
Britons  should  no  longer  enjoy  the  government  of  Britain, 
until  the  prophecy  of  Merlin  Ambrosius  was  fulfilled.  And 
instead  of  a  voyage  to  Britain,  he  was  ordered  to  take  his 
journey  to  Rome,  where  he  should  receive  holy  orders  at 
the  hands  of  Pope  Sergius,  and  instead  of  recovering  the 
British  crown,  have  his  own  crown  shaved  off,  and  be 
initiated  into  the  order  of  the  monks.  Whether  this  vision 
was  signified  to  him  in  a  dream,  or  by  the  impositions 
illusions  of  some  wicked  spirit ;  or  whether  it  may  be  a 
fantastical  conceit  of  his  own,  being  a  man  of  a  mild  and 
easy  temper,  wearied  with  troubles  and  miseries,  is  very 
dubious :  but  this  is  certain,  that  he  never  returned  again 
to  Britain,  after  he  had  gone  over  to  Alan.  Cadwalader 
had  no  sooner  received  this  vision,  but  immediately  he 
relates  the  whole  to  his  friend  Alan,  who  presently  consulted 

all 

*  Baker's  Chron.  p.  4. — Welsh  Chron.  by  Caradoc  of  Llancarvan,  re-published  by  Dr. 
Powel,  p.  3. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  9 

all  his  prophetical  books,  chiefly  the  famous  works  of  the 
two  Merlins,  Ambrosius  and  Sylvestris :  the  first  is  said  to 
have  been  begotten  on  a  spirit,  and  born  in  the  town  of 
Carmarthen,  whence  he  received  the  name  of  Merlin,  and 
to  have  flourished  in  the  reign  of  King  Vortigern.  The 
latter,  called  Caledonius,  from  the  forest  Caledon  in  Scot- 
land, and  Sylvestris  or  Merlin  Wyllt,  because  he  fell  mad 
and  lived  desolately  after  he  had  seen  a  monstrous  shape 
in  the  air,  prophesied  in  the  time  of  King  Arthur,  and  far 
more  full  and  intelligible  than  the  former.  Both  these  were 
in  great  reverence  and  reputation  among  the  Britons,  and 
their  works  very  rigorously  preserved,  and  upon  any  con- 
siderable occasion  most  reverently  consulted.  They  were 
of  opinion  that  nothing  could  escape  their  knowledge ;  and 
that  no  accident  of  moment  or  revolution  could  happen 
which  they  did  not  foretel,  and  which  was  not  to  be  dis- 
covered in  their  writings.  In  the  consultation  therefore  of 
their  prophecies,  and  the  words  which  an  eagle  is  said  to 
have  spoken  at  the  building  of  Caer  Septon,  now  Shaftesbury, 
namely,  that  the  Britons  must  lose  the  government  of  Britain 
till  the  bones  of  King  Cadwalader  were  brought  back  from 
Rome,  Alan  found  out  that  the  time  was  now  come  when 
these  prophesies  were  to  be  accomplished,  and  Britons 
forced  to  quit  their  native  inheritance  to  strangers  and 
invaders.  Upon  this  he  advised  Cadwalader  to  obey  the 
commands  and  follow  the  counsel  of  the  vision,  and  to  hasten 
his  journey  for  Rome.  This  he  was  willing  to  submit  to,  being 
desirous  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  peace  and 
quietness,  which  before  he  had  no  opportunity  to  enjoy.  To 
Rome  therefore  he  hastened,  where  he  was  kindly  received 
by  Pope  Sergius :  and,  after  eight  years  spent  there  in  piety 
and  devotion,  he  died  in  the  year  688,  and  with  him  the 
kingdom  and  total  government  of  the  Britons  over  this  island. 
King  Cadwalader  is  said  to  have  been  a  considerable 
benefactor  to  the  Abbey  of  Clynnoc  Vawr  in  Arvon,  upon 
which  he  bestowed  the  Lordship  of  Grayanoc.  This  place 
was  primarily  founded  by  St.  Beuno,  to  whom  it  is  dedicated, 
who  was  the  son  of  Hywgi  ap  Gwynlliw  ap  Grlywis  ap 
Tegid  ap  Cadell,  a  Prince  or  Lord  of  Glewisig,  brother's 
son  to  St.  Cadoc  ap  Gwynlliw,  sometime  Bishop  of  Bene- 
ventum,  in  Italy.  He  was  by  the  mother's  side  cousin- 
german  to  Laudatus,  the  first  Abbot  of  Enlli,  or  the  island 
of  Bardsey,  and  to  Kentigern,  Bishop  of  Glasgow,  in  Scot- 
land, and  of  Llanelwy,  or  St.  Asaph,  in  Wales;  which  last 
was  son  to  Owen,  a  Prince  of  Scotland,  and  grandson  to 
Unen  Reged,  King  of  Cumbria.  The  building  of  a 

monastery 


10  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

monastery  at  Clynnoc  happened  on  this  occasion :  Beuno 
having  raised  to  life,  as  the  tradition  goes,  St.  Winifred, 
who  was  beheaded  by  one  Caradoc,  a  lord  in  North  Wales, 
upon  the  account  that  she  would  not  yield  to  his  unchaste 
desires,  became  in  very  great  esteem  with  King  Cadvan, 
who  bestowed  upon  him  certain  lands  whereon  to  build  a 
monastery.  Cadwallon  also,  Cadvan's  son,  gave  him  the 
lands  of  Gwaredoc,  where  beginning  to  build  a  church,  a 
certain  woman  with  a  child  in  her  arms  prevented  his 
further  progress,  assuring  him  that  those  lands  were  the 
proper  inheritance  of  that  child.  Beuno  was  so  exceedingly 
troubled  at  this,  that  without  any  more  consideration  on  the 
matter,  taking  the  woman  along  with  him,  he  went  in  all 
haste  to  Caer  Seiont,  (called  by  the  Romans  Segontium, 
now  Carnarvon,*)  where  King  Cadwallon  then  kept  his 
Court;  when  he  was  come  before  the  king,  he  told  him, 
with  a  great  deal  of  zeal  and  concern,  that  he  had  not  done 
well  to  devote  to  God's  service  what  was  another  man's 
inheritance,  and  therefore  demanded  back  of  him  the  golden 
sceptre  he  had  given  him  in  lieu  and  consideration  of  the 
said  land,  which  the  king  refusing  to  do,  was  presently 
excommunicated  by  Beuno,  who  thereupon  departed  and 
went  away.  But  a  certain  person  called  Gwyddeiant,  the 
king's  cousin-german,  hearing  what  had  happened,  imme- 
diately pursued  Beuno;  whom,  when  he  had  overtaken, 
he  bestowed  upon  him  (for  the  good  of  his  own  soul  and  the 
king's)  the  township  of  Clynndc  Vawr,  being  his  undoubted 
inheritance;  where  Beuno  built  a  church,  about  the  year 
616,  about  which  time  King  Cadvan  died,  leaving  his  son 
Cadwallon  to  succeed  him.  And  not  long  before  this  time, 
Eneon  Brenin,  or  Anianus,  King  of  the  Scots,  a  considerable 
prince  in  the  North  of  Britain,  leaving  all  his  royalty  in 
those  parts,  came  to  Leyn  in  Gwynedd,  where  he  built  a 
church,  which  is  still  called  from  him,  Llan  Eingan  Brenin ; 
where  he  is  said  to  have  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days  in 
the  fear  and  service  of  God,  He  was  son  to  Owen  Danwyn, 
the  son  of  Eneon  Yrth,  son  to  Cunedda  Wledig,  King  of 
Cumbria,  and  a  great  prince  in  the  North,  and  cousin- 
german  to  the  great  Maelgwyn  Gwynedd,  King  of  Britain, 
whose  father  was  Caswallon-law-hir,  or  the  long  handed,f 
the  brother  of  Owen  Danwyn ;  and  his  mother  Medif,  the 
daughter  of  Voylda  ap  Talu  Traws,  of  Nanconwy.  This 
Maelgwyn  died  about  the  year  586. 

IVOR 

*  Caer-yn-ar-von ;  the  city  opposite  Mona. — HunfFrey  Lhuyd,  p.  65. 
t  Rowland's  Mona  Ant  p.  183. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  11 


IVOR  &  1DWAL  YWRCH. 

Y?  HEN    Cadwalader   was   departed  for    Rome,   Alan 
began  to   reflect  upon  the   state   and  condition  of  Great 
Britain ;  he  imagined  with  himself  that  the  recovery  of  it 
was  not  impracticable,  but  that  a  considerable  army  might 
regain  what  the  Saxons  now  quietly  possessed.     Therefore 
he  was  resolved  to  try  the  utmost,  and  to  send  over  all  the 
forces  he  was  able  to  draw  together ;  not  doubting  the  con- 
quest of  some  part  of  Britain,   in  case  the  whole   should 
prove  irrecoverable.     He  was  the  more  encouraged  to  this 
expedition,  by  reason  that  the  advantage  was  like  to  be  his 
own,  and  no  one  could  challenge  the  government  of  Britain, 
in  case  fortune  should  deliver  it  to  his  hands.     Cadwalader 
was  gone  to  Rome,  and  in  all  probability  never  to  return : 
his  son  Idwal  Ywrch,  or  the  Roe,  was  young  and  under  the 
tuition  of  Alan,  so  that  the  event  of  this  expedition  must  of 
necessity  fall  to  himself,   or  by  his  concession  to  his  son 
Ivor,  who  was  to  be  chief  in  the  undertaking.     Having 
raised  a  considerable  army,  consisting  chiefly  of  his  own 
subjects,  with  what  remained  of  the  Britons  that  came  over 
with  King  Cadwalader,  he  despatched  it  for  Britain,  under 
the  command  of  his  son  Ivor,   and  his  nephew  Ynyr :  they 
safely  landed  in  the  western  parts  of  Britain,  which  put  the 
Saxons  to  so  great  a  fright,  that  they  immediately  drew  up 
all  their  power  to  oppose  them,  and  to  hinder  their  progress 
into  the  country.     The  Britons,  though  somewhat  fatigued 
with  their  voyage,  gave  them  battle,  and  after  a  very  great 
slaughter  of  the  Saxons  possessed  themselves  of  the  countries 
of  Cornwall,  Devon,   and  Somersetshire.     This  proved  a 
fortunate  beginning  for  the  Britons,  and  gave  them  great 
hopes  of  farther  success  in  the  recovery  of  their  country ; 
but  that  could  not  be  expected  without  great  opposition, 
and  several  hot  engagements  with  the  Saxons.     This  they 
were  immediately  made  sensible  of;  for  they  had  scarce  time 
to  breathe,  and  to  recover  their  spirits  after  the  last  battle, 
but  Kentwyn,   King  of  the  West-Saxons,  marched  against 
them  with   a  powerful   army,    consisting  of   Saxons   and 
Angles.     The  Britons  resolved  to  fight  them;  but  whilst 
both  armies  were  in  view  of  each  other  they  thought  it  more 
advisable  to   cease  from  any  hostility,  and  to  enter   into 
articles  of  composition.     Ivor  seemed  already  satisfied  with 
his  conquest,    and  willingly  agreed  to  marry  Ethelberga, 
Kentwyn's  cousin,    and  peaceably  to  enjoy  for  his  life  so 

much 


U  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

much  as  he  was  already  in  possession  of.  This  he  faithfully 
observed  during  the  reign  of  Kentwyn  and  his  nephew 
Cadwal,  who,  after  two  years,  resigned  the  kingdom  of  the 
West- Saxons  to  his  cousin  Ivor.  And  now  Ivor  was  become 
unexpectedly  powerful,  being  King  as  well  of  the  Saxons 
as  of  the  Britons  that  inhabited  the  westeni  parts  of  the 
island.  He  was  now  able  to  undertake  somewhat  consider- 
able, and  therefore  began  to  fall  foul  upon  his  neighbours, 
the  kings  of  Kent,  of  the  West-Saxons,  and  Mercia,  whom 
he  vanquished  in  several  battles.  But  being  at  length  tired 
with  the  weight  of  government,  he  went  to  Rome,  after  the 
example  of  Cadwalader,  and  resigned  the  rule  of  the  Saxons 
to  his  cousin  Adelred,  leaving  the  Britons  to  the  care  of 
Roderic  Molwynoc,  the  son  of  Idwal  Ywrch. 

This  Ivor  founded  the  Abbey  of  Glastonbury,  called  in 
the  British  tongue  Ynys  Avalon ;  wiiere  there  had  been  a 
Christian  church  for  several  years  before,  and  the  first  that 
was  ever  erected  in  Britain.  For  Joseph  of  Arimathea 
being  sent  by  Philip  the  Apostle  in  the  days  of  Arviragus, 
An.  Chr.  53^  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  Britain,  seated  him- 
self here,  and  built  a  church  for  the  British  Christians. 
This  chur;ch  afterwards  Ivor  .converted  into  an  abbey,  which 
he  endowed  with  very  large  possessions ;  being  famous  for 
the  burying-place  of  Joseph  of  Arimathea*  and  King 

Arthur. 

*  Whether  the  ancient  tradition  of  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  who  might  then  well  transport 
himself  into  Britain  in  one  of  the  Phoenician  ships  that  frequently  traded  for  tin,  and  to 
carry  with  him  the  first  tidings  of  Christ,  has  any  foundation  in  truth  (not  heeding  the 
Glastonbury  story),  is  uncertain.  Yet  it  seems  very  probable  that  that  honourable  per- 
son, soon  after  the  ascension  of  Christ,  conveyed  himself  away  from  the  Jewish  sanhedrim, 
of  which  he  was  a  member,  to  some  remote  country,  for  fear  the  Jews  should  question 
him  about  Christ's  body,  which  he  had  buried,  but  which  had  risen  up  from  the  grave  he 
had  laid  it  in  :  which  must  be  a  fear  well  grounded,  and  a  just  occasion  of  his'withdrawing 
himself  somewhere  out  of  their  reach.  And  that  he'di'd  so  is  very  likely  ;  for  a  person  of 
his  character  and  merit,  if  he  had  staid  in  Judea  during  the  ten  succeeding  years  after  the 
resurrection,  would  in  all  probability  have  met  with  an  eminent  mention  even  in  Scrip- 
ture, either  for  his  death  or  his  conduct  in  propagating  the  gospel.— Rowland's  Mona 
Antiqua  Re,staurata,  p.  138. 

Glastonbury  derives  its  origin  (says  Camden)  from  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  the  same  who 
buried  Christ's  body  ;  who,  when  he  came  to  preach  the  gospel  in  Great  Britain,  as  it  is 
asserted  he 'did  by  the  Romish  legends,  he  landed  in  the  isle  of  Avilon,  fixed  his  staff  in 
the  ground, (a  dry  thorn  sapling,  which  had  been  his  companion  through  all  the  countries 
he  had  passed),  and  fell  asleep.  When  he  awoke,  he  found  to  his  great  surprise  that  his 
staff  had  taken  root,  and  was  covered  with  white  blossoms.  From  this  miracle,  however, 
he  drew  a  natural  conclusion,  that,  as  the  use  of  his  staff  was  thus  taken  from  him,  it  was 
ordained  that  he  should  take  up  his  abode  in  this  place.  .Here,  therefore,  he  built  a 
chapel,  which,  by  the  piety  of  succeeding  times,  increased  into  this  magnificent  foundation. 
But  of  these  edifices,  a  small  part  of  the  great  church  of  the  abbey,  fragments  of  Saint 
Joseph's  chapel,  the  abbot's  kitchen,  and  some  unintelligible  and  dilapidated  walls,  a're 
all  which  now  survive. 

Gibson,  in  his  additions  to  Camden,  folio  78,  says  — «  From  hence  let  us  go  alopg  wi,th 
Mr.  Camden  north. west  to  Glassonbury,  where,  among  other  curiosities,  he  mentions  the 
budding  of  a  hawthorn-tree  on  Christmas  Day.  The  tree  has  been  cut  down  these  many 
y»'ars ;  yet  there  are  some  still  growing  in  the  county  from  branches  of  that,  as  particu- 
larly one  in  the  garden  of  William  Stroud,  Esq.  possessor  of  the  ground  where  the  other 
stood,  another  in  the  garden  of  the  White  Hart  Inn,  in  Glassonbury." 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  13 

Arthur.     He  bestowed  also  some  lands  upon  the  church  of 
Winchester. 

But  there  happened  several  casualties  in  his  time. 
Brythe,  a  subject  to  Egfride  King  of  Northumberland, 
passed  over  to  Ireland,  and  wasted  and  destroyed  a  great 
part  of  that  kingdom.  In  the  fourth  year  of  his  reign  there 
happened  a  remarkable  earthquake  in  the  Isle  of  Man,  which 
much  disturbed  and  annoyed  the  inhabitants  ;  and  the  year 
following  it  rained  blood  both  in  Britain  and  Ireland.  This 
occasioned  the  butter  and  milk  to  resemble  the  colour  of 
blood;  and  two  years  after  the  moon  also  appeared  all 
bloody.  These  accidents  of  nature  might  presage  some 
tumults  and  disturbances  in  the  kingdom ;  which  were  very 
great  in  his  time.  For  he  was  almost  in  perpetual  hostility 
with  the  Kings  of  Kent,  West-Sex,  and  Mercia ;  which 
occasioned  great  bloodshed  and  slaughter  in  Britain.  His 
journey  to  Rome  put  an  end  to  all  these  commotions,  from 
whence  he  never  did  return,  but  ended  his  days  there  in 
the  practice  of  piety  and  religion. 


RODERIC  MOLWYNOC. 

I  HE  Government  of  the  Britons  Ivor  resigned  to  Roderic 
Molwynoc,  the  son  of  Idwal  Ywrch,  who  began  his  reign 
An.  720.  But  Adelred,  King  of  the  West-Saxons,  was  A.D.  720. 
displeased  that  Ivor  had  not  bestowed  upon  him  his  whole 
kingdom  ;  and  upon  that  account  he  resolved  to  trouble 
and  plague  Roderic  and  his  Britons.  He  raised  immedi- 
ately a  powerful  army,  and  with  all  his  forces  marched  to 
Devonshire,  which  he  destroyed  with  fire  and  sword. 
From  thence  he  proceeded  to  Cornwall,  intending  to  make 
that  country  sensible  of  the  same  misery ;  but  he  came  far 
short  of  his  expectations,  for  upon  his  entrance  into  the 
county  the  Britons  opposed  him  and  gave  him  battle,  where 
he  was  vanquished  and  forced  to  retire  with  all  speed  to  his 
own  dominions.  This  victory  the  Britons  called  Gwaeth 
Heilyn,  from  the  place  where  this  battle  was  fought.  The  A.D.  721. 
year  following,  the  Britons  again  obtained  two  notable 
victories  over  the  Saxons ;  the  one  at  a  place  called  Garth 
Maelawc,  in  North  Wales,  the  other  at  Pencost,  in  South 
Wales.  But  the  joy  and  satisfaction  which  the  Britons 
entertained  of  these  successes,  were  somewhat  abated  by  the 
death  of  Belin,  the  son  of  Elphin,  a  man  of  noble  birth,  and 
great  worth  among  them. 

About 


14  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

About  the  same  time  Celredus  King  of  Mercia  died,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Ethelbaldus,  who  being  very  desirous  to 
annex  that  fertile  and  pleasant  country  lying  between  the 
rivers  Severn  and  Wye  to  his  Kingdom  of  Mercia,  entered 
Wales  with  a  puissant  army.  He  destroyed  and  ravaged 
the  country  before  him  to  Carno,  a  mountain  lying  not  far 
from  Abergavenny,*  where  he  was  met  with  by  the  Britons, 
between  whom  a  bloody  and  sore  battle  was  fought  in  the 

A.D.728.  year  728,  but  the  victory  proved  very  dubitable. 

Not  long  after  died  the  venerable  Bede,f  who  was  edu- 

A.D.  733.  cated  and  brought  up  in  the  Abbey  of  Wyrnetham  or  larewe ; 
a  man  of  great  learning  and  extensive  knowledge,  who  wrote 
several  books,  one  of  which,  entitled,  the  Ecclesiastical 
History  of  the  English  Nation,  he  dedicated  to  Cleolwolfe 
King  of  Northumberland.  The  same  time  Adelred  King  of 
the  West-Saxons,  and  Ethelbald  King  of  Mercia,  united 
their  forces,  and  jointly  marched  to  fight  against  the  Britons. 
The  Welsh  were  now  put  to  very  hard  straits  and  forced  to 
oppose  the  numerous  armies  of  two  powerful  kings.  How- 
ever, fight  they  must,  or  suffer  their  country  to  be  miserably 
over-run  by  their  inveterate  enemies.  Both  armies  being 
engaged,  a  very  dismal  battle  ensued  thereupon,  and  a  very 
great  slaughter  happened  on  both  sides ;  but  the  Saxons 
prevailing  by  the  number  of  their  forces  obtained  a  very 
bloody  victory  over  the  powerless  Britons.  But  Adelred, 
who  was  shortly  followed  by  Edwyn  King  of  the  Picts,  did 
not  long  survive  this  battle ;  and  Cudred  took  upon  him  the 
government  of  the  West-Saxons.  The  Welsh  found  them- 
selves unable  to  cope  with  the  Saxons,  and  too  weak  to 
repress  their  endless  incursions,  therefore  they  applied  them- 
selves to  Cudred  and  joined  in  league  with  him,  who,  upon 
some  occasion  or  other,  had  actually  fallen  out  with 

A  D  746  Ethelbald  King  of  Mercia.  But  Ethelbald  was  so  proud 
with  the  success  of  the  last  engagement,  that  notwithstand- 
ing the  league  with  Cudred,  he  must  needs  again  fall  upon 
the  Welsh.  He  advanced  as  far  as  Hereford,  J  where  the 
Britons,  by  the  help  of  Cudred,  gave  him  a  signal  over- 
throw, and  caused  him  to  repent  of  his  rash  and  precipitous 
expedition.  But  shortly  after,  Cudred  and  Ethelbald  were 
unluckily  reconciled,  and  made  friends  together,  and  Cudred 
relinquishing  the  Welsh,  joined  his  forces  to  Ethelbald's. 
Hereupon  ensued  another  battle,  in  which  the  Welsh,  being 
greatly  overpowered,  were  vanquished  by  the  Saxons ;  after 

which 

*  Abergefni. 

t  At  this  time  (A.  D.  734)  died  the  venerable  Bede.— Flores  Hist.  Matth.  Westm. 
p.  203. 

t  Anciently  called  Henffordd,  or  the  old  road  of  Englishmen.— Humffrey  Lhuyd,  p.  74. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  15 

which  victory  Cudred  shortly  died.  To  him  succeeded 
Sigebert,  a  man  of  a  loose  and  vicious  inclination,  who,  A-D-748- 
for  his  ill-behaviour  in  the  management  of  his  kingdom, 
was  in  a  short  time  expelled  and  deprived  by  his  nobi- 
lity, and  at  last  miserably  slain  by  a  rascally  swineherd. 
After  him  Kenulph  was  chosen  King  of  the  West-Saxons, 
Ann.  750,  in  whose  time  died  Theodore,  the  son  of  Belin,  A.D.  750. 
a  man  of  great  esteem  and  reputation  among  the  Britons. 
And  about  the  same  time  a  remarkable  battle  was  fought 
between  the  Britons  and  the  Picts  at  a  place  called  Mage- 
dawc,  in  which  the  Picts  were  put  to  a  total  rout,  and 
Dalargan  their  king  casually  slain.  But  the  Britons  did 
not  succeed  so  well  against  the  Saxons  ;  for  Roderic  Molwy- 
noc  was  at  length  forced  to  forsake  the  western  countries  of 
Britain,  and  to  claim  his  own  inheritance  in  North  Wales.* 
The  sons  of  Bletrus  or  Bledericus,  Prince  of  Cornwall  and 
Devonshire,  who  was  one  of  them  that  vanquished  Adelred 
and  Ethelbert  at  Bangor  on  the  river  Dee,  had  enjoyed  the 
government  of  North  Wales  ever  since  Cadfan  was  chosen 
King  of  Britain.  Roderic,  therefore,  demanded  the  govern- 
ment of  this  country  as  his  right,  which  he  was  now  willing 
to  accept  of,  seeing  he  was  forced  to  quit  what  he  had 
hitherto  possessed.  But  he  did  not  long  enjoy  it ;  for  he 
died  in  a  short  time,  leaving  behind  him  f  two  sons,  Conan 
Tindaethwy  and  Howel,  after  that  he  had  in  all  reigned 
over  the  Britons  thirty  years. ' 


CONAN  TINDAETHWY. 

JiCODERIC  Molwynoc  being  dead,  his  son,  Conan 
Tindaethwy  took  upon  him  the  government  and  principality 
of  Wales,  in  the  year  755.J  He  was  scarcely  settled  in  his  A--D- 755> 
throne,  but  the  Saxons  began  to  make  inroads  into  his 
country,  to  spoil  and  destroy  what  they  conveniently  could 
meet  with.  They  were  animated  thereto  by  the  ill  success 
of  Roderic ;  and  having  forced  the  Britons  out  of  Cornwall 
and  Devonshire,  they  thought  it  practicable  to  drive  them 
out  of  Wales  too,  and  so  to  reduce  the  possession  of  the 
whole  Island  to  themselves.  This  was  their  aim,  and  this 
they  endeavoured  to  put  in  execution ;  but  they  were  met 

with 

*  Rowland's  Mona  Ant.  p.  188. 

f  He  usually  resided  at  Caer  Segont,  on  the  Straits  of  the  Menai,  in  Caernarvonshire. 
—Rowland's  Mona  Ant.  p.  172. 

|  Rowland's  Mona  Ant,  p.  188. 


1C  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

with  at  Hereford,  where  a  severe  battle  was  fought  between 
them  and  the  Welsh,  in  which  Dyfnwal  the  son  of  Theodore, 
a  stout  and  valiant  soldier,  was  slain.  And  shortly  after- 
wards died  Athelbert,  King  of  Northumberland,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Oswald. 

About  the  same  time  happened  a  religious  quarrel  be- 
tween the  Britons  and  Saxons,  concerning  the  observation  of 
the  feast  of  Easter,  which  Elbodius,  a  learned  and  pious 
man,  endeavoured  to  rectify  in  Wales,  and  to  reduce  to 
the  Roman  calculation,  which  the  Saxons  always  observed. 
The  Britons  differed  from  the  Church  of  Rome  in  the 
celebration  of  this  feast ;  and  the  difference  was  this.  The 
Church  of  Rome,  according  to  the  order  of  the  council  of 
Nice,  always  observed  Easter-day  the  next  Sunday  after  the 
14th  day  of  the  moon ;  so  that  it  never  happened  upon  the 
14th  day  itself,  nor  passed  the  21st.  The  Britons  on  the 
other  hand  celebrated  their  Easter  upon  the  14th,  and  so 
forward  to  the  20th,  which  occasioned  this  difference,  that 
the  Sunday  observed  as  Easter-day  by  the  Britons  was  but 
Palm-Sunday  with  the  Saxons.  Upon  this  account  the 
Saxons  did  most  uncharitably  traduce  the  Britons,  and 
would  scarcely  allow  them  the  name  and  title  of  Christians. 
Hereupon,  about  the  year  660,  a  great  contest  happened, 
managed  on  the  one  part  by  Colman  and  Hylda,  who 
defended  the  rites  and  celebration  of  the  Br:tons ;  and  by 
Gilbert  and  Wilfride  on  the  part  of  the  Saxons.  Hylda 
was  the  niece  of  Edwine,  King  of  Northumberland,  edu- 
cated by  Pauline  and  Aedan.  She  publicly  opposed 
Wilfride  and  other  superstious  monks,  as  to  such  trifles  and 
bigotry  in  religion,  alleging  out  of  Polycrates,  the  fact  of 
Irenaeus,  who  withstood  Victor,  Bishop  of  Rome,  upon  the 
same  account;  and  the  custom  of  the  churches  of  Asia 
observed  by  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  Philip  the  Apostle, 
Polycarpus,  and  Melito ;  and  likewise  observed  in  Britain 
by  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  who  first  preached  the  gospel 
here. 

Offa*  was  made  King  of  Mercia,  and  Brichtrich  of  the 
•D.763.  West-Saxons;  about  which  time  died  Fermael,  the  son  of 
Edwal  and  Cemoyd,  King  of  the  Picts.  The  Saxons  daily 
encroached  upon  the  lands  and  territories  of  the  Welsh 
beyond  the  river  Severn,  but  more  especially  towards  the 
south  part  of  the  country.  These  encroachments  the  Welsh 
could  not  endure,  and  therefore  were  resolved  to  recover 
their  own,  and  to  drive  the  Saxons  out  of  their  country. 
The  Britons  of  South  Wales,  as  receiving  the  greatest  injury 

and 
*  Saxon.  Annal.  p.  59. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  17 

and  disadvantage  from  the  Saxons,  presently  took  up  arms  A.  D.  776. 
and  entered  into  the  country  of  Mercia,  which  they  ravaged 
and  destroyed  with  fire  and  sword.  Shortly  after,  all  the 
Welsh  joined  their  forces  together,  fell  upon  the  Saxons, 
forced  them  to  retire  beyond  the  Severn,  and  then  returned 
home  with  a  very  considerable  spoil  of  English  cattle.*  The 
Welsh,  finding  the  advantage  of  this  last  incursion,  and  how 
that  by  these  means  they  galled  and  vexed  the  Saxons, 
frequently  practised  the  same;  and,  entering  their  country 
by  stealth,  they  killed  and  destroyed  all  before  them,  and 
driving  the  cattle  beyond  the  river,  ravaged  and  laid  waste 
the  whole  country.  OfFa,  King  of  Mercia,  not  being  able 
to  endure  these  daily  incursions  and  depredations  of  the 
Welsh,  entered  into  a  league  with  the  rest  of  the  Saxon 
kings  to  bend  their  whole  force  against  the  Welsh,  and 
having  raised  a  very  strong  and  numerous  army,  passed  the 
Severn  into  Wales.  The  Welsh  being  far  too  weak  to 
oppose  and  encounter  so  great  an  army,  quitted  the  even 
and  plain  country  lying  upon  the  banks  of  the  Severn  and 
Wye,f  and  retired  to  the  mountains  and  rocks,  where  they 
knew  they  could  be  most  safe  from  the  inveterate  and 
revengeful  arms  of  the  Saxons:  but  as  soon  as  the  Saxons 
retired,  being  unable  to  effect  any  thing  against  them  in 
these  strong  and  natural  fortifications,  the  Welsh  still  made 
inroads  into  their  territories,  and  seldom  returned  without 
some  considerable  booty  and  advantage.  The  Saxons  were 
much  nettled  at  these  bo-peeping  ravagers,  and  pursued 
them  still  to  their  holds,  but  durst  not  follow  them  further, 
lest  they  should  be  entrapped  by  such  as  defended  the 
straights  and  passages  of  the  rocks.  King  OfFa,  perceiving 
that  he  could  effect  nothing  by  these  measures,  annexed 
the  country  about  the  Severn  and  Wye  to  his  kingdom  of 
Mercia,  and  planted  the  same  with  Saxons  :£  and  for  a 
further  security  against  the  continued  invasions  of  the 
Welsh  he  made  a  deep  ditch,  extending  from  one  sea  to 
the  other,  called  Clawdd  OfFa,  or  OfFa's  Dike;  upon  which 
account  the  royal  seat  of  the  Princes  of  Powys  was  trans- 
lated from  Pengwern,§  now  Shrewsbury,  to  Mathraval  in 
Montgomeryshire. 

While 
c 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  19.        f  Hafren  and  Gwy.^-Langhornl  Chron.  Reg.  Ang.  p.  292. 

J  The  large  towns  and  cities  situate  to  the  east  of  the  Severn  and  Dee  were  probably 
built  at  this  period  to  check  the  incursions  of  the  Welsh  by  a  strong  line  of  frontier  posts. 
The  villages  likewise  on  the  east  side  of  Clawdd  OfFa,  whose  names  terminate  in  ton  or 
ham,  were  about  this  time  inhabited  by  Saxons,  who  were  usually  called  Gwyr  y  Mers, 
or  the  men  of  Mercia,  though  in  after  times  the  Welsh  settled  on  each  side  of  the  dike. 

§  Its  ancient  name  was  Pengwern,  or  the  head  of  a  place  where  alders  grow,  and  was 
the  seat  of  the  Kings  of  Powys;  whence  the  Saxon  term  Schrewsbury  is  derived.— 
Humffrey  Lhuyd's  Breviary,  pp.  27  and  50. 


18  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

A.  D.  795.  While  these  things  were  transacted  in  the  west,  the 
Danes  began  to  grow  powerful  at  sea,  and  ventured  to  land 
in  tlie  north  of  England;  but  without  doing  any  great  hurt, 
being  forced  to  betake  themselves  to  their  ships  again. 
Within  six  years  after  they  landed  again  in  great  numbers, 
and  proved  much  more  terrible;  they  ravaged  and  de- 
stroyed a  great  part  of  Linsey  and  Northumberland,  over- 
run the  best  part  of  Ireland,  and  miserably  wasted  Rechreyn. 
At  the  same  time  a  considerable  battle  was  fought  at 
Rhuddlan  between  the  Saxons  and  Welsh,  wherein  Caradoc 
king  of  North  Wales  was  killed.  The  government  of  Wales 
was  as  yet  but  weak,  and  not  firmly  rooted,  by  reason  of  the 
perpetual  quarrels  and  disturbances  between  the  Welsh  and 
the  Saxons;  so  that  the  chief  person  or  lord  of  any  country 
assumed  to  himself  the  title  of  king.  Caradoc  was  a  person 
of  great  esteem  and  reputation  in  North  Wales,  and  one 
that  did  very  much  contribute  towards  the  security  of  the 
country  against  the  incursions  of  the  Saxons.  He  was  son 
to  Gwyn,  the  son  of  Colhoyn,  the  son  of  Ednowen,  son  to 
Blethyn,  the  son  of  Blecius  or  Bledericus,  Prince  of  Corn- 

A  D  796  wa^  anc^  Devonshire.  Offa,  King  of  Mercia,*  did  not  long 
survive  him,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Egfert,  who  in  a 
short  time  left  his  kingdom  also  to  Kenulphus;  a  year  after 
that  Egbertus  was  created  King  of  the  West  Saxons. 
About  the  same  time  died  Arthen,  son  to  Sitsylht,  the  son 
of  Clydawc  King  of  Cardigan;  and  sometime  after,  Run 
King  of  Dyfed,f  and  Cadelh  King  of  Powys,  who  were 
followed  by  Elbodius,  Archbishop  of  North  Wales,  before 
whose  death  happened  a  very  great  eclipse  of  the  sun. 
The  year  following  the  moon  was  likewise  eclipsed  upon 
'  Christmas-day.  These  fatalities  and  eclipses  were  thought 
to  portend  no  success  to  the  affairs  of  Wales ;  the  laying  of 
St.  David's  in  ashes  by  the  West  Saxons  being  followed  by 
a  general  and  very  grievous  murrain  of  cattle,  which  much 
impoverished  the  whole  country.  The  following  year, 
Owen  the  son  of  Meredith,  the  son  of  Terudos,  died,  and 
the  castle  of  Deganwy  was  destroyed  by  lightning. 

These  great  losses  which  the  Welsh  sustained  did  not 
reconcile  Prince  Conan  and  his  brother  Howel;  for  they 
quarrelled  with  each  other  when  they  had  the  more  occasion 
to  embrace  and  unite  their  endeavours  against  the  common 
enemy.  Howel  claimed  the  isle  of  Anglesey  as  part  of  his 
father's  inheritance,  which  Conan  would  by  no  means  accede 
to,  nor  consent  that  his  brother  should  take  possession  of  it. 
It  was  the  custom  of  Wales,  that  a  father's  estate  should  be 
equally  distributed  between  all  his  sons;  and  Howel,  by 

virtue 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  20.  f  Pembroke. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  19 

virtue  of  this  custom,  commonly  called  Gavelkind  from  the 
word  Gafel,  to  hold,  claimed  that  island  as  his  portion  of 
his  father's  estate.  This  custom  of  Gavelkind  was  the 
occasion  of  the  ruin  and  diminution  of  the  estates  of  all  the 
ancient  nobility  in  Wales,  which,  being  endlessly  divided 
between  the  several  sons  of  the  same  family,  were  at  length 
reduced  to  nothing.  From  hence  also  proceeded  various 
unnatural  wars  and  disturbances  between  brothers,  who, 
beina:  either  not  satisfied  with  their  portions  or  displeased 
with  the  country  they  were  to  possess,  disputed  their  right 
by  dint  of  the  sword.  This  proved  the  case  in  the  present 
instance;  for  Howel  would  not  suffer  himself  to  be  cheated 
out  of  his  paternal  inheritance,  and  therefore  he  endeavoured 
to  recover  it  by  force  of  arms.  Both  armies  being  engaged, 
the  victory  fell  to  Howel,  who  immediately  thereupon  pos- 
sessed himself  of  the  island,  and  valiantly  maintained  it 
against  the  power  and  strength  of  his  brother  Conan. 

The  Welsh  bein<j  thus  at  variance  and  enmity  among 
themselves,  and  striving  how  to  destroy  one  another,  had 
yet  another  disaster  added  to  their  misfortunes.  For  the 
following  year  they  suffered  a  very  considerable  loss  by 
thunder  storms,  which  very  much  injured  the  country,  and 
laid  several  houses  and  towns  in  ashes.  About  the  same 
time,  Griffith  the  son  of  Run,  a  person  of  considerable 
quality  in  Wales,  died ;  and  Griffri  the  son  of  Cyngen  was 
treacherously  murdered  by  the  practices  of  his  brother  Elis. 

But  Conan  would  not  rest  satisfied  with  his  brother 
Howel's  forcible  possession  of  the  Island  of  Anglesey,  and 
therefore  he  was  resolved  again  to  give  him  battle,  and 
to  force  him  to  restore  and  yield  up  the  possession  of  that 
country  which  he  had  now  in  his  hands.  Howel,  on  the 
other  hand,  being  as  resolutely  bent  to  maintain  his  ground, 
and  not  to  deliver  up  a  foot  of  what  he  possessed,  as  well  in 
respect  of  his  father's  legacy  as  his  late  conquest,  willingly 
met  his  brother,  put  him  to  flight,  and  killed  a  great  num- 
ber of  his  forces.  Conan  was  greatly  enraged  at  this 
shameful  overthrow,  and  therefore  resolved  either  to  recover 
the  island  from  his  brother,  or  to  sacrifice  his  life  and  his 
crown  in  the  quarrel.  Having  drawn  up  all  the  forces  he  A  D  817 
could  raise  together,  he  marched  to  Anglesey  to  seek  his 
brother  Howel,  who  being  too  weak  to  encounter  and  oppose 
so  considerable  a  number,  was  compelled  to  make  his  escape 
to  the  Isle  of  Man,  and  to  leave  the  Island  of  Anglesey  to 
the  mercy  of  his  brother.  Conan,  however,  did  not  live 
long  to  reap  the  satisfaction  of  this  victory,  but  died  in  a 

short 
c  2 


20  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

short  time,  leaving  issue  an  only  daughter  called  Esylht, 
married  to  a  nobleman  of  Wales  named  Merfyn  Frych.  He 
was  son  to  Gwyriad  or  Uriet,  the  son  of  Elidur,  who  was 
lineally  descended  from  Belinus,  the  brother  of  Brennus 
King  of  the  Britons.  His  mother  was  Nest,  the  daughter 
/i  Cadelh  King  of  Powys,  the  son_of  BrochwelYscithroc,* 
who,  together  with  Cadfan  king  of  Britain,  Morgan  King 
of  Demetia,  and  Bledericus  King  of  Cornwall,  gave  that 
memorable  overthrow  to  Etheldred  King  of  Northumber- 
land,  upon  the  river  Dee,  in  the  year  617.  This  Brochwel, 
by  the  Latin  writers  named  Brecinallus  and  Brochmaelus, 
wag  a  yerv  considerable  prince  in  that  part  of  Britain  called 
Powys-land  ;  he  was  also  Earl  of  Chester,  and  lived  in  the 
town  then  called  Pengwern  Powys,  now  Salop,  and  in  the 
place  where  the  college  of  St.  Chad  was  subsequently 
erected.  He  was  a  great  friend  and  a  favourer  to  the 
monks  of  Bangor,  whose  part  he  took  against  the  Saxons 
that  were  urged  by  Augustine  the  monk  to  prosecute  them 
with  fire  and  sword,  because  they  would  not  forsake  the 
customs  of  their  own  church,  and  conform  to  those  of 


MERFYN  FRYCH  &  ESYLHT. 


being  dead,  Merfyn  Frych  and  his  wife  Esylht, 
who  was  sole  heir  to  Conan,  took  upon  them  the  govern- 
ment of  the  principality  of  Wales.  This  Merfyn  was  King 
of  Man,  and  son  to  Gwyriat  and  Nest,  the  daughter  of 
Cadelh  ap  Brochwel  ap  Elis  King  of  Powys.f  Howel, 
being  forcibly  ejected  out  of  Anglesey  by  his  brother, 
Conan  Tindaethwy,  escaped  to  the  Island  of  Man,  and  was 
honourably  and  kindly  received  by  Merfyn  ;  in  return  for 
whose  civilities  Howel  used  such  means  afterwards,  that 
Merfyn  married  Esylht,  the  daughter  and  heir  of  his  brother 
Conan  (though  others  say  that  he  died  presently  after  his 
escape  to  Merfyn).  Howel,  after  he  had  for  about  five 

years 

*  Of  whom  it  is  thus  written  in  Hist&ria  Diva  Monacella;—"  Fuit  olim  in  Powysia 
quidam  Princeps  illustrissimus  nomine  Brochwel  Ysgithrog,  consul  Leycestriae,  qui  in 
urbem  itunc  temporis,  Pengwern  Powys,  nunc  veto  Salopia  dicta  est  habitabat;  cujus 
domic-ilium  seu  Habitaculum  ibi  steterat  ubi  collegium  divi  Ceddae  nunc  situm  est."  — 
t.  e.  u  There  was  sometime  in  Powys  a  noble  prince,  named  Brochwel  Ysgithrog,  Consul 
or  Earl  of  Chester,  who  dwelt  in  a  town  then  called  Pengwern  Powys,  and  now  Salop, 
whose  dwelling  house  was  in  the  very  same  place  where  the  College  of  St.  Chad  now 
standeth." 

t  Welsh  Chronicle,  p.  22. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  21 

years  enjoyed  the  Isle  of  Man,  and  other  lands  in  the  north 
which  he  held  under  Merfyn,  died  about  the  year  825 ;  on 
whose  death  these  possessions  again  reverted  to  Merfyn, 
whose  ancestors  had  always  held  the  same  under  the  Kings 
of  the  Britons  ;  and  thus,  upon  his  marriage  with  Esylht, 
the  Isle  of  Man  was  annexed  to  the  crown  of  Wales.* 

In  the  first  year  of  their  reign,  Egbert,  the  powerful  King 
of  the  West  Saxons,  entered  with  a  mighty  army  into 
Wales,  destroyed  and  wasted  the  country  as  far  as  Snow- 
don,  and  seized  upon  the  lordship  of  Rhyvonioc  in  Den- 
bighland.f  About  the  same  time  a  battle  was  fought  in 
Anglesey  between  the  Saxons  and  Welsh,  called,  from  the 
place  where  it  happened,  the  battle  of  Llanvaes.  Fortune 
seemed  during  this  period  to  frown  upon  the  Welsh,  and 
their  affairs  were  very  unsuccessful  ;  for  shortly  after  Egbert 
had  advanced  as  far  as  Snowdon,  Kenulph  King  of  Mercia 
wasted  the  country  of  West  Wales,  over-ran  and  destroyed 
Powys-land,  and  greatly  disturbed  and  incommoded  the 
Welsh  nation.^  Soon  after  this,  Kenulph  died,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Kenelm ;  and  he  in  a  short  time  by  Ceol- 
wulph,  who,  after  two  years'  reign,  left  the  kingdom  of 
Mercia  to  Bernulph. 

Egbert,  King  of  the  West  Saxons,  was  grown  very  strong  A,  D.  828. 
and  powerful,  and  contemplated  the  reduction  of  all  the 
petty  kingdoms  in  Britain  under  one  single  monarchy;! 
upon  which  he  commenced  with  Bernulph  King  of  Mercia, 
and  vanquished  him  at  Elledowne ;  and  afterwards  brought 
under  subjection  the  countries  of  Kent  and  of  the  West 
Angles.  But  the  Britons  would  not  be  so  easily  subdued  ; 
for  after  a  long  and  a  cruel  fight  at  Gavelford,  between 
them  and  the  West  Saxons  of  Devonshire,  in  which  several 
thousands  were  slain  on  both  sides,  the  victory  remained 
uncertain.  He  had  better  success  against  Wyhtlafe  King  A.  D-  §29. 
of  Mercia,  whose  dominions  he  easily  added  to  his  now 
increasing  monarchy  ;  and  passing  the  Humber,  he  quickly 
reduced  that  country  to  his  subjection.  The  Saxon  hep- 
tarchy was  now  become  one  kingdom,  and  Egbert  sole 
monarch  of  all  the  countries  that  the  Saxons  possessed  in 
Britain  ;  which  name  he  ordered  should  be  changed  to 
England,  his  ^  people  to  be  called  Englishmen,  and  the 
language  English.|| 

They 

*  Rowland's  Mona  Ant.  p.  188. 

f  Matthew  Westm.  (p.  224—227)  recites  three  different  invasions  of  Wales  by  Egbert, 
in  which  he  subdued  that  country  and  made  its  kings  tributary.     A.  D.  810,  811,  830. 

t  Welsh  Chron.  pp.^24,  25. 

§  Fabian,  p.  184. — Rowland's  Mona  Ant.  p.  171. 

|]  Humffrey  Lhuyd's  Brev.  p.  13.— Verstegan,  c.  5,  p.  125. 


22  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

They  who  came  over  out  of  Germany  into  this  island  to 
aid  the  Britons  against  their  enemies  the  Picts  and  Scots, 
were  partly  Saxons,  Angles,  and  Juthes ;  from  the  first  of 
whom  came  the  people  of  Essex,  Sussex,  Middlesex,  and 
the  West  Saxons ;  from  the  Angles,  the  East  Angles,  the 
Mercians,  and  they  that  inhabited  the  north  side  of  the 
Humber ;  from  the  Juthes,  the  Kentishmen  and  they  that 
settled  in  the  Isle  of  Wight.  These  Germans,  after  they 
had  driven  the  Britons  beyond  Severn  and  Dee,  erected 
seven  kingdoms,  called  the  Heptarchy,  in  the  other  part  of 
the  island:  namely,  1.  Kent.  2.  The  South  Saxons,  con- 
taining Sussex  and  Surrey.  3.  The  East  Angles,  in  Nor- 
folk, Suffolk,  and  Cambridgeshire.  4.  The  kingdom  of  the 
West  Saxons,  comprehending  Berkshire,  Devonshire,  So- 
mersetshire, and  Cornwall.  5.  Mercia,  containing  the 
present  counties  of  Gloucester,  Hereford,  Worcester,  Salop, 
Stafford,  Chester,  Warwick,  Leicester,  Derby,  Nottingham, 
Lincoln,  Northampton,  Oxford,  Buckingham,  Bedford,  and 
part  of  Hertford.  6.  The  East  Saxons,  containing  Essex, 
Middlesex,  and  the  other  part  of  Hertford.  7.  The  North- 
umbrians, taking  in  all  the  country  beyond  Humber,  which 
was  divided  into  two  parts,  Deyra  and  Bernicia,  the  first 
portion  extending  from  Humber  to  Tyne,  the  other  from 
Tyne  to  the  Scottish  sea. 

Egbert,  King  of  the  West  Saxons,  having  severally 
conquered  these  kingdoms,  annexed  them  together,  and 
comprehended  them  under  one  monarchy,  which  was  called 
the  kingdom  of  England,  968  years  after  the  coming  of 
Brute  to  this  island,  383  years  after  the  landing  of  Hengist, 
and  149  years  after  the  departure  of  Cadwalader  to  Rome. 

Egbert,*  having  thus  united  under  one  government  these 
several  kingdoms,  which  used  continually  to  molest  and  to 
encroach  upon  each  other's  territories,  .might  reasonably 
have  expected  to  enjoy  his  new  kingdom  quietly,  without 
A.  D.  883.  fear  of  any  disturbance  or  trouble  in  his  dominions.  But 
no  sooner  was  he  established  king  of  England,  than  the 
Danes  began  to  threaten  new  commotions,  and  landed  in 
great  numbers,  and  in  divers  parts  of  the  coast.  Egbert 
fought  several  battles  with  them,  and  with  various  success: 
at  length  the  Danes  landed  in  West  Wales,  marched  for- 
ward for  England,  being  joined  by  a  great  number  of 
Welsh,  and  met  Egbert  upon  Hengist-down,  where  a  severe 
battle  was  fought,  and  the  Danes  put  to  a  total  rout.f  The 
Welsh  suffered  severely  for  this  :  Egbert,  being  highly 
incensed  that  the  Danes  were  supported  by  them,  laid  siege 

to 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  24,  25.— f  S&^on  Chron.  p.  72. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

to  Caer  Lheon  ar  Dhyfrdwy,  or  Chester,  the  chief  city  of 
Venedotia,  which  hitherto  had  remained  in  the  hands  of 
the  Welsh  ;*  he  took  the  place,  and,  among  other  tokens  of 
his  indignation,  he  caused  the  brazen  effigies  of  Cadwalhon 
King  of  Britain  to  be  pulled  down  and  defaced, f  and  for- 
bad the  erecting  of  such  again  on  pain  of  death.  He  issued 
also  a  proclamation  by  the  instigation  of  his  wife  Redburga, 
who  always  bore  an  inveterate  hatred  towards  the  Welsh, 
commanding  all  that  were  any  ways  descended  from  British 
blood,  to  depart,  with  all  their  effects,  out  of  his  kingdom 
within  six  months,  upon  pain  of  death. J  These  were  very 
severe  and  insupportable  terms;  but  he  did  not  live  to 
see  them  put  in  execution ;  for  dying  shortly  after  the  battle 
of  Hengist-down,  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Ethelwulph. 
This  King  Ethelwulph  married  his  daughter  to  Berthred, 
who  was  his  tributary  King  of  Mercia,  by  whose  help  he 
successfully  opposed  the  cruel  incursions  of  the  Danes,  who 
miserably  destroyed  the  sea-coasts  of  England  by  fire  and 
sword.  These  Danish  invasions  having  been  successfully 
resisted,  Berthred  King  of  Mercia  attacked  the  Welsh, 
with  whom  a  remarkable  battle  was  fought  at  a  place  called 
Kettell ;  where  Merfyn  Frych,  King  of  the  Britons,  was  * 
killed,  leaving  his  son  Roderic  Mawr,  or  the  Great,  to  suc- 
ceed him  in  the  government  of  Wales.g 


RODERIC  THE  GREAT. 

MERFYN  FRYCH  having  lost  his  life,  and  with  it  his 
kingdom,  in  the  battle  of  Kettell,  his  son  Roderic,  sur-  843' 
named  the  Great,  without  any  opposition,  succeeded  to  the 
Principality  of  Wales.  The  first  thing  he  effected  after  his 
advancement  to  the  crown  was  the  dividing  of  Wales  into 
3  provinces,  which  he  distinguished  thus: — Aberffraw,  Dine- 
vawr,  and  Mathraval.  Berthred,  King  of  Mercia,  being 
animated  by  his  late  success  against  Merfyn  Frych,  pur- 
posed to  perform  the  like  exploits  against  his  son  Roderic ; 
and  having  gained  the  aid  and  assistance  of  King  Ethel- 
wulph, he  entered  North  Wales||  with  a  strong  army,  and 
advanced  as  far  as  Anglesey,  which  he  cruelly  ravaged. 
Roderic  met  him  several  times,  and  the  Welsh  at  length  so 
galled  and  resisted  him  that  he  had  little  or  nothing  to 

boast 

*  Chron.  of  Wales,  p.  72.  f  Stowe's  Chron.  p.  77. 

I  Chron.  of  Wales,  p.  27.  §  Saxon  Chron.  p.  75. 

II  Rowland's  Mona  Ant.  p.  174.— Sim.  Dunelme,  p.  120-139.— Hist.  Angl.  Script.—     ) 
Matthew  Westm.  p.  231. — Chron.  of  Wales,  p.  35. 


24  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

boast  of,  although  Meyric,  one  of  the  chief  princes  among 
the  Britons,  was  slain. 

Berthred  was,  however,  soon  forced  to  desist  from  his 
expedition  against  the  Welsh,  and  to  turn  his  forces  another 
way,  his  own  dominions  requiring  their  constant  residence, 
A.  D.  846.  being  severely  threatened  by  a  foreign  invasion :  for  the 
Danes  were  by  this  time  grown  so  very  powerful,  that  they 
overran  a  great  part  of  England,  fought  with  Athelstan, 
King  of  Kent,  brother  to  Ethel wulph,  and  obtained  so 
much  footing,  that  whereas  they  had  on  previous  occasions 
returned  to  their  own  country  when  the  weather  grew  too 
cold  for  action,  they  now  took  up  their  winter  quarters  in 
England. 

The  Welsh,  in  the  mean  time,  being  secure  from  that 
violence  which  they  might  otherwise  have  expected  from 
the  English,  began  to  quarrel  and  fall  out  amongst  them- 
selves. Ithel,  King  of  Gwent  or  Wentland,  for  what  occa- 
sion is  not  known,  attacked  the  men  of  Brecknock,  who 
were  so  resolute  as  to  fight  him,  and  the  event  proved  fatal 
to  Ithel,  who  was  slain  upon  the  spot:  thus  affording 
another  proof  that  it  is  the  unhappiness  of  a  nation  to  be 
composed  of  several  petty  states,  for  in  such  case,  when  it 
js  not  under  apprehension  of  danger  from  an  outward  enemy, 
it  will  often  be  at  variance  and  experience  disturbance 
within  itself. 

Had  the  Britons,  instead  of  falling  upon  one  another, 
taken  the  advantage  of  this  opportunity,  when  the  Saxons 
were  altogether  employed  in  opposing  and  repelling  the 
Danes,  to  increase  and  strengthen  their  number  and  to 
fortify  their  towns,  they  might  at  least  securely  have  pos- 
sessed their  own  dominions,  if  not  extended  their  govern- 
ment to  a  great  part  of  England ;  but  a  sort  of  an  equality 
in  power  begat  an  emulation  between  the  several  princes, 
and  this  emulation  for  the  most  part  ended  in  contention, — 
so  that  instead  of  strengthening  themselves  whilst  they  had 
respite  from  the  English,  they  rather  weakened  their  power 
by  inward  differences. 

Kyngen  King  of  Powys  having  gone  to  Rome,  there  to 

A.D.  854.  end  his  days  peaceably  and  religiously,  experienced  a  death 

not  so  natural  as  he  had  anticipated,  being   barbarously 

Mf          slain   (or,    as  some  say,    choked)    by    his  own  servants. 

Shortly  after  died  Cemoyth  King  of  the  Picts,  and  Jonathan 

Lord  of  Abergeley.      It  was  at  this  time  customary  for 

princes  wearied  with  government  to  go  to  Rome,  and  the 

Pope  willingly  dispensed  with  the    resignation    of  their 

crowns,  because  his  Holiness  seldom  lost  by  it.      King 

Ethelwulph 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  25 

Ethelwulph  paid  very  dear  for  his  entertainment  there, 
having  made  his  kingdom  tributary  to  the  Pope,  and  paid 
the  Peter-pence  to  the  church  of  Rome.  The  Saxon  genea- 
logists carry  the  pedigree  of  Ethelwulph  even  up  to  Adam, 
as  may  be  seen  in  Matthew  of  Westminster,  who  in  like 
manner  derives  the  pedigree  of  Oflfa,  King  of  Mercia. 
This  pride  in  genealogy  has  been  the  custom  of  most 
nations  both  ancient  and  modern,  and  has  always  been 
evinced  by  those  whose  families  are  ancient  and  honourable; 
so  that  it  is  very  unfair  to  deride  the  Welsh  because  they 
adhere  to  this  ancient  and  laudable  custom. 

Berthred  King  of  Mercia  became  at  length  far  too  weak 
to  repel  the  daily  increasing  power  of  the  Danes,  who  so 
numerously  poured  upon  him,  that  at  last  he  was  forced  to 
relinquish  his  kingdom  and  fly  to  Rome,  where  in  a  short 
time  he  sorrowfully  ended  his  days.  Ethelwulph  soon  fol- 
lowed, and  left  his  sons,  Athelbald  King  of  the  West  Saxons, 
and  Athelbright  King  of  Kent  and  of  the  East  Saxons. 
Ethelwulph  is  reported  to  have  been  so  learned  and  devout, 
that  the  church  of  Winchester  elected  him  in  his  youth 
Bishop  of  that  see,  which  function  he  took  upon  him  about 
seven  years  before  he  was  made  king.  He  is  said  also  to 
have  conquered  the  kingdom  of  Demetia  or  South  Wales, 
which,  together  with  the  kingdom  of  the  South-Saxons,  he 
bestowed  upon  his  son  Alfred,  upon  condition  he  would 
bring  a  thousand  men  out  of  Wales  to  Winchester  to  the 
aid  of  his  brother  Ethelbert  against  the  Danes.  Athelbald 
succeeding  his  father  in  the  kingdom  of  the  West  Saxons, 
kept  his  mother-in-law,  the  wife  of  Ethelwulph,  for  his 
concubine,  and  afterwards  married  her  in  the  city  of  Chester. 
He  did  not  live  long  in  this  unnatural  connexion,  but  dying 
without  issue  after  he  had  reigned  eight  years,  left  his 
kingdom  to  his  brother  Athelbright. 

About  the  same  time  the  Danes  began  again  to  bestir 
themselves,  and  attacked  the  city  of  Winchester  and  de- 
stroyed it,  on  which  Athelbright,  after  a  long  fight,  forced 
them  to  quit  the  land  and  to  betake  themselves  to  sea 
again:  but  the  Danes  quickly  returned  to  the  Isle  of  Thanet, 
where  they  remained  for  that  winter,  doing  much  mischief 
upon  the  sea-coast,  and  destroying  various  places  on  the 
coast  of  England.  The  English  were  very  glad  that  they 
durst  venture  no  further,  and  the  more,  because  the  Welsh 
began  again  to  be  troublesome,  against  whom  an  army  was 
speedily  dispatched,  in  order  to  prevent  the  advance  of  the 
Welsh  to  the  English  country.  Both  armies  met  at  Gwey- 
then,  where  a  fierce  battle  was  fought,  and  a  great  number 

slain 


26  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

slain  on  each  side,  but  the  victory  was  uncertain.  The 
Welsh,  however,  not  long  after,  sustained  a  considerable 
loss  by  the  death  of  Conan  Nant  Nifer,  a  brave  and  skilful 
commander,  who  oftentimes  had  valiantly  repulsed  the 
English  forces,  and  obtained  many  signal  victories  over 
them. 

The  Danes  had  been  for  some  time  quiet,  being  unable 
to  venture  upon  any  considerable  action,  and  deeming  it 
adviseable  to  secure  only  what  they  had  already  won  until 
they  received  a  reinforcement  from  their  own  country.  This 
was  quickly  sent  them,  under  the  command  of  Hungare  and 
Hubba,  who  landed  in  England  with  a  very  considerable 
army  of  Danes.  King  Athelbright,  whether  terrified  with 
apprehension  of  these  invaders,  or  otherwise  being  indis- 
posed, quickly  afterwards  gave  up  the  ghost,  leaving  the 
management  of  his  kingdom,  together  with  that  of  his  army 
against  the  Danes,  to  his  brother  Ethelred.  The  Danes  in 
the  mean  time  got  sure  footing,  and  advanced  as  far  as 
York,  which  they  miserably  wasted,  killing  Osbright  and 
Elba,  two  Kings  of  Northumberland  that  opposed  them. 
From  hence  they  proceeded  to  overrun  all  the  country  as 
far  as  Nottingham,  destroying  and  spoiling  all  before  them, 
and  then  returned  back  to  York :  but  having  once  tasted 
how  sweet  was  the  spoil  of  a  country  much  more  fertile  than 
their  own,  they  could  not  rest  satisfied  with  what  they  had 
already  obtained,  but  made  a  farther  progress  into  the 
country,  and  attacked  the  kingdom  of  the  East-Angles. 
Edmund  King  of  that  country  being  unwilling  to  endure 
their  ravages,  endeavoured  to  oppose  them,  but  in  the 
undertaking  was  unfortunately  slain.  And  now  after  the 
same  manner  that  the  Saxons  had  formerly  attained  to  the 
conquest  of  Britain,  the  Danes  proceeded  to  the  conquest 
of  England;  for  the  Saxons  having  found  out  the  value  of 
this  island,  and  withal  discovered  the  weakness  and  inability 
of  the  Britons  to  oppose  them,  brought  over  their  hosts  by 
degrees  and  in  several  companies,  by  which  they  wearied 
and  tired  out  the  British  armies.  It  is  certain  that  nothing 
conduces  more  to  the  conquest  of  an  island  than  the  land- 
ing an  army  at  several  places  and  at  several  times,  thus 
distracting  the  counsels  arid  proceedings  of  the  inhabitants; 
and  which,  in  this  instance,  for  want  of  sufficient  power  at 
sea,  could  not  be  prevented.  The  Danes,  being  informed 
of  the  good  success  of  Hungare  and  Hubba  in  England, 
sent  over  another  army  under  the  command  of  Basreck  and 
Aiding,  who  landed  in  Wessex,  and  fought  five  battles  with 
King  Ethelred  and  his  brother  Alfred,  namely,  at  Hengle- 

field, 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  27 

field,  Eastondown,  Redding,  Basing,  and  Mereton,  in  which 
two  first  the  English  were  successful,  and  in  the  three  last 
the  Danes  obtained  the  victory. 

Soon  after  this  Etheldred  died,  leaving  his  kingdom  to 
his  brother  Alfred,*  who,  as  soon  as  he  had  taken  the 
government  upon  him,  considered  within  himself  what  a  A.D.  872. 
heavy  burthen  he  had  to  sustain,  and  therefore  he  began  to 
enquire  after  the  wisestf  and  most  learned  men,  to  be  directed 
by  them,  whom  he  worthily  entertained,  making  use  of  their 
advice  as  well  in  the  public  government  of  the  kingdom  as 
in  his  private  studies  and  conferences  of  learning.  He  sent 
for  two  very  learned  men  out  of  Wales,  the  one  called  John 
de  Erigena,  surnamed  Scotus,  the  other  Asserius,  surnamed 
Menevensis.  De  Erigena  was  born  at  Menevia,  or  St. 
David's,  and  was  brought  up  in  that  college ;  and,  for  the 
sake  of  learning,  having  travelled  to  Athens,  and  bestowed 
there  many  years  in  the  study  of  the  Greek,  Hebrew,  and 
Chaldaic  tongues,  and  in  the  mysteries  of  philosophy,  came 
to  France,  where  he  was  well  received  by  Carolus  Calvus, 
or  Charles  the  Bald,  and  Ludovicus  Balbus,  or  Lewis  the 
Stammerer;  he  there  translated  the  work  of  Dionysius 
Areopagita,  De  Ccelesti  Hierarchia,  out  of  the  Greek  into 
the  Latin  tongue.  Being  returned  to  Wales,  he  was  sent 
for  by  this  King  Alfred,  who  was  then  founding  and  erect- 
ing the  University  of  Oxford,  of  which  Erigena  became  the 
first  professor  and  public  reader.^  Indeed,  King  Alfred 
bore  so  great  a  respect  to  learning,  that  he  would  suffer 
none  to  bear  any  considerable  office  in  his  court  but  such  as 
were  learned ;  and  withal  exhorted  all  persons  to  embrace 
learning,  and  to  honour  learned  men.  But  though  a  love  to 
learning  be  seldom  reconcileable  with  a  warlike  and  military 
life,  King  Alfred  was  forced  to  regard  the  discipline  of  war, 
so  as  to  defend  his  kingdom  against  the  increasing  power  of 
the  Danes.  For  he  was  scarce  settled  in  his  throne,  but 
this  restless  and  ever-troublesome  people  began  to  molest 
and  destroy  his  country,  insomuch  that  he  was  of  necessity 
forced  to  attack  them,  which  he  did  twice  upon  the  south 
side  of  the  river  Thames,  in  which  engagements  he  slew  of 
the  Danes  one  king  and  nine  earls,  together  with  an  innu- 
merable multitude  of  inferior  soldiers.  About  the  same 
time  Gwgan  ap  Meyric  ap  Dunwal  ap  Arthen  ap  Sitsylht, 
Prince  of  Cardigan,  died,  being  (as  some  say)  unfortunately 
drowned.  The  late  victories  which  Alfred  had  obtained 
over  the  Danes,  did  not  so  much  weaken  and  dishearten 

them, 

*  William  Malmsbury,  lib.  2,  cap.  4,  p.  42. 
t  Polydore-Vergil,  lib.  5,  p.  106.  }  Chron.  of  Wales,  p,  33. 


28  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

them,  but  that  in  a  short  time  they  recovered  their  spirits 
and  began  again  to  display  a  threatening  aspect.     For  as 
soon  as  they  could  re-unite  their    scattered  forces,  they 
attacked  and  destroyed  the  town  of  Alclyde,  obtained  pos- 
session of  the  city  of  London  and  Reading,  and  over-ran 
all  the  inland  country  and  the  whole  kingdom  of  Mercia. 
Another  army  of  Danes  at  the  same  time    proved  very 
successful  in  the  North,  and  possessed  themselves  of  the 
country  of  Northumberland,  which  did  not  so  much  grieve 
the  English  as  it  annoyed  the  Picts  and  Scots,  who  were 
frequently  beat  off  by  these  Danish  troops.     The  next  year 
three  of   the  Danish  captains  marched  from  Cambridge 
towards  Wareham  in  Dorsetshire,  of  which  expedition  King 
Alfred  being  informed,  presently  detached    his  forces  to 
oppose  them,  and  to  offer  them  battle.     The  Danes  were  so 
alarmed  at  this,  that  they  immediately  desired  peace,  and 
willingly  consented  forthwith  to  depart  out  of  the  country, 
and  to  forswear  the  sight  of  English  ground  :   according 
to  which  capitulation    the  horse  that  night  marched  for 
Exeter,  and  the  foot  being  shipped  off,  were  all  of  them 
drowned  at  Sandwich.     The  Danes  having  thus  left  Eng- 
land, were  not  willing  to  return  home  empty,  but  bent  their 
course  against  Wales.     They  fancied  that  they  were  like  to 
meet  with  no  great  opposition  from  the  Welsh,  and  therefore 
could  carve  for  themselves  according  as  their  fancy  directed 
them ;    but  having  landed  their  army  in  Anglesey,  they 
quickly  experienced  the  contrary ;  Prince  Roderic  opposing 
them,  gave  them  two  battles,  one  at  a  place  called  Bengole, 
A.D.  873.  and  the  other  at  Menegid,  in  Anglesey.     At  the  same  time, 
another  army  of  Danes,  under  the  command  of  Halden  and 
Hungare,    landed   in  South  Wales,    over-ran    the  whole 
country,  destroying  all  before  them,  neither  sparing  churches 
nor  religious  houses.*     But  they  received  their  due  reward 
at  the  hands  of  the  West  Saxons,  who,  meeting  with  them 
on  the  coasts  of  Devonshire,  slew  both  Halden  and  Hungare, 
with  1200  of  their  men.     The  same  year  Einion,  Bishop  of 
St.  David's,  died,  and  was  the  following  year  succeeded  by 
Hubert,  who  was  installed  in  his  place. 

A.  D.  876.  Th.e  English,  being  rid  of  their  powerful  and  ever  restless 
enemies  the  Danes,  began  now  to  quarrel  with  the  Welsh. 
Entering  into  Anglesey,  with  a  numerous  army,  they  fought 

a 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  34. 

About  this  time  Roderic  changed  the  royal  residence  from  Caer  Segont,  near  the 
present  town  of  Caernarvon,  to  Aberffraw,  in  Anglesey.  It  is  strange  that  he  should 
desert  a  country  where  every  mountain  was  a  natural  fortress ;  and,  in  times  of  such 
difficulty  and  danger,  should  make  choice  of  a  residence  so  exposed  and  defenceless.— 
1  tow  land's  Muna  Ant.  p.  173. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  29 

a  severe  battle  with  Roderic,  who,  together  with  his  brother 
(or  as  others  say  his  son)  Gwyriad,  was  unhappily  slain  in 
the  field,  which  battle  is  called  by  the  Welsh,  Gwaith  Duw 
Sul  y  Mon.*     ThisRoderic  had  issue  (by  his  wife  Angharad) 
Anarawd,  Cadelh,  and  Merfyn,  the  last  of  which,  Giraldus 
Cambrensis,  contrary  to  the  common  and  received  opinion, 
will  have  to  be  the  eldest  son  of  Roderic,  upon  whom  was 
bestowed  the    principality  of   North  Wales;    for  it  was 
unanimously  granted  that  Roderic  was  the  undoubted  pro- 
prietor of  all  the  Dominions  of  Wales;   North  Wales  de- 
scending unto  him  by  his  mother  Esylht,  the  daughter  and 
sole    heir   of   Conan   Tindaethwy;    South  Wales   by  his 
wife  Angharad,  the  daughter  of  Meyric  ap  Dyfnwal  ap 
Arthen  ap  Sitsylht,  King  of  Cardigan ;  Powys  by  Nest,  the 
sister  and  heir  of  Cyngen  ap  Cadelh,  King  of  Powys,  his 
father's  mother. f  These  three  districts  Roderic  apportioned 
to  his  three  sons,  giving  North  Wales  to  his  eldest  son 
Anarawd,  and  South  Wales  to  Cadelh,  who,  shortly  after 
his  father's  death,  forcibly  seized  upon  the  portion  of  his 
brother  Merfyn,  upon  whom  Roderic  had  bestowed  Powys- 
land.       Wales  being    thus  divided  between    these   three 
princes,  they  were  called  Y  Tri  Tywysoc  Talaethioc,  or  the 
three  crowned  princes,  by  reason  that  each  of  them  did  wear 
on  his  helmet  a  coronet  of  gold,  being  a  broad  head-band 
indented  upward,  set  and  wrought  with  precious  stones, 
which  in  the  British  Tongue  is  called  Talaeth.     For  each 
of  these  princes  Roderic  built  a  royal  residence :   for  the 
Prince   of  Gwynedd,  or  North  Wales,  at  Aberffraw;   of 
South  Wales,  at  Dinefawr;   for  the  Prince  of  Powys,  at 
Mathrafal.     Roderic  had  issue  also,  besides  these  three, 
Roderic,  Meyric,  Edwal  or  Tudwal,  Gwyriad,  and  Gathelic. 
Roderic,  having    divided   his  principality  betwixt   his 
eldest  sons,  namely,  Aberffraw,  with  the  15  cantreds  there- 
unto belonging,  to  Anarawd;    Dinefawr,  with  its  15  can- 
treds, extending  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  Dyfi  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Severn,  to   Cadelh;    and  Powys,   with   15 
cantreds,  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  Dee  to  the  bridge 
over  the  Severn  at  Gloucester,  to  Merfyn;  ordained,  "  That 
his  eldest  son,  Anarawd,^  and  his  successors,  should  con- 
tinue the  payment  of  the  ancient  tribute  to  the  Crown  of 
England  ;§  and  the  other  two,  their  heirs,  and  successors, 
should  acknowledge  his  sovereignty;   and  that  upon  any 

foreign 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  35.  f  Rowland's  Mona  Ant.  p.  174. 

J  Roderic,  regarding  likewise  his  eldest  son  Anarawd,  as  the  immediate  heir  of  the 
Cynethian  line,  he  left  to  him  and  his  successors  the  title  of  JBrenhin  Cymrv,  Ollt  or 
King  of  all  Wales.— Rowland's  Mona,  pp.  174, 175. 

§  These  tributes,  according  to  Mr.  Robert  Vaughan,  of  Hengwrt,  in  Brit.  Ant.  Reviv. 
pp.  39,  40,  were  paid  in  the  following  manner  : — The  Kings  of  North  Wales  were  to  pay 


30  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

foreign  invasion  they  should  mutually  aid  and  protect  one 
another." 

He  farther  appointed,  "  That  when  any  difference  should 
arise  betwixt  the  Princes  of  Aberffraw  and  Cardigan  or 
Dinefawr,  the  three  princes  should  meet  at  Bwylch-y-Pawl,* 
and  the  Prince  of  Powys  should  be  umpire :  but  if  the 
Princes  of  Aberffraw  and  Powys  fell  at  variance,  they  should 
meet  at  Dol  Rhianedd,  probably  Morva  Rhianedd,  on  the 
bank  of  the  River  Dee,  where  the  King  of  Cardigan  was  to 
adjust  the  controversy.  If  the  quarrel  happened  betwixt 
the  Princes  of  Powys  and  Cardigan,  the  meeting  was  ap- 
pointed at  Llys  Wen  upon  the  river  Wye,  and  to  be  decided 
by  the  Prince  of  Aberffraw." 

And  the  better  to  frustrate  any  attempt  of  the  English, 
he  ordained,  moreover,  ee  That  all  strong  holds,  castles, 
and  citadels  should  be  fortified  and  kept  in  repair ;  that  all 
churches  and  religious  houses  should  be  re-edified  and 
adorned,  and  that  in  all  ages  the  history  of  Britain,  being 
faithfully  registered  and  transcribed,  should  be  kept  therein." 


ANARAWD. 

A.D.  877.  1  HE  Welsh  had  often  sorrowfully  felt  the  unnatural 
effects  of  inward  seditions,  and  of  being  governed  by  several 
princes,  which  were  now  about  to  be  renewed  by  Roderic's 
imprudent  division  of  his  dominions  between  his  three  sons. 
The  several  principalities  being  united  in  him,  it  would 
certainly  have  been  the  most  politic  means,  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  country  from  the  inveterate  fury  of  the  English, 
and  for  composing  the  inward  differences  which  would  other- 
wise happen,  to  perpetuate  .the  whole  government  of  Wales 
in  one  prince ;  it  being  impossible  so  effectually  to  oppose 
the  common  enemy  by  separate  armies,  and  where  a  different 
interest  interfered,  as  if  the  safety  of  the  same  country  and 
the  honour  of  the  prince  were  unanimously  regarded.  This 
was  the  misfortune  of  the  Ancient  Britons  when  the  Romans 
invaded  their  country :  domestic  broils  and  inward  dissen- 
sions being  sown  among  themselves,  they  could  not  agree  to 
unite  their  powers  and  jointly  to  oppose  the  common  enemy ; 

so 

£63  to  the  crown  of  London  ;  the  Princes  of  Powys  four  tons  of  flour,  and  the  Princes 
of  South  Wales  four  tons  of  honey,  to  the  Sovereigns  of  North  Wales.  The  royal  tribute 
was  called  Teyrnged  j  that  paid  from  the  Princes  of  South  Wales  and  Powys  to  the 
Sovereign  of  North  Wales,  was  called  Madged. 

*  In  the  present  county  of  Montgomery. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  31 

so  that  Tacitus  wisely  concludes,*— Dum  singuli  pugnant 
universi  vincuntur. 

There  are  few  nations  but  have  experienced  the  folly  of 
being  rent  into  several  portions ;  and  the  downfal  of  the 
Roman  empire  may,  not  without  reason,  be  attributed  to 
Constantine's  division  of  it  between  his  sons.  The  Welsh 
at  this  time  soon  felt  the  unhappiness  of  being  in  separate 
states ;  for  Cadelh  Prince  of  South  Wales  being  dissatisfied 
with  his  portion,  and  desirous  to  feed  his  ambition  with 
larger  territories,  seized  part  of  his  brother  Merfyn's  country, 
and,  attempting  forcibly  to  dispossess  him  of  his  lawful 
inheritance,  involved  the  Welsh  in  a  civil  war. 

The  succession  of  the  Princes  of  Wales  proceeded  in 
Anarawd,  the  eldest  son  of  Roderic,  who  began  his  reign 
over  North  Wales  in  the  year  877.*  At  that  time  Rollo,  A.D.877. 
with  a  numerous  army  of  Normans,  descended  into  France, 
and  possessed  themselves  of  the  country  of  Neustria,  which 
from  them  has  since  received  the  name  of  Normandy.  The 
treacherous  Danes  in  England,  also,  who  had  retired  to  the 
city  of  Exeter,  violated  the  capitulation  which  they  had 
lately  sworn  to  observe,  and  upon  that  account  were  so 
warmly  pressed  by  King  Alfred,  that  they  gladly  delivered 
up  hostages  for  the  performance  of  the  articles  formerly 
agreed  upon  between  them.  It  was  not,  however,  their 
intention  to  keep  them  long;  for  the  next  year  they  again 
broke  loose,  possessed  themselves  of  all  the  country  upon 
the  north  side  of  the  Thames,  and,  passing  the  river,  put 
the  English  to  flight,  and  made  themselves  masters  of  Chip- 
penham  in  Wessex:  but  their  whole  army  did  not  succeed 
so  well;  for  Alfred,  meeting  with  a  party  of  them,  slew 
their  captain  and  took  their  standard,  which  the  Danes 
called  RAVEN.  After  this,  he  vanquished  them  again  at 
Edendown,  where,  the  Danes  having  given  hostages  for 
their  peaceable  behaviour,  Godrun,  their  commander,  re- 
ceived the  Christian  faith,  and  so  reigned  in  East  Angle. 
This  period  seemed  to  portend  a  great  storm  upon  Wales;  A.D.  878. 
for  besides  the  death  of  Aeddan,  the  son  of  Melht,  a  noble- 
man of  the  country,  the  articles  of  composition  between  the 
English  and  Danes  occasioned  these  last  to  join  their  power 
with  the  people  of  Mercia  to  fight  against  the  Welsh,  with 
whom  a  severe  battle  was  fought  at  Conwey,  wherein  the 
Welsh  obtained  a  signal  victory,  which  was  called  "  Dial 
Rodri,  or  the  Revenge  of  the  Death  of  Prince  Roderic." 

The  reason  why  the  Mercians  were  so  irreconcileably  en- 
raged 

*  Rowland,  p.  174. 

This  territory  was  the  Venedocia  of  the  Romans,  and  was  by  the  Britons  called 
Gwynedh. — Humff.  Lhuyd,  p.  64. 


32  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

raged  against  the  Welsh  at  this  time  was  this  :  After  the 
death  of  Roderic  the  Great,  the  northern  Britons  of  Strat- 
clwyd  and  Cumberland  were  much  infested  and  weakened 
by  the  daily  incursions  of  the  Danes,  Saxons,  and  Scots, 
insomuch  that  as  many  oi?  them  as  would  not  submit  their 
necks  to  the  yoke  were  forced  to  quit  their  country  and  to 
seek  for  more  quiet  habitations:  therefore,  about  the  be- 
ginning of  Anarawd's  reign,  many  of  them  came  to  Gwynedd, 
under  the  conduct  of  one  Hobert,  whose  distressed  condi- 
tion the  prince  commiserating,  granted  them  all  the  country 
betwixt  Chester  and  Conwey  to  seat  themselves  in,  in  case 
they  could  drive  out  the  Saxons  who  had  lately  possessed 
themselves  of  it. 

The  Britons  having  expressed  their  thanks  to  Anarawd, 
presently  fell  to  work,  and  necessity  giving  edge  to  their 
valour,  they  easily  dispossessed  the  Saxons,  who  were  not 
as  yet  secure  in  their  possessions.  For  some  time  the 
Welsh  continued  peaceably  in  these  parts  reconquered;  but 
Eadred,  Duke  of  Mercia,  called  by  the  Welsh  Edryd 
Wallthir,  not  being  able  any  longer  to  bear  such  ari  igno- 
minious ejection,  made  great  preparations  for  the  regaining 
of  the  country.  The  northern  Britons,  however,  who  had 
settled  themselves  there,  having  intelligence  of  his  design, 
for  the  better  security  of  their  cattle  and  other  effects, 
removed  them  beyond  the  river  Conwey.  Prince  Anarawd 
in  the  mean  time  was  not  idle,  but  drawing  together  all  the 
strength  he  could  raise,  encamped  his  army  near  the  town  of 
Conwey,  at  a  place  called  Cymryt,  where  himself  and  his 
men  having  made  gallant  resistance  against  the  pressing 
efforts  of  the  Saxons,  obtained  a  very  complete  victory. 

This  battle  was  by  some  called  Gwaeth  Cymryt  Conwey, 
by  reason  that  it  was  fought  in  the  township  of  Cymryt,  near 
Conwey;  but  Prince  Anarawd  would  have  it  called  "  Dial 
Rodri,"  because  he  had  there  revenged  the  death  of  his 
father  Rodri. 

In  this  battle  Tudwal,  Rodri's  son,  received  a  wound  in 
the  knee,  which  caused  him  to  be  denominated  Tudwal 
Gloffever  after;  and  for  his  signal  service  in  this  action  his 
brethren  bestowed  upon  him  Uchelogoed  Gwynedd.  The 
Britons,  pursuing  their  victory,  chased  the  Saxons  quite  out 
of  Wales  into  Mercia,  where,  having  burnt  and  destroyed 
the  borders,  they  returned  home  laden  with  rich  spoils,  and 
so  took  possession  of  the  country  betwixt  Chester  and  Con- 
wey, which  for  a  long  time  after  they  peaceably  enjoyed. 
Anarawd,  to  express  his  thankfulness  to  God  for  this  great 
victory,  gave  very  considerable  lands  and  possessions  to  ^the 

collegiate 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  33 

collegiate  churches  of  Bangor  and  Clynnoc  Vawr  in  Arfon. 
After  this,  those  Danes  that  lay  at  Fulhenham,  near  Lon- 
don, crossed  the  sea  to  France,  and  passing  to  Paris  along 
the  river  Seine,  spoiled  the  country  thereabouts,  vanquishing 
the  French  that  came  against  them ;  but  in  their  return 
towards  the  sea  coast  they  were  met  by  the  Britons  of 
Armorica,  who  slew  the  greatest  part  of  them,  and  the  rest, 
confusedly  endeavouring  to  escape  to  their  ships,  were 
drowned. 

It  might  have  been  supposed  that  the  several  misfortunes 
the  Danes  sustained,  first  at  Sandwich,  then  by  King  Alfred, 
and  afterwards  in  France,  would  have  quite  drained  their 
number,  and  utterly  have  rid  Britain  from  so  troublesome 
an  enemy ;  but,  like  ill  weeds,  the  more  they  were  rooted 
up,  the  faster  they  grew :  the  Danes  were  still  supplied  from 
abroad,  and  if  an  army  was  vanquished  here,  another  was 
sure  to  come  in  their  room.  This  the  Welsh  found  to  be 
too  true;  for  not  long  after  this  great  defeat  by  the  Ar- 
morican  Britons,  the  Danes,  not  able  to  venture  upon  these, 
were  resolved  to  revenge  themselves  upon  their  friends  of 
Wales  ;  and  therefore  landing  in  North  W  ales,  they  cruelly 
harassed  and  destroyed  the  country.  Nor  is  it  matter  of 
surprise  from  whence  such  a  wonderful  number  of  Danes 
and  Normans  could  come ;  for  the  kingdom  of  Denmark 
had  under  it  not  only  Denmark,  which  is  a  small  country 
divided  by  the  sea  into  insulas  and  peninsulas  (as  that 
which  joins  upon  Saxony  and  Holsatia,  called  Cymbrica 
Chersonesus,  with  the  islands  of  Zealand  and  Finnen),  but 
also  Norway,  and  the  large  country  of  Sweden,  reaching  to 
Muscovy,  and  almost  to  the  North  Pole.  This  country 
being  then  scarce  known  to  the  world,  did,  all  at  once  as  it 
were,  pour  out  a  vast  multitude  of  people,  who,  like  a 
sudden  storm,  unexpectedly  over-ran  all  Europe,  with  a 
great  portion  of  Africa.  From  hence  proceeded  the  Danes 
who  annoyed  England,  and  the  Normans  who  conquered 
France,  both  nations  being  originally  derived  from  the  same 
stock. 

The  Danes  had  not  appeared  in  England  for  some  time,  A,D-  890. 
and  therefore  they  now  resolved  to  take  so  sure  a  footing 
that  they  could  not  easily  be  repulsed.  Two  hundred  and 
fifty  sail  of  vessels  having  landed  the  troops  they  had  on 
board  at  Lymene,  in  Kent,  hard  by  the  great  forest  of 
Andreslege,  they  built  the  castle  of  Auldre  or  Apledore. 
At  the  same  time  Hasting,  with  a  fleet  of  eighty  sail,  ven- 
tured to  the  Thames  mouth,  and  built  the  castle  of  Mydl- 

ton, 


34  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

ton,  having  first  made  an  oath  to  King  Alfred  not  to  molest 
him  or  any  of  his  subjects :  but  having  built  the  castle  of 
Beamfleet,  he  thought  he  had  obtained  so  much  strength 
that  there  was  no  necessity  of  observing  the  oath  he  had 
lately  sworn  to  King  Alfred,  and  therefore  invaded  the 
country  round  about  him ;  but  he  soon  found  his  mistake, 
and  was  forced  to  retire  to  his  castle,  which  was  quickly 
pulled  down,  and  his  wife  and  two  sons  taken  prisoners, 
who,  after  they  had  been  baptized  in  the  Christian  church, 
were  again  restored  to  their  father.  Upon  this  Hasting  and 
his  Danes  departed  from  England,  and  proceeded  to  France, 
where,  laying  siege  to  the  city  of  Limogis,  and  despairing 
of  a  speedy  surrender  of  it,  he  betook  himself  to  his  usual 
way  of  dealing  sinistrously,  and  plotted  this  device  to  win 
the  town :  He  feigned  himself  to  be  dangerously  sick,  and 
sent  to  the  bishop  and  the  consul  of  the  city,  desiring 
of  them  most  earnestly  that  he  might  be  admitted  to  the 
Christian  faith,  and  be  baptized  before  his  departure  out  of 
this  world.  The  bishop  and  consul,  suspecting  no  deceit, 
were  very  glad,  not  only  to  be  delivered  from  the  present 
danger  of  being  besieged,  but  also  to  win  so  great  a  person 
to  the  congregation  of  Christ.  Whereupon  a  peace  being 
concluded  betwixt  both  nations,  Hasting  was  baptized,  the 
bishop  and  consul  being  his  godfathers :  which  ceremony 
being  ended,  he  was  carried  back  by  his  soldiers  to  his 
ship,  in  a  very  infirm  condition,  as  he  outwardly  pretended. 
About  midnight  he  caused  himself,  with  his  arms  about 
him,  to  be  laid  on  a  bier,  and  commanded  his  soldiers  to 
carry  their  weapons  with  them  under  their  coats,  and  so  to 
be  ready  when  he  should  give  them  the  word.  The  next 
day,  all  things  being  in  readiness,  he  was  solemnly  brought 
by  his  soldiers,  with  great  clamour  and  counterfeit  mourn- 
ing, to  be  interred  in  the  chief  church  of  the  city,  where  the 
bishop  and  consul,  accompanied  by  all  the  most  honourable 
members  of  the  town,  came  to  honour  the  funeral;  but 
when  the  bishop  had  made  himself  ready  to  bury  the  body, 
and  all  the  citizens  were  in  the  church,  up  starts  Hasting 
with  his  sword  drawn,  and  killing  first  the  bishop  and  the 
consul,  afterwards  fell  in  with  his  armed  soldiers  upon  the 
naked  people,  putting  all  to  the  sword,  and  sparing  neither 
age,  sex,  nor  infirmity.  Having  ransacked  the  town,  he 
sent  messengers  to  Charles,  the  French  king,  to  mediate  for 
peace,  which  he  easily  obtained,  together  with  the  town  of 
Chartres  towards  the  defraying  of  his  charges. 

A.D.  891.      At  this  time  Hennith  ap  Bledric,  a  baron  of  Wales,  died ; 
893.     and  two  years  after,  Anarawd  Prince  of  North  Wales,  with 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  35 

a  considerable  number  of  English,  marched  against  his 
brother  Cadelh,  and  spoiled  the  countries  of  Cardigan  and 
Ystradgwy.*  At  the  same  time  the  Danes  laid  siege  to  the 
city  of  Exeter;  and  when  Alfred  had  marched  to  oppose 
them,  they  that  had  continued  in  the  castle  of  Auldre  passed 
over  to  Essex,  and  built  another  castle  at  Scobrith,  and 
from  thence  marched  to  Budington,  seated  upon  the  Severn. 
When  Alfred  came  near  to  Exeter,  the  Danes  immediately 
raised  the  siege,  and  betaking  themselves  to  their  ships, 
sailed  towards  Wales,  spoiled  the  sea-coast  thereof,  and 
advanced  as  far  as  Buellt. 

The  Danes  at  Budington  f  being  informed  that  King 
Alfred  was  marching  against  them,  fled  back  to  their  castle 
in  Essex,  so  *that  the  king  was  obliged  to  alter  his  march, 
and  to  direct  his  forces  against  Leicester,  where  a  party  of 
Danes  was  so  warmly  besieged,  that  at  length  they  were 
reduced  to  such  extremity  as  to  compel  them  to  feed  upon 
their  horses.  The  season  of  the  year  for  action,  however, 
being  ended,  and  the  severity  of  the  weather  being  extreme, 
Alfred  was  forced  to  raise  the  siege,  and  to  wait  the  next 
opportunity  for  the  recovery  of  the  town ;  but  before  he  A.  D.  895. 
could  besiege  it  again  the  Danes  had  quitted  it,  and,  toge- 
ther with  those  in  Northumberland,  proceeded  by  the 
North  Sea  to  Meresige,  an  isle  in  Essex.  The  next  year  896. 
they  entered  the  Thames,  and  built  a  castle  twenty  miles 
distant  from  London,  and  presuming  on  its  strength,  they 
ventured  to  spoil  and  waste  the  country  thereabouts  ;  but 
they  paid  very  dear  for  their  temerity ;  for,  being  accident- 
ally met  with,  they  were  completely  overthrown,  having  four 
of  their  princes  slain  upon  the  spot,  and  the  remainder  of 
their  forces  being  very  glad  to  make  their  escape  to  the 
castle.  Upon  this  Alfred  divided  the  river  into  three 
streams,  by  which  stratagem  the  water  became  so  diminished 
in  the  Thames  that  the  Danish  ships  could  not  return  back 
into  the  sea.  When  the  Danes  perceived  this,  and  found  it 
impracticable  to  escape  in  their  ships,  they  left  their  wives 
and  children  and  all  their  effects  in  Essex,  and  so  proceeded 
by  land  to  Enadbryge  upon  the  Severn,  and  then  passing 
the  river,  spoiled  the  countries  of  Brecknock,  Gwentland, 
and  Gwentlhwg.  Some  of  them,  at  the  same  time,  passed 
over  to  France  ;  and  another  body,  coasting  about  Devon- 
shire, destroyed  the  maritime  countries,  but  being  met  with 

by 
D  2 

*  Chronicle  of  Wales. 

"t  A  village  pleasantly  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Severn,  about  two  miles  from 
Welshpool  on  the  Salop  road,  now  called  Buttington. 


36  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

by  the  English,  lost  six  of  their  ships  in  the  conflict  that 
took  place. 

A.  D.  897.  The  following  summer  the  kingdom  of  Ireland  suffered 
extremely  by  locusts,  which  consumed  all  the  com  and  all 
the  grass  throughout  the  whole  country ;  in  consequence  of 
which  public  prayers  and  fasting  were  directed  for  their 
destruction.  These  reptiles  are  common  in  Africa  and 
other  hot  regions,  but  are  seldom  seen  in  colder  climates ; 
and  when  they  happen  to  travel  so  far,  they  are,  as  else- 
where, very  pestilential  and  destructive  to  the  country  in 
which  they  deposit  themselves. 

900.  This  year  Igmond,  with  a  great  number  of  Danes,  landed 
in  Anglesey,  and  was  met  with  by  the  Welsh  at  a  place 
called  Molerain,  where  Merfyn*  was  slain;  though  others 
call  it  Meilon,  and,  from  the  battle  fought  there,  Maes  Rhos 
Meilon.  The  same  year  King  Alfred  died,  who  directed 
the  translation  of  the  ancient  laws  of  Dyfhwal  Moelmut, 
King  of  Britain,  and  the  laws  of  Queen  Marsia,  out  of 
British  into  English,  and  called  it  Marsian  law,  which  was 
afterwards  called  West  Saxon  law,  and  observed  in  part  of 
Mercia,  with  all  the  countries  south  of  Thames  ;  the  other 
part  of  the  country  having  another  law  called  Dane  Lex ; 
both  of  which  remained  to  the  time  of  Edward  the  Confessor, 
which  latter  sovereign  out  of  these  two  made  one  law.  It  is 
related  of  King  Alfred  that  he  divided  the  natural  day  into 
three  parts — the  first  he  set  apart  for  devotion  and  study, 
the  next  for  the  affairs  of  the  commonwealth,  and  the  third 
for  his  own  rest  and  refreshment. 

Alfred  being  dead,  Edward,  his  eldest  son,  took  upon 
him  the  crown,  which  so  displeased  the  ambitious  spirit  of 
his  brother  Adelwulph,  that  he  immediately  raised  a  cruel 
war  against  him,  and  proceeding  to  Northumberland,  stirred 
up  the  Danes  against  his  brother  Edward.  The  Danes  were 
glad  of  the  opportunity,  which  afforded  a  plausible  pretence 
for  rendering  themselves  masters  of  the  whole  island ;  and 
therefore  Adelwulph  was  declared  king,  as  well  of  the 
Angles  as  of  the  Danes,  who  by  this  time  were  grown  to  be, 
as  it  were,  one  people.  Marching  then  proudly  with  a  very 
considerable  army  at  his  heels,  Adelwulph  subdued  the 
East  Saxons,  spoiled  the  country  of  Mercia,  and  passing 
over  the  Thames  at  Crickland,  destroyed  Brythend,  and 
returned  home  with  very  great  booty.  At  the  same  time 
Euneth  was  slain  in  Arwystly.  Edward  being  informed  of 
his  brother's  retreat,  pursued  him  eagerly,  and,  missing 
him,  over-ran  and  destroyed  all  the  country  betwixt  Ouse 

and 

*  Prince  of  Powys. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  37 

and  the  Dike  of  St.  Edmund,  and  then  returned  home  with 
his  whole  army,  excepting  the  Kentish  men,  who  being  too 
greedy  of  plunder,  rashly  tarried  behind.  The  Danes  per- 
ceiving the  body  of  the  army  to  be  returned,  and  that  a 
small  party  still  continued  to  ravage  the  country,  attacked 
the  Kentish  men,  slew  a  great  number  of  them,  and  put  the 
rest  to  a  shameful  flight.  Nor  were  the  Danes  only  power- 
ful in  England,  but  they  molested  and  grew  prevalent  in 
Ireland :  for  this  year  they  entered  that  kingdom,  slew  A.  D.  905. 
Carmot,  king  and  bishop  of  all  Ireland,  a  religious  and 
virtuous  person,  the  son  of  Gukeman ;  and  Kyrnalt,  the  son 
of  Murgan  King  of  Lagines.  The  next  year  died  Asser,  906. 
Archbishop  of  St.  David's,  uncle  to  the  famous  and  learned 
Asser,  surhamed  Menevensis  ;  who,  being  chancellor  to  his 
uncle,  the  archbishop,  was  sent  for  by  King  Alfred  to 
instruct  his  children,  whose  life  he  afterwards  wrote,  and 
was  made  bishop  of  Shireburn. 

Edward,  to  force  his  brother  from  his  country,  and  to 
revenge  the  death  of  the  Kentishmen,  dispatched  an  army 
to  Northumberland,  which  having  destroyed  the  country 
returned  home :  upon  which  the  Danes,  as  a  return  for  this 
inroad,  destroyed  a  great  part  of  Mercia :  but  within  a  short 
time  after,  Edward,  having  raised  a  very  considerable  army, 
gave  the  Danes  battle,  overthrew  them,  and  slew  their  kings 
Alden  and  Edelwulph,  with  a  great  number  of  their  nobles. 
This  added  much  to  his  dominions,  which  were  the  more 
increased  and  strengthened  by  the  addition  of  the  cities  of 
London  and  Oxford ;  which,  upon  the  death  of  Edelred 
Duke  of  Mercia,  Edward  took  into  his  own  hands,  permit- 
ting his  widow  Elfleda  to  enjoy  the  rest  of  Edelred's 
dukedom.  Shortly  after,  Cadelh  Prince  of  South  Wales 
died,  leaving  three  sons-~-Howel  I)ha,*  or  the  Good  (who  907. 
suceeded  his  father),  Meyric,  and  Clydawc.  King  Edward 
having  obtained  so  signal  a  victory  over  the  Danes,  and 
rendered  his  kingdom  for  some  time  quiet,  began  to  build 
places  of  strength,  which  might  be  serviceable  against  a 
future  occasion.  He  built  a  castle  at  Hertford,  betwixt  the 
rivers  Benefic,  Minier,  and  Lige;  he  also  established  the 
borough  of  Wytham  in  Essex ;  and  continued  some  time  in 
Wealdyne,  to  keep  those  countries  in  awe.  In  spite,  how- 
ever, of  all  this  precaution,  the  Danes  of  Leycester  and 
Hampton  began  the  following  year  to  be  very  troublesome, 

slew 

*  Howel  Dha,  the  Welsh  Justinian,  was,  according  to  the  Triades,  ranked  with  Pry  (lain 
and  Dyfnwal  under  the  appellation  of  the  three  good  princes  of  Britain. — In  the  Triades, 
Anarawd  and  his  brothers  have  the  appellation  of  the  th.ree  diademed  princes;  they  were 
also  called  the  three  bandlet-weAring  kings  of  the  Isle  of  Britain,  and  the  three  bandlet- 
wearing  princes. 


38  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

slew  a  great  number  of  English  at  Hotchnorton,  and  in  their 
return  homeward  destroyed    the    country   about  Oxford. 
About  the  same  time  a  considerable  fleet  from  Tydwike, 
under  the  command  of  Uther  and  Ranald,  sailed  by  the 
western  sea  to  Wales,  and  destroyed  St.  David's ;  at  which 
place  was  fought  the  battle  of  Dinarth,  where  Mayloc,  the 
son  of  Peredur  Gam,  was  slain.      After  this  they  entered 
A.D.  911.  Herefordshire,  where,  in  another  encounter,  Rahald  was 
slain,  and  the  remains  of  his  troops  were  compelled  to  swear 
they  would  quit  the  king's  land,  and  never  return  any  more 
to  England.     King  Edward,  to  prevent  any  future  disturb- 
ance from  such  open  invaders,  caused  a  strong  army  to  be 
quartered  upon  the  south  side  of  Severn ;    but  the  Danes, 
notwithstanding  all  his  efforts,  entered  twice  into  his  coun- 
try, once  at  Werd,  and  then  at  Portogan,  but  were  each 
time  overthrown  by  the  English.      On  their  departure  they 
proceeded  to  the  Isle  of  Stepen,  whence  they  were  forced 
by  hunger  to  sail  to  South  Wales,  intending  to  make  a 
considerable  prey  of  that  country ;  but  failing  of  their  aim, 
they  were  constrained  to  make  the  best  of  their  way  for 
Ireland.      The  next  year  a  party  of  Danes  fought  a  very 
severe  battle  with  the  Kentish  men  at  Holm,  but  which 
party  obtained  the  victory  is  not  certainly  known.     About 
913.  the  same  time,  Anarawd  Prince  of   North  Wales  died, 
leaving  two  sons,  Edwal  Foel  and  Elis,  and  some  say  a 
third,  named  Meyric. 


EDWAL  FOEL  * 

913.  AFTER  the  death  of  Anarawd,  his  eldest  son,  Edwal 
Foel,  took  upon  him  the  government  of  North  Wales, 
Howel  Dha  holding  the  principality  of  South  Wales  and 
Powys.  At  this  time  a  great  comet  appeared  in  the  hea- 
vens. The  same  year  the  city  of  Chester,  which  had  been 
destroyed  by  the  Danes,  was,  by  the  procurement  of  Elfleda, 
new  built  and  repaired,  as  the  ancient  records  of  that  city 
testify.  This  in  the  ancient  copy  is  called  Leycester,  by  an 
easy  mistake  for  Legecestria  or  Chester,  called  by  the 
Romans  Legionum  Cestria.  The  next  summer  the  men  of 
Dublin  laid  waste  the  Isle  of  Anglesey,f  and  soon  after 
Clydawc,  the  son  of  Cadelh,  was  unnaturally  slain  by  his 

brother 

*  He  married  the  daughter  of  his  uncle  Mervyn,  the  late  Prince  of  Powys.— Brit.  Ant. 
Revived,  hy  Mr.  R.  Vaughan,  of  Hengwrt,  f.  4. 

f  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  45-47. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  39 

brother  Meyric,  about  the  same  time  that  the  Danes  were 
completely  overthrown  by  the  English  at  Tottenhale.  But 
Elfleda  did  not  long  survive  the  rebuilding  of  the  city  of 
Chester.  She  was  a  woman  of  singular  virtues,  and  one  that 
greatly  strengthened  the  kingdom  of  Mercia  by  building 
towns  and  castles  against  the  incursions  of  the  Danes ;  as 
Strengat  and  Bruge,  by  the  forest  of  Morph,  Tarn  worth, 
Stafford,  Edelburgh,  Cherenburgh,  Wadeburgh,  and  Run- 
cofe;  after  which  she  entered  with  her  whole  army  into 
Wales,  won  Brecknock,  and  took  the  queen  with  thirty-three 
of  her  attendants  prisoners ;  which  affair  in  Welsh  is  called 
"  Gwaith  y  Ddinas  Newydd,"  or  the  Battle  of  the  New 
City.  From  thence  she  marched  for  Derby,  which  she 
took  from  the  Danes,  losing,  however,  four  of  her  chief 
commanders  in  the  action. 

The  occasion  of  these  two  expeditions,  according  to  some, 
was  this  :  Huganus,  Lord  of  West  Wales,  perceiving  King 
Edward  to  be  wholly  engaged  by  the  Danish  war,  gathered 
an  army  of  Britons,  and  entering  England,  destroyed  the 
king's  country.  Upon  the  news  of  this  reaching  Elfleda, 
she  came  to  Wales  with  a  great  army,  fought  with  the 
Welsh  at  Brecknock,  and  putting  Huganus  to  flight,  took 
his  wife  and  some  of  his  men  prisoners,  whom  she  carried 
with  her  to  Mercia.  Huganus  being  thus  defeated,  fled  to 
Derby,  and  being  there  kindly  received,  joined  himself  with 
the  king's  enemies,  the  Danes.  Elfleda  being  informed  of 
that,  followed  him  with  her  army  ;  but  in  storming  the 
gates  of  the  town,  had  four  of  her  best  officers  killed  by 
Huganus.  But  Gwyane,  Lord  of  the  Isle  of  Ely,  her 
steward,  setting  fire  to  the  gates,  furiously  attacked  the 
Britons  and  entered  the  town ;  upon  which  Huganus,  per- 
ceiving himself  over-matched,  chose  rather  to  fall  by  the 
sword  than  cowardly  to  yield  himself  to  a  woman.  The 
next  year  Elfleda  laid  siege  to  the  city  of  Leicester,  which 
was  quickly  surrendered,  and  the  Danes  therein  completely 
subdued.  The  fame  of  these  several  actions  being  noised 
abroad,  her  neighbours  became  fearful  and  timorous ;  and 
the  Yorkshiremen  voluntarily  did  her  homage,  and  proffered 
their  service.  She  died  at  Tamwortii,  after  eight  years' 
rule  over  Mercia,  and  lies  buried  at  Gloucester,  by  St. 
Peter's. 

After  the  death  of  Elfleda,  King  Edward  most  ungratefully 
disinherited  her  daughter,  Alfwyen,  and  entering  into  Mer- 
cia, took  all  the  province  into  his  own  hands,  upon  pretence 
that  she,  without  his  knowledge  (whom  her  mother  had 
appointed  her  guardian),  had  privily  promised  and  con- 
tracted 


40  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

traded  marriage  with  Raynald  King  of  the  Danes.  This 
unjust  and  unnatural  action  of  King  Edward's  possibly 
brought  upon  him  those  great  troubles  which  afterwards 
ensued.  For  Leofred,  a  Dane,  and  Gruffydh  ap  Madoc, 
brother-in-law  to  the  Prince  of  West  Wales,  came  from 
Ireland  with  a  great  army  to  Snowdon,  and  intending  to 
bring  all  Wales  and  the  marches  thereof  to  their  subjection, 
over-ran  and  subdued  all  the  country  to  Chester  before  King 
Edward  was  informed  of  their  arrival :  whereat  being  much 
offended,  and  unwilling  to  call  upon  his  subjects  for  aid,  he 
vowed  that  himself  and  his  sons,  with  their  own  followers 
only,  would  be  revenged  upon  Leofred  and  Gruffydh ;  and 
thereupon  marching  to  Chester,  took  the  city  from  them. 
Then  he  separated  his  army  into  two  divisions,  whereof  he 
and  his  son  Athelstane  led  the  first,  Edmund  and  Edred 
the  second,  and  followed  the  enemy  so  close,  that  he  over- 
took them  at  the  forest  of  Walewode  (now  Sherwode), 
where  Leofred  and  Gruffydh  turned  upon  them  so  fiercely 
that  the  king  at  first  was  in  some  danger ;  until  Athelstane 
stepped  in  and  wounded  the  Dane  in  the  arm  so  severely, 
that  being  no  longer  able  to  hold  his  spear,  he  was  taken 
prisoner,  and  committed  to  the  custody  of  Athelstane.  In 
the  mean  time,  Edmund  and  Edred,  encountering  with 
Gruffydh,  slew  him,  and  brought  his  head  to  their  father ; 
and  Leofred's  head  being  likewise  cut  off,  they  were  both 
set  up  in  the  city  of  Chester ;  and  then  Edward,  together 
with  his  sons,  triumphantly  returned  home.  King  Edward, 
A.D.  924,  having  built  Glademutham,  soon  afterwards  died  at  Faran- 
don,  and  his  son  Alfred  expired  at  the  same  time  at  Oxford, 
and  they  were  both  buried  at  Winchester. 

Edward  being  dead,  his  illegitimate  son  Athelstane,  who 
had  given  evidence  of  great  talents,  was  advanced  to  the 
throne;  being  the  worthiest  prince  of  the  Saxon  blood  that 
ever  reigned.  He  overcame  Cudfry  d,  father  of  Raynald,  King 
of  the  Danes,  at  York,  and  the  country  being  invaded  by 
Hawlaf,  King  of  Ireland,  who  with  all  the  power  of  the  Scots 
and  Danes  marched  against  him,  Athelstane  gave  him  battle 
at  Brimestbury,  and  obtained  a  signal  victory,  KingHawlaf, 
together  with  the  King  of  the  Scots,  and  five  Kings  of  the 
Danes  and  Normans,  being  slain  upon  the  spot ;  so  that  the 
whole  country  of  England  and  Scotland  became  subject  to 
him,  a  degree  of  power  which  none  of  his  predecessors  had 
attempted  to  possess. 

S33.  Sometime  after,  Owen,  the  son  of  Gruffydh,  was  slain  by 
the  men  of  Cardigan:  and  then  Athelstane,  entering  with 
his  army  into  Wales,  forced  the  princes  thereof  to  consent 

tc 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  41 

to  pay  a  yearly  tribute  of  £20  in  gold,  £300  in  silver, 
200*  head  of  cattle;  which,  however,  was  not  observed,  as 
appears  by  the  laws  of  Howel  Dha,  wherein  it  is  appointed, 
that  the  Prince  of  Abertfraw  should  pay  no  more  to  the 
King  of  London  than  £66  tribute;  and  that  the  Princes  of 
Dinefawr  and  Powys  should  pay  the  like  sum  to  the  Prince 
of  Aberffraw.  King  Athelstane  was  not  less  terrible  abroad, 
than  he  was  reverenced  at  home,  the  Kings  of  France  and 
Norway  sending  him  very  great  and  costly  presents,  to 
obtain  his  favour  and  to  ensure  his  good-will. 

This  year,  Euneth,  the  son  of  Clydawc,  and  Meyric,  the  A.D.  936. 
son  of  Cadelh,  died.  At  the  same  time,  King  Athelstane 
removed  the  Britons  who  lived  at  Exeter  and  the  neigh- 
bouring country  into  Cornwall,  bounding  them  by  the  river 
Cambria  (now  Tamar),  as  the  Britons  of  Wales  with  the  939. 
Wye.  Not  long  after,  the  noble  Prince  Athelstane  died,  to 
the  great  and  inexpressible  sorrow  of  all  his  subjects,  and 
was  buried  at  Malmesbury.  He  was  succeeded  by  his 
brother  Edmund,  not  inferior  to  him  in  courage,  and  pre- 
ferable by  right  of  nativity,  being  born  in  wedlock.  In  the 
first  year  of  his  reign,  he  gave  a  very  considerable  blow  to 
the  Danes,  took  from  them  the  towns  of  Leicester,  Derby, 
Stafford,  Lincoln,  and  Nottingham;  on  which  Aulate, 
King  of  the  Danes,  finding  it  impracticable  to  withstand 
the  force  of  King  Edmund,  desired  peace,  and  withal  to  be 
initiated  into  the  Christian  Faith ;  this  was  granted,  and  all 
the  Danes  received  baptism,  King  Edmund  standing  god- 
father at  the  font:  after  which,  both  parties  concluded 
peace,  and  Edmund  honourably  returned  to  West  Saxony. 

The  same  year  died  Abloic,  chief  King  of  Ireland :  and 
the  year  following,  Cadelh,  the  son  of  Arthual,  a  nobleman 
of  Wales,  was,  for  reasons  not  known,  imprisoned  by  the 
English.  To  revenge  this  indignity,  Edwal  Foel  and 
his  brother  Elis  gathered  their  forces  together  and  fought 
against  the  English  and  Danes,  but  were  both  unhappily 
slain. f 

This  Edwal  Foel  had  six  sons,T— Meyric,  levaf,  lago, 
Conan,  Edwal  Fychan,  and  Roderic:  and  his  brother  Elis 
had  issue  Conan,  and  a  daughter  named  Trawst,J  the 
mother  of  Conan  ap  Sitsylht,  Gruffydh  ap  Sitsylht,  and 
Blethyn  ap  Confyn,  which  two  last  were  afterwards  Princes 
of  Wales.  HOWEL 

*  According  to  Warrington's  History  of  Wales  (vol.  i.  f.  235),  two  thousand  five 
hnndred  head  of  cattle. — See  Brompton's  Chrou.  p.  838,  with  respect  to  the  tribute,  with 
the  difference  only  of  doubling  the  number  of  cattle ;  Stowe's  Chron.  p.  82  ;  Welsh  Chron. 
p.  50  3  Grafton's  Chron.  p.  149,  published  Ann.  15.69. 

t  Welsh  Chron.  51. 
I  Welsh  Chron.  p.  51— British  Antiq.  Revived  by  Vaughan  of  Hengwrt,  p.  14. 


42  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 


HOWEL  DHA. 

A.D.  940.  OWEL  DHA  had  been  for  a  considerable  time  Prince 
of  South  Wales  and  Powys,  which  government  he  had  so 
justly  and  discreetly  conducted,  that  upon  the  death  of 
Edwal  Foel  he  was  preferred  to  the  entire  Principality  of 
Wales,  notwithstanding  Edwal  had  left  behind  him  several 
sons,  who  at  first  murmured  at  and  resented  the  election  of 
Howel  Dha.  The  first  thing  he  did  was  to  enact  whole- 
some laws  for  the  benefit  of  his  country,  which  laws  were 
in  force  in  Wales  until  the  time  of  Edward  I.  when  the 
Welsh  received  the  laws  of  England,  yet  not  so  generally, 
but  that  in  some  places  these  continued  long  after,  and  are 
still  to  be  read  in  the  Welsh  and  Latin  tongues  :  for  Howel 
Dha,  perceiving  the  laws  and  customs  of  his  country  to  have 
given  rise  to  great  abuse,  sent  for  the  Archbishop  of  Mene- 
via,  with  the  rest  of  the  bishops  and  chief  clergy,  to  the 
number  of  one  hundred  and  forty,  and  all  the  barons  and 
nobles  of  Wales,  and  ordered  that  six  of  the  wisest  and  most 
esteemed  persons  in  every  commote  should  be  cited  before 
him,  at  his  palace,  called  y  Ty  Gwyn  ar  Taf,*  or  the  White 
House  upon  the  river  Taf.  Thither  coming  himself,  he 
remained  with  his  nobles,  prelates,  and  subjects  for  all  the 
Lent,  using  prayers  and  fasting,  and  imploring  the  assistance 
and  direction  of  God's  Holy  Spirit,  that  he  might  reform 
the  laws  and  customs  of  the  country  of  Wales,  to  the  ho- 
nour of  God  and  the  peaceable  government  of  his  subjects. 
Towards  the  end  of  Lent  he  chose  out  of  that  assembly 
twelve  of  the  wisest  and  gravest,  and  persons  of  the  greatest 
experience,  to  whom  he  added  Blegored,f  a  man  of  singular 
learning,  and  one  eminently  versed  in  the  laws.  To  these 
he  gave  commission  to  examine  the  ancient  laws  and  customs 
of  Wales,  and  to  collect  out  of  them  what  was  requisite 
towards  the  government  of  the  country;  accordingly  they 
retained  those  that  were  wholesome  and  profitable,  ex- 
pounded those  that  were  doubtful  and  ambiguous,  and 
abrogated  such  as  were  superfluous  or  injurious  classes.ij: 
The  laws  thus  framed  were  distinguished  into  three  classes  : 
the  first  concerned  the  order  and  regulation  of  the  king's 

household 

*  Belonging  to  King  Howel.  —  Welsh  CLron.  p.  53. 

f  Blegored  or  Blegwryd  was  Chancellor  of  Llandaff,  and  brother  of  Morgan,  King 
of  Morganwg,  and  was  considered  the  greatest  scholar  of  his  time  in  Wales. 

J  The  system  was  formed  on  the  basis  of  the  ancient  national  laws,  said  to  have  been 
originally  framed  by  Moelmutius,  who  reigned  in  Britain  441  years  before  Christ.  — 
Holinshead,  p.  177. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  43 

household  and  court ;  the  second  the  affairs  of  the  country 
and  commonwealth;  and  the  last  had  regard  to  special 
customs  belonging  to  particular  persons  and  places; — all 
which  being  publicly  proclaimed  and  generally  allowed, 
Prince  Howel  ordered  three  copies  to  be  written;  one  for 
his  own  use,  another  to  be  laid  up  at  his  palace  of  Aber- 
ffraw,  and  the  third  at  Dinefawr;  so  that  the  three  pro- 
vinces of  Wales  might  have  easy  recourse  to  either  of  them, 
when  occasion  required:  and  for  the  better  observation  of 
these  laws  he  caused  the  Archbishop  of  St.  David  to 
denounce  sentence  of  excommunication  against  all  such  of 
his  subjects  as  would  not  obey  the  same. 

Within  a  short  time  after,  Howel,  to  omit  nothing  that 
might  give  countenance  or  authority  to  these  laws,  accom- 
panied by  Lambert,  Archbishop  of  St.  David,  Mordaf, 
Bishop  of  Bangor,  and  Chebur  of  St.  Asaph,  and  thirteen 
of  the  most  prudent  and  learned  persons  in  Wales,  took  a 
journey  to  Rome,  where  the  said  laws  being  recited  before 
the  Pope,  were  by  his  Holiness  ratified  and  confirmed: 
after  which,  Howel,  with  all  his  retinue,  returned  home  to 
his  country.* 

The  particulars  of  these  laws  are  too  numerous  to  be 
here  inserted  ;f  but  it  may  be  observed,  that  all  matters  of 
inheritance  of  land  were  determined  and  adjudged  by  the 
prince  in  person ;  or,  if  sick,  by  his  special  deputy ;  and 
that  upon  view  of  the  same  land,  citing  together  the  free- 
holders of  that  place,  two  elders  of  his  council,  the  chief 
justice  always  attending  in  the  court,  the  ordinary  judge  of 
the  country  where  the  land  lay,  and  the  priest.  The  method 
of  their  proceeding  was  in  this  manner: 

The  prince  sat  in  his  judicial  seat  above  the  rest  of  the 
court,  with  an  elder  on  each  hand,  next  to  whom  the  free- 
holders on  both  sides,  who  upon  that  account  were  probably 
called  Uchelwyr.  Below  the  prince,  at  a  certain  distance, 
sat  the  chief  justice,  having  the  priest  on  his  right  hand 
and  the  ordinary  judge  of  the  country  concerned  upon  the 
left.  The  court  being  thus  formed,  the  plaintiff  with  his 
advocate,  champion,  and  Rhingylh  or  sergeant,  stood  on 
the  left  side  of  the  court,  as  did  the  defendant  in  like  man- 
ner on  the  right :  and  lastly,  the  witnesses  on  both  sides 
appeared,  and  stood  at  the  lower  end  of  the  hall,  directly 
opposite  to  the  chief  justice,  to  testify  the  best  of  their 
knowledge  in  the  matter  in  debate.  After  taking  the 
depositions  of  the  witnesses,  and  a  full  pleading  of  the 

cause 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  54 
f  Vide  Topographical  Notices  in  vol.  2  of  this  work. 


44  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

cause  in  open  court,  upon  notice  given  by  the  sergeant,  the 
chief  justice,  the  priest,  and  the  ordinary  judge,  withdrew 
themselves  for  a  while,  to  consult  of  the  matter ;  and  then, 
secundum  allegata  et  probata,  brought  in  their  verdict. 
Whereupon  the  prince,  after  consultation  had  with  the 
elders  that  sat  next  him,  gave  definite  sentence ;  excepting 
the  cause  was  so  obscure  and  intricate  that  the  justice  of  it 
could  not  be  made  apparent,  and  then  the  two  champions 
put  an  end  to  the  controversy  by  combat. 

Whilst  Howel  Dha  was  thus  regulating  the  customs,  and 
meliorating  the  laws  and  constitutions  of  Wales,  Aulafe 
and  Reginald,  Kings  of  the  Danes,  forcibly  entered  the 
country  of  King  Edmund,  who  being  annoyed  by  their 
incessant  hostility,  gathered  his  forces  together,  and  (as 
some  say),  by  the  help  of  Lhewelyn  ap  Sitsylht,  who  was 
afterwards  Prince  of  Wales,  followed  them  to  North- 
umberland, and  having  overcome  them  in  a  pitched  battle, 
utterly  drove  them  out  of  his  kingdom,  and  remained  a 
whole  year  in  those  parts  to  regulate  and  bring  that  country 
to  quiet  subjection :  but  finding  it  impracticable  to  reduce 
the  inhabitants  of  Cumberland  to  any  peaceable  condition, 
he  spoiled  and  wasted  the  country,  and  gave  it  up  to 
Malcolm  King  of  Scotland,  upon  condition  that  he  should 
send  him  succours  in  his  wars  whenever  demanded  of  him. 
A.D.  942.  In  the  mean  time  the  Welsh  had  but  little  occasion  to 
rejoice ;  Hubert  Bishop  of  St.  David,  Marclois  Bishop  of 
944.  Bangor,  and  Ussa  the  son  of  Lhafyr,  died :  and  shortly  after, 
the  English  entering  into  Wales  with  a  very  strong  army, 
put  the  inhabitants  into  a  great  consternation;  but  being 
satisfied  with  the  destruction  and  spoil  of  Strat  Clwyd,  they 
returned  home  without  doing  any  more  mischief.  At  the 
same  time  Conan  the  son  of  Elis  narrowly  escaped  being 
treacherously  put  to  death  by  poison;  and  Evei'us  Bishop 
of  St.  David  died.  The  next  year  Edmund  King  of  Eng- 
land was  unhappily  slain  upon  St.  Augustine's  day ;  but  the 
manner  of  his  death  is  variously  stated ;  some  say,  that 
discovering  a  noted  thief,  who  was  outlawed,  sitting  among 
his  guests,  being  transported  with  indignation  against  so 
daring  a  villain,  he  ran  upon  him  very  furiously :  the  out- 
law expecting  nothing  less  than  death,  determined  to  die 
revenged,  and  therefore  with  a  short  dagger  gave  the  king  a 
mortal  wound  in  the  breast.  Others  report,  that  as  the 
king  would  have  rescued  a  servant  of  his  from  an  officer  that 
had  arrested  him,  he  was  unwittingly  and  unhappily  slain 
by  the  same.  However  his  death  happened,  he  lies  buried 
at  Glastonbury,  and  his  brother  Edrcd  was  crowned  King 

of 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  45 

of  England,  who,  as  soon  as  he  had  entered  upon  his 
government,  made  an  expedition  against  Scotland  and 
Northumberland,  which  being  subdued,  he  received  fealty 
and  homage  (by  oath)  of  the  Scots  and  Northumbrians; 
an  undertaking  that  they  did  not  long  observe.  In  a  short 
time,  Howel  Dha,  after  a  long  and  peaceable  reign  over  A.  D.  948. 
Wales,  died,  much  lamented  by  all  his  subjects,  being  a 
prince  of  a  religious  and  virtuous  inclination,  and  one  that 
ever  regarded  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  his  people. 
He  left  issue, — Owen,  Run,  Roderic,  and  Edwyn,  betwixt 
whom  and  the  sons  of  Edwal  Foel,*  late  Prince  of  North 
Wales,  great  wars  and  commotions  subsequently  arose  as  to 
the  chief  rule  and  government  of  Wales. 

The  sons  of  Howel  Dha,  as  some  writers  record,  were 
these,  viz.  Owen  who  did  not  long  survive  his  father, 
Eineon,  Meredyth,  Dyfnwal,  and  Rodri,  the  two  last  of 
whom,  as  is  believed,  were  slain  in  the  battle  fought  near 
Lhanrwst  in  the  year  952,  by  the  sons  of  Edwal  Foel ;  Run, 
Lord  of  Cardigan,  who  was  slain  before  the  death  of  his 
father;  Conan  y  Cwn,  who  possessed  Anglesey;  Edwin, 
who  was  also  slain,  as  is  supposed,  in  the  beforementioned 
battle.  There  was  also  another  battle  fought  betwixt 
Howel  and  Conan  ap  Edwal  Foel  for  the  Isle  of  Anglesey, 
wherein  Conan  fell ;  and  Gruffydh  his  son  renewing  the  war, 
was  likewise  overcome ;  and  so  Cyngar,  a  powerful  person, 
being  driven  out  of  the  island,  Howel  enjoyed  quiet  posses- 
sion thereof,  and  of  the  rest  of  Gwynedh.  It  is  conjectured 
that  this  Howel  Dha  was  chosen  governor  of  Wales,  during 
the  minority  of  his  uncle  Anarawd's  sons,  who,  at  the  death 
of  their  father,  were  too  young  to  manage  the  principality; 
which  he  kept  till  his  return  from  Rome,  at  which  time, 
Edwal  Foel  being  come  of  age,  he  resigned  to  him  the 
kingdom  of  Gwynedh  or  North  Wales,  together  with  the 
sovereignty  of  all  Wales.  Before  which  time  Howel  is 
styled  Brenhin  Cymry  oil,  that  is,  King  of  all  Wales,  as  is 
seen  in  the  preface  to  that  body  of  laws  compiled  by  him. 


IEVAF  AND  IAGO, 

THE  SONS  OF  EDWAL  FOEL. 

AFTER  the  death  of  Howel  Dha,  his  sons  divided 
betwixt  them  the  principalities  of  South  Wales  and 
Powys;  laying  no  claim  to  North  Wales,  though  their 
father  had  been  a  general  Prince  of  all  Wales.  But  levaf 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  58. 


46  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

and  lago,  the  sons  of  Edwal  Foel,  having  put  by  their  elder 
brother  Meyric,*  as  a  person  incapable  of  government,  and 
being  dissatisfied  with   the  rule  of   North  Wales    only, 
imagined  that  the  principality  of  all  Wales  was  their  right, 
as  descending  from  the   elder  house ;  which   the  sons  of 
Howel  Dha  denied  them.     Indeed,  they  had  been  wrong- 
fully kept  out  of  the  government  of  North  Wales  during  the 
reign  of  Howel ;  in  whose  time  the  recovery  of  their  own 
was  impracticable,  by  reason  that,  for  his  moderation  and 
other  good  qualities,  he  had  attracted  to  himself  the  uni- 
versal love  of  all  the  Welsh.     But  now,  he  being  gone,  they 
were  resolved  to  revenge  the  injury  received  from  him  upon 
his  sons :  and  upon  a  small  pretence,  they  endeavoured  to 
reduce  the  whole  country  of  Wales  to  their  own  subjection, 
levaf  and  lago  were  indeed    descended    from  the  elder 
branch ;  but  since  Roderic  the  Great  conferred  the  prin- 
cipality of  South  Wales  upon  his  younger  son  Cadelh,  the 
father  of  Howel  Dha,  it  was  but  just  his  sons  should  enjoy 
what  had  legally  descended  to  them  from  their  father: 
ambition,  however,  seldom  gives  place  to  equity ;  and  there- 
fore, right  or  wrong,  levaf  and  lago  would  have  a  contest 
for  South  Wales,  which  they  entered  with  a  great  army ; 
and  being  opposed,  they  obtained  a  victory  over  Owen  and 
his  brethren  the  sons  of  Howel,  at  the  hills  of  Carno.f 
A.D.  950.  The  next  year  the  two  brothers  entered  twice  into  South 
Wales,  destroyed  and  wasted  Dyfet,  and  slew  Dwnwalhon 

951.  Lord  of  the  country  :  shortly  after  which,  Roderic,  the  third 

952.  son  of  Howel  Dha,  died.     His  brethren  perceiving  the 
folly  of  standing  only  upon  the  defensive,  mustered  all  their 
forces  together,  and  entering  North  W  ales,  marched  as  far 
as    Lhanrwst   upon   the   river   Conwy;    where  levaf  and 
lago  met  them.     A  very  sanguinary  battle  ensued  upon  this, 
and  a  great  number  were  slain  on  both  sides,  among  whom 
were  Anarawd  the  son  of  Gwyriad,  the  son  of  Roderic  the 
Great ;  and  Edwyn  the  son  of  Howel  Dha.     But  victory 
favoured  the  brothers  levaf  and  lago  ;  so  that  the  Princes 
of  South  Wales  were  obliged  to  retire  to  Cardiganshire, 
whither  they  were  warmly  pursued;  and  that  country  was 

953.  severely  harassed  by  fire  and    sword.J      The  next  year 
Merfyn  was  unhappily  drowned ;  and  shortly  after  Congelach 
King  of  Ireland  was  slain. 

The  Scots  and  Northumbrians  having  lately  sworn 
allegiance  to  King  Edred,  he  had  scarcely  returned  to  his 
own  country,  before  Aulafe,  with  a  great  army,  landed  in 

North- 

*  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  59  and  60.  f  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  59  and  60. 

t  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  60  and  61. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  47 

Northumberland,  and  was  with  much  rejoicing  received  by 
the  inhabitants.  Before,  however,  he  could  secure  himself 
in  the  government,  he  was  ignominiously  banished  the 
country  ;  and  the  Northumbrians  elected  one  Hircius,  the 
son  of  Harold,  for  their  king.  But  to  shew  the  inconstancy 
of  an  unsettled  multitude,  they  soon  grew  weary  of  Hircius, 
and  after  a  period  of  three  years  expelled  him,  and  volun- 
tarily submitted  themselves  to  Edred,  who,  after  he  had 
reigned  eight  years,  died,  and  was  buried  at  Winchester. 
To  him  succeeded  Edwin  the  son  of  Edmund,  a  man  so 
immoderately  given  to  the  gratification  of  his  passions  that 
he  forcibly  married  another  man's  wife;  for  which,  and 
other  irregularities,  his  subjects,  after  four  years'  reign,  set 
up  his  brother  Edgar,  who  was  crowned  in  his  stead ;  which 
so  much  grieved  Edwin,  that  he  soon  ended  his  days.  The 
summer,  that  same  year,  proved  so  extremely  hot,  that  it  A.  D.  958. 
caused  a  dreadful  plague  in  the  following  spring,  which 
swept  away  a  great  number  of  people ;  before  which,  Gwgan 
the  son  of  Gwyriad  the  son  of  Roderic  died.  At  this  time, 
levaf  and  lago  forcibly  managed  the  government  of  all 
Wales,  and  acted  according  to  their  own  pleasure,  no  one 
daring  to  confront  or  resist  them.  But  notwithstanding  all 
their  power,  the  sons  of  Abloic  King  of  Ireland,  ventured 
to  land  in  Anglesey ;  and  having  burnt  Holyhead,  wasted 
the  country  of  Lhyn.  The  sons  of  Edwyn  the  son  of 
Colhoyn,  also  wasted  and  ravaged  all  the  country  to  Towyn, 
where  they  were  intercepted  and  slain.  About  the  same  9<H- 
time  died  Meyric  the  son  of  Cadfan,  Rytherch  bishop  of 
St.  David's,  and  Cadwalhon  ap  Owen.  Not  long  after,  the 
country  of  North  Wales  was  cruelly  wasted  by  the  army  of  965. 
Edgar  King  of*  England ;  the  occasion  of  which  invasion 
was  the  non-payment  of  the  tribute  that  the  king  of 
Aberffraw,  by  the  laws  of  Howel  Dha,  was  obliged  to  pay 
to  the  King  of  London.  At  length  a  peace  was  concluded 
upon  condition  that  the  Prince  of  North  Wales,  instead  of 
money,  should  pay  to  the  King  of  England  the  tribute  of 
300  wolves  yearly,*  which  animal  was  then  very  pernicious 
and  destructive  to  England  and  Wales.  This  tribute  being 
duly  performed  for  two  years,  the  third  year  there  were 
none  to  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  Island ;  so  that  after- 
wards the  Prince  of  North  Wales  became  exempt  from 
paying  any  acknowledgment  to  the  King  of  England.f  The 
terror  apprehended  from  the  English,  being  by  these  means  966. 

vanished; 

*  Stowe's  Chron.  p.  83,  printed  at  London,  A.  D.  1614.— Fabian's  Chron.  p.  249. 
f  William  Malmesbury,    p.   59;    Fabian,  p.   240;    Stowe's   Chron.  p.  83;    Welsh 
Chron.  p.  62  (excepting  only  the  number). 


48  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

vanished,  there  threatened  another  cloud  from  Ireland; 
for  the  Irish  being  animated  by  their  late  expedition, 
landed  again  in  Anglesey;  and  having  slain  Roderic  the 
A.D.  967.  son  of  Edwal  Foel,  they  destroyed  Aberffraw.  When 
this  danger  was  over,  levaf  and  lago,  who  had  jointly  and 
amicably,  till  now,  managed  the  government  of  Wales  from 
the  death  of  Howel  Dha,  began  to  quarrel  and  disagree 
between  themselves;  and  lago  having  forcibly  laid  hands 

968.  on  his  brother  levaf,  consigned  him  to  perpetual  imprison- 
ment.     These  animosities  between  the  two  brothers  gave 
occasion  and  opportunity  to  Owen  prince  of  South  Wales 
to  aggrandize  himself,  by  taking  possession  of  the  country 

969.  of  Gwyr.*     And  to  augment  the  miseries  of  the  Welsh  at 
this  time,  Mactus  the  son  of  Harold,  with  an  army  of 
Danes,  landed  in  the  isle  of  Anglesey,  and  spoiled  Penmon.f 
King  Edgar  was  so  indulgent  to  the  Danes,  that  he  per- 
mitted them  to  inhabit  through  all  England ;  insomuch  that 
at  length  they  became  as  numerous  and  as  powerful  as  the 
English  themselves;    and    they   gave   way  to   such  lewd 
courses  of  debauchery  and  drunkenness,  that  very   great 
mischiefs  ensued  thereupon.     The  king,  to  reform  this  im- 
moderate sottishness,  enacted  a  law,  that  every  one  should 
drink   by  measure,  and  a  mark  was  stamped  upon  every 

970.  vessel,  to  denote  how  far  it  should  be  filled.     Harold  having 
taken  Penmon,  subjected  to  himself  the  whole  isle  of  Angle- 
sey, which  however  he  did  not  keep  long,  being  forced  to 
quit  the  same,  and  to  return  home ;  as  did  the  fleet  of  king 
Alfred,  which  he  had  sent  to  subdue  Caerlheon  upon  Use ; 

971.  and  now  being  rid  of  the  English  and  Danes,  the  Welsh 

972.  began  to  raise  commotions  among  themselves.     levaf  con- 
tinued still  in  prison,  and  to  rescue  him,  his  son  Howel 
raised  a  body  of  forces,  and  marched  against  his  uncle  lago, 
who  being  vanquished  in  fight,  was  forced  to   quit  the 
country.      Howel  having  obtained  the  victory,   took  his 
eldest  uncle,  Meyric,  the  son  of  Edwal,  prisoner,  and  having 
directed  both  his  eyes  to  be  put  out  he  was  placed  in  prison, 
where  in  a  woful  condition  he  soon  afterwards  died,  leaving 
two  sons,  Edwal  and  lonafal ;  the  first  of  which  lived  to  be 
Prince   of  Wales,   and  to  revenge  upon   the  posterity  of 
Howel,  the  unnatural  barbarity  exercised  towards  his  father. 
But  though  Howel  delivered  his  father  from  his  long  and 
tedious  imprisonment,:}:  yet  he  did  not  think  fit  to  restore 
him  to  his  principality ;  for  whether  by  age  or  infirmity  he 
was  incapable,  or  otherwise,  Howel  took  upon  him  the  sole 

government 

*  Gwyr,  in  Glamorganshire. — Welsh  Chron.  p  62.  t  Ibid. 

J  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  62,  65. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  49 

government  of  Wales,  which  he  kept  and  maintained  during 
his  lifetime,,  but  afterwards  it  descended  to  his  brethren; 
for  levaf  had  issue,  besides  this  Howel,  Meyric,  levaf,  and 
Cadvvalhan ;  all  three  men  of  great  repute  and  esteem. 

About  this  time  died  Morgan  Hen,*  in  his  younger  days 
called  Morgan  Mawr,  being  an  hundred  years  old,  having 
lived  fifty  years  after  the  death  of  his  vvife  Elen,  daughter  of 
Roderic  the  Great,  by  whom  he  had  one  son  called  Owen. 
Morgan  was  a  valiant  and  a  victorious  prince,  and  well 
beloved  of  his  subjects ;  but  sometime  before  his  death, 
Owen,  the  son  of  Prince  Howel  Dha,  laid  claim  to  Ystradwy 
and  Ewy  (called  the  two  Sleeves  of  Gwent  Uwchcoed), 
being  the  right  by  inheritance  of  Morgan,  and  seized  upon 
them  to  his  own  use.  The  matter,  however,  through  the 
mediation  of  the  clergy  and  nobility,  being  by  both  parties 
referred  to  the  decision  of  Edgar  King  of  England,  it  was 
by  him  adjudged,  that  the  said  lands  did  of  right  belong  to 
Morgan,  and  to  the  diocese  of  Lhandaff;  and  that  Owen 
ap  Howel  Dha  had  wrongfully  possessed  himself  of  them. 
The  charter  of  the  said  award  was  made  before  the  arch- 
bishops, bishops,  earls,  and  barons  of  England  and  Wales, 
as  may  be  seen  at  Lhandaff,  in  an  old  manuscript  called 
y  Owtta  Cyfarwydd  o  Forgannwg.  And  there  is  some- 
what to  the  same  purport  in  the  old  book  of  Lhandaff;  only 
the  mistake  in  both  is,  that  they  make  Howel  Dhaf  the 
intruder  into  the  said  lands,  who  had  been  dead  at  least 
twenty  years  before  king  Edgar  began  his  reign. 

HOWEL 


*  Also  called  Morgan  Mwynvawr,  or  Morgan  the  Courteous.  He  was  of  the  stock 
of  one  of  the  royal  tribes  of  Wales.  He  is  ranked  in  the  Triades*  with  Rhun  and  Arthur 
as  the  three  blood-stained  warriors  of  Britain  ;  and  is  distinguished  with  Gwaethvoed  and 
Elystan  under  the  appellation  of  the  three  band-wearing  princes,  because  they  wore 
bands  as  insignia  of  state,  instead  of  crowns,  like  the  primitive  Christians. 

"  The  book  of  Triades,  in  British  Trioedd  Ynys  Prydain,  or  "  Threes  of  the  Island  of  Britain,"  seems 
to  have  been  written  about  the  year  650,  and  some  parts  of  it  collected  out  of  the  most  ancient  monu- 
ments in  the  kingdom.  The  Triades  have  been  always  quoted  by  our  British  poets  from  age  to  age.  It 
is  called  by  some  writers,  and  by  the  translator  of  Camden,  "  The  Book  of  Triplicities."  The  Britons, 
as  well  as  other  nations  of  old,  had  a  particular  veneration  for  odd  numbers,  and  especially  for  that  of 
Three.  Their  most  ancient  poetry  consists  of  three-lined  stanzas,  called  JEnglyn  Milwr,  "  The  Warrior's 
Verse."  The  most  remote  history  is  divided  into  sections ;  being  combinations  of  some  three  similar 
events.  All  men  of  note,  whether  famous  or  infamous,  were  classed  together  by  threes -.  virtues  and  vices 
were  tripled  together  in  the  same  manner-,  and  the  Druids  conveyed  their  instructions  in  moral  and 
natural  philosophy  to  their  people  in  sentences  of  three  parts.  .--Royal  Tribes. 

f  Saxon  Laws,  published  by  Wilkins,  p.  125,  from  Lord  Littleton's  Life,  Henry  IT. 
vol.  2,  p.  89.— Tt  appears,  however,  that  during  the  reign  of  Howel  Dha,  this  prince  had 
dispossessed  Morgan  Hen,  the  Lord  of  Glamorgan,  of  certain  districts  in  that  country, 
and  that  this  dispute  was  tried  by  Edgar  King  of  England  in  a  full  court  of  prelates  and 
nobility  of  England  and  Wales,  vhen  the  lands  in  dispute  were  adjudged  to  Morgan  Hen 
and  his  heirs.— Spelman's  Concilia,  p.  414. 


50  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 


HOWEL  AP  IEVAF. 

A.  D.  973.  -  OWEL,  after  he  had  expelled  his  uncle  lago,  and 
forced  him  to  quit  his  own  dominions,  took  upon  himself 
the  government  of  Wales,*  in  right  of  his  father,  who, 
though  alive,  yet  by  reason  of  his  years,  declined  it.  About 
the  same  time  Dwnwalhon,  Prince  of  Stradelwyd,  took  his 
journey  for  Rome ;  and  Edwalhon,  son  of  Owen  Prince  of 
South  Wales,  died.  But  the  English  received  a  greater 
blow  by  the  death  of  King  Edgar,  who  was  a  prince  of 
excellent  qualities,  both  warlike  and  religious,  and  one  that 
founded  several  monasteries  and  religious  houses,  and  par- 
ticularly at  Bangor  :  for  lago  ap  Edwal  having  fled  to  King 
Edgar,  prevailed  so  far  with  him,  that  he  brought  an  army 
into  North  Wales  to  restore  him  to  his  right.  Being  ad- 
vanced as  far  as  Bangor,  he  was  honourably  received  by 
Howel,  who,  at  his  request,  was  contented  his  uncle  lago 
should  have  a  share  in  the  government,  as  he  had  in  his 
father  levafs  time.  Then  Edgar  founded  a  new  church  at 
Bangor,  on  the  south-side  of  the  Cathedral,  which  he  dedi- 
cated to  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary ;  and  confirmed  the 
ancient  liberties  of  that  see,  and  bestowed  lands  and  gifts 
upon  it ;  after  which,  with  Howel  and  lago  in  his  company, 
he  marched  towards  Chester,  where  met  him,  by  appoint- 
ment, six  other  kings,  viz.  Kenneth  King  of  the  Scots, 
Malcolm  King  of  Cumberland,  Macon  King  of  Man,  and 
Dyfnwal,  Sifrethus,  and  Ithel,  three  British  kings.  These 
eight  princes  having  done  homage  and  sworn  fealty  to 
him,  entered  with  King  Edgar  into  his  barge,  and  rowed 
him,  four  on  each  side,  from  his  palace  to  the  church  or 
monastery  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  and  divine  service  being 
ended,  in  like  state  rowed  him  back  again. f  To  King 
Edgar  succeeded  his  son  Edward,  surnamed  the  younger ; 
who,  after  four  years  reign,  was  treacherously  slain  through 
the  treason  of  his  step-mother  Elfrida,  to  make  room  for 
her  own  son  Edelred,  upon  pretence  of  whose  minority, 
being  a  child  of  only  seven  years,  she  might  have  the 

management 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  64. 
f  Selden's  Mare  Clausum,p.  1315. — BromptoiTs  Chron.  p.  869. — Matth.  Westm.p.287. 

A.  D.  975.— At  this  period  Dunwallon,  Prince  of  the  Strath-Clwyd  Britons,  who  had 
settled  in  North  Wales,  intimidated  by  the  cruel  ravages  of  the  Danes,  or  influenced  by 
the  pious  spirit  of  the  age,  retired  to  Rome,  and  engaged  in  a  religious  life.  On  his 
retreat  that  small  state  was  re-united  to  the  kingdom  of  North  Wales.— Hamffrey  Lhuyd, 
p.  32. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  51 

management  of  the  kingdom  in  her  own  hands.     Whilst  the  A.D.  976. 
English  were  in  this   wavering  and  unsettled    condition, 
Eineon,  the  son  of  Owen  King  of  South  Wales,  the  second 
time  entered  the  country  of  Gwyr,  and,  having  spoiled  and 
wasted  it,  returned  home  again.     This,  though  it  was  a  very 
great   affront  to   Howel  Prince  of  North   Wales,  yet  he 
thought  it  most  convenient  to  leave  unnoticed,  being  then 
warmly  engaged  against  the  aiders  and  abettors  of  his  uncle 
lago ;  and  marching  against  them  with  a  numerous  army, 
consisting  of  Welsh  and  English,  pursued  them  to  Lhyn 
and  Kelynnoc  Vawr,  the  very  extremity  of  Wales  ;*  where, 
after  cruelly  ravaging  the  country  and  miserably  harassing 
the  inhabitants,  lago  was  at  last  taken  prisoner  ;  but  he  was 
generously  received  by  Howel,  who  granted  him  the  enjoy- 
ment of  his  portion  of  the  country  peaceably  for  his  life. 
Howel  did  not  deal  so  kindly  with  his  uncle  Edwal  Fychan, 
the  son  of  Edwal  Foel,  who,  for  some  reason  not  known,   979. 
was  slain  by  him.     It  may  be,  that  being  in  a  manner  secure 
of  his  uncle  lago,  he  was  apprehensive  that  Edwal  Fychan 
would  put  in  a  claim  to  the  principality,  and  therefore  he 
judged  it  convenient  to  remove  this  obstacle  in  time,  and  to 
send  him  to  seek  for  it  in  another  world.     For  nothing  has 
been  the  cause  of  greater  injustice  and  inhumanity  in  princes 
than  a  jealousy  and  apprehension  of  rivals  and  pretenders  to 
their   government,   to   prevent  which    they  often  sacrifice 
every  thing  that  is  just  and  legal,  so  that  the  person  offend- 
ing be  removed  out  of  the  way.     Though  Howel  had  mur- 
dered his  uncle  Edwal  Fychan,  he  could  not  remove  all 
disputes  and  pretensions  as  to  North  Wales:    for  at  that 
same  time  that  he  was  employed  in  this  unnatural  trans- 
action, Cystenyn  Dhu,  or  Constantino  the  Black,  son  to 
lago  (then  prisoner  to  Howel),  having  hired  an  army  of 
Danes,  under  the  command  of  Godfryd  the  son  of  Harold, 
marched   against  his   cousin   Howel,   and  entering  North 
Wales,  destroyed  Anglesey  and  Lhyn ;  whereupon  Howel, 
having  drawn  his  forces  together,  fell  upon  them  at  a  place 
called  Gwyath  Hirbarth,  where  the  Danes  received  a  very 
great  overthrow,   and   Constantine,  the   son  of  lago,  was 
slain. f     Another  army  of  Danes,  however,  fared  better  .in 
England :  having  landed  at  and  spoiled  Southampton,  they 
over-ran  the  countries  of  Devon  and  Cornwall,  burnt  the 
town  of   Bodmin,  whereby  the   cathedral   church   of   St. 
Petrokes,  with  the  bishop's  palace,  were  laid  in  ashes ;  by 
reason  of  which  disaster  the  bishop's  see  was  translated  to 

St. 
c  2 
*  Carnarvonshire.  f  Welsh  Chron.  p.  65. 


52  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

St.  Germain's,  where  it  continued  until  the  uniting  thereof 
to  Crediton.  Within  a  while  after,  St.  Dunstan,  archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  died,  a  pious  and  religious  man,  who  fore- 
told very  great  and  almost  insupportable  calamities  that  the 
English  should  endure  by  the  cruel  outrages  of  the  Danes. 
A.D.  981.  Godfryd,  the  son  of  Harold,  being  highly  chagrined  at 
the  complete  route  he  received  of  Howel  in  the  quarrel  of 
Constantine,  was  resolved  to  recover  his  credit,  and  to 
revenge  himself  of  the  Welsh ;  and  accordingly  he  landed 
with  a  powerful  army  in  West  Wales,  where,  after  he  had 
spoiled  the  land  of  Dyfed,  with  the  church  of  St.  David's, 
he  fought  the  famous  battle  of  Llanwanoc.  Harold  being 
forced  upon  this  to  retire  and  forsake  the  country,  the  fol- 

982.  lowing  year  Duke  Alfred,  with  a  considerable  number  of 
English,  came  to  supply   his  room  and  to  conquer  the 
Welsh ;   but  he  obtained  as  little  advantage  or  honour  as 
Harold  in  this  expedition ;   for  after  he  had  laid  waste  and 
destroyed  the  town  of  Brecknock,  with  some  part  of  South 
Wales,  he  was  completely  vanquished,  and  his  army  almost 
totally  cut  off  by  the  troops  of  Eineon,  the  son  of  Owen 
Prince  of  South  Wales,  and  Howel  Prince  of  North  Wales, 

•         who  had  joined  their  forces  against  him.*   The  Welsh,  hav- 

983.  ing  now  quite  disabled  the  Danes  and  the  English,  began 
to  adopt  their  old  courses — to  make  use  of  their  prosperity 
and  quietness  from  abroad,  for  quarrelling  and  creating 
disturbances  at  home.      The  inhabitants  of  Gwentlandf 
imagined  themselves  very  strong  and  powerful,  and  there- 
fore endeavoured  to  shake  off  their  allegiance  to  their  prince, 
and  to  set  up  one  of  their,  own  making.     Owen,  Prince  of 
South  Wales,  to  subdue  the    rebellious  humour  of  these 
seditious  and  turbulent  people,  sent  his  son  Eineon  to  per- 
suade them  to  obedience ;  but  a  distracted  multitude,  when 
broken  loose,  is  not  to  be  worked  upon  by  arguments,  which 
Eineon  fatally  experienced,  who  was  so  far  from  persuading 
them  to  their  allegiance  by  fair  means,  that  they  set  upon 
him,  and  thinking  they  had  him  in  their  possession  who  was 
next  to  succeed,  put  him  at  once  to  death  ;  and  thus  most 
ignobly  fell  this  worthy  prince,  who,  in  his  father's  time, 
was  the  only  support  of  his  country,  being  an  able  and  a 
valiant  commander,  and  one  skilfully  experienced  in  the  art 
and  discipline  of  war.      He  had  issue  two  sons,  Edwyn  and 
Tewdwr  Mawr,  or  Theodore  the  Great,  from  whose  loins 
several  Princes  of  South  Wales  descended.J     Howel  Prince 

of 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  66. 

t  Comprehending  parts  of  the  present  counties  of  Monmouth  and  Hereford. 
}  Welsh  Chron.  p.  66. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  53 

of  North  Wales  did  not,  however,  regard  this  dissension 
and  rebellion  in  South  Wales,  and  therefore  took  oppor- 
tunity to  strengthen  and  multiply  his  army,  with  which  he 
marched  the  next  year  for  England,  intending  to  revenge 
the  incursions  and  invasions  of  the  English  upon  Wales,  and 
to  destroy  and  waste  their  country  ;  but  having  entered  into 
England,  he  was  presently  encountered,  upon  which,  being 
resolved  either  to  return  victoriously  or  to  die  courageously, 
he  exerted  his  prowess,  but  in  the  action  was  slain,*  leaving 
no  issue  to  succeed  him  in  the  principality,  though  in  some 
ancient  genealogies  he  is  reputed  to  have  had  a  son  called 
Conan  y  Cwn, 


CADWALHON  AP  IEVAF. 

JH  OWEL,  the  son  of  levaf,  had  for  a  long  time  enjoyed 
the  principality  of  North  Wales,  more  by  main  force  and 
usurpation,  than  any  right  of  succession  he  could  pretend  to 
it :  for  lonafal  and  Edwal  the  sons  of  Meyric,  the  eldest 
son  of  Edwal  Foel,  were  living,  and  through  their  father 
had  been  rejected  as  being  unfit  for  government,  yet  that 
was  no  reason  to  deprive  them  of  their  right.  Indeed, 
Howel  could  set  up  no  other  right  or  title,  than  that  his 
father  levaf  had  been  prince  of  North  Wales  before  him, 
and  this  he  thought  sufficient  to  maintain  his  possession 
against  the  rightful  heir,  who  was  unable  to  oppose  or 
molest  his  wrongful  usurpation ;  but  Howel  being  slain  in 
this  rash  expedition  against  the  English,  and  leaving  no 
issue,  his  brother  Cadwalhon  thought  he  might  rightfully 
take  upon  him  the  government  of  North  Wales,  seeing  his 
father  and  his  brother  had  without  any  molestation  enjoyed 
the  same.  However,  to  make  his  title  secure,  he  thought 
fit  to  remove  all  those  who  might  create  any  dispute  con- 
cerning his  right  of  succession,  and  to  that  end,  deemed  it 
expedient  to  make  away  his  cousins  lonafal  and  Edwal  the 
lawful  heirs  ;  the  first  of  whom  he  put  to  death  accordingly, 
but  Edwal  being  aware  of  his  intention,  privately  made  his 
escape,  and  so  prevented  his  wicked  design.  This  unnatural 
dealing  with  his  cousins  lonafal  and  Edwal  cost  Cadwalhon 
not  only  his  life,  but  the  loss  of  his  principality,  and  was 
the  utter  ruin  of  his  father's  house ;  for  he  had  scarce 
enjoyed  his  government  one  year,  when  Meredith  the  son  of  A.  D.  985. 

Owen 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  66. 


54  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

Owen  prince  of  South  Wales  entered  into  North  Wales, 
slew  Cadwalhon  and  his  brother  Meyric,*  the  only  remains 
of  the  house  of  levaf,  and,  under  the  pretence  of  conquest, 
possessed  himself  of  the   whole  country.     Here  we  may 
observe  and  admire  the  wisdom  of  Providence,  in  permitting 
wrong  and  oppression  for  some  time  to  flourish  and  wax 
great,    and  afterwards,  by  secret  and    hidden    methods, 
restoring  the  posterity  of  the  right  and  lawful  heir  to  the 
just  and  pristine  estate  of  his  ancestors  :  for  after  the  death 
of  Edwal  Foel,  Meyric,  who  by  right  of  birth  was  legally 
to  succeed,  was  not  only  deprived  of  his  just  and  rightful 
inheritance,  but  had  his  eyes  most  inhumanly  put  out,  and 
being  condemned  to  perpetual  imprisonment,  through  grief 
at  being  so  barbarously  treated,   quickly  ended  his  days ; 
but  though  his  brothers  levaf  and  lago,  and  Howel  and 
Cadwalhon  the    sons  of   levaf,    successively  enjoyed  the 
principality  of  North  Wales,  yet  not  one  died  naturally  or 
escaped  the  revenge  of  Meyric's  ejection.     levaf  was  impri- 
soned by  his  brother  lago,  and  he,  with  his  son  Constantine, 
by  Howel  the  son  of  levaf,  and  afterwards  Howel  fell  by 
the  hands  of  the  English,  and  his  brethren  Cadwalhon  and 
Meyric  were  slain  by  Meredith  ap  Owen.     On  the  other 
hand,   Edwal  ap   Meyric,  who  was  right  heir  of  North 
Wales  after  the  death  of  his  brother  lonafal,  escaped  the 
snare  intended  by   Cadwalhon ;   and   Meredith  ap  Owen 
having  for  some  time  left  North   WTales  exposed  to   its 
enemies,  because  he  had  enough  to  do  to  preserve  South 
Wales,  Edwal  was  received  by  the  men  of  North  Wales  as 
their  true  prince. 


MEREDITH  AP  OWEN. 

A.D.CS?.  ]VjEREDITH  having  defeated  and  slain  Cadwalhon  and 
his  brother  Meyric,  the  only  seeming  pretenders  to  the 
principality  of  North  Wales,  took  upon  himself  the  rule 
and  government  of  it  :f  but  before  he  was  well  confirmed  in 
his  dominions,  Godfryd  the  son  of  Harold  a  third  time 
entered  into  the  isle  of  Anglesey,  and  having  taken  Lhyarch 
the  son  of  Owen  with  2000  men  prisoners,  most  cruelly  put 
out  the  eyes  of  Lhyarch,  which  struck  such  a  terror  into 
Prince  Meredith,  that,  with  the  rest  of  his  army,  he  forth- 
with made  his  escape  and  fled  to  Cardigan.  This  loss  to 

the 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p  67. 

^  Meredith  ruled  in  Fowys  in  right  of  his  mother. — British  Antiq.  revived  by  Vaughan, 
of  Hengwrt,  pp.  5, 14. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  55 

the  Welsh  was  the  same  year  seconded  by  another,  but  of 
another  sort ;  for  there  happened  such  a  great  and  unusual 
murrain,  that  the  principal  part  of  the  cattle  of  Wales 
perished.      Nor  were  the  English  at  this  time  free  from 
adversities  and  troubles,    for  the  Danes  landed  again  in 
England  with  several  armies,  and  at  Westport  and  Witest 
gave  two  English  lords,  Godan  and  Britchwould,  such  a 
defeat,  that  the  king  was  forced  to  buy  his  peace,  with  the 
payment  of  10,000  pounds,  which  was  termed  Dane  Gelt. 
Within  a  short  time  after,  King  Edelred  violated  the  peace 
himself,  and  prepared  a  great  fleet,  thinking  to  vanquish  the 
Danes  at  sea ;  but  it  proved  otherwise,  all  his  ships  being 
either  destroyed  or  taken,  together  with  the  Admiral,  Alfric 
Earl  of  Mercia.      The  Danes  being  animated  with  this 
victory,  sailed  up  the  mouth  of  the  Humber,  and  landing  in 
Yorkshire,  spoiled  and  destroyed  the  cities  of  York  and 
Lindsey;    but  in  their  march   through    Northumberland, 
were  routed  and  put  to  flight  by  Godwyn  and  Fridgist,  two 
English  generals  who  were  sent  to  oppose  them.     The  same 
time  Anlaf  King  of  Norway,  and  Swane  of  Denmark,  with 
94  gallies,   sailed  up  the  Thames  and  besieged  London, 
which  the  citizens  so  bravely  defended,  that  the  Danes  at 
length  thought  it  best  to  raise  the  siege;  but  though  they 
could  effect  nothing  against  the  city,  yet  the  country  was  at 
their  mercy,  and  therefore  leaving  their  ships,  they  landed 
and  wasted  with  fire  and  sword  all  Kent,  Essex,  Sussex, 
Surry,  and  Hampshire;  wherefore  King  Edelred,  instead 
of  manly  opposition  in  the  field,  sent  ambassadors  to  treat 
about  another  payment,    and  so  the  Danes  being  satisfied 
with  a  great  sum  of  money  and  victuals,  lay  quiet  that  winter 
at  Southampton.     Upon  this  composition,  Anlaf  was  invited 
by  Edelred,  and  royally  entertained,  and  being  dismissed 
with  very  many  rich  presents,  he  promised  upon  oath  to 
depart  the  kingdom  and  never  to  molest  it  any  more,  which 
condition  he  faithfully  performed. 

Whilst  the  English  and  the  Danes  were  thus  for  a  time  A.  D.  987. 
at  peace,  levaf  the  son  of  Edwal,  having  spent  for  several 
years  a  retired  and  a  private  life,  died  ;*  and  was  quickly 
followed  by  Owen  the  son  of  Howel  Dha  Prince  of  South 
Wales.f  This  Owen  had  three  sons,  Eineon,  who  in  his 
father's  time  was  slain  by  the  rebels  of  Gwentland, 
Lhywarch  who  had  his  eyes  put  out  by  Godfryd  the  son  of 
Harold  the  Dane,  and  Prince  Meredith,  who  had  already 
conquered  North  Wales,  and  now  upon  his  father's  death 
took  possession  also  of  South  Wales,  without  any  regard  to 

the 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  70.  f  Il"d- 


56  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

the  rights  of  Edwyn  and  Theodore  the  sons  of  Eineon  his 
elder  brother.  But  upon  his  advancement  to  his  new  princi- 
pality, he  narrowly  escaped  no  very  small  troubles  ;  for  the 
Danes  at  Hampton  quickly  broke  the  league  with  king 
Edelred,  and  sailing  towards  the  west  greatly  annoyed  the 
coasts  of  Cornwal  and  Devonshire,  and  at  last  landed  in 
South  Wales.  Having  destroyed  St.  David's,  Lhanbadarn, 
Lhanrhystyd,  Lhandydoch,  and  several  other  religious 
places,  the  country  was  so  much  harassed  and  weakened 
that  Prince  Meredith  was  forced  to  compound  with  them, 
A.  D.  988.  and  to  pay  a  tribute  of  one  penny  for  every  person  within 
his  dominions,  which  in  Welsh  was  called  Glwmaem,  or  the 
tribute  of  the  black  army.  Ireland  also  at  this  time  received 
no  inconsiderable  blow  from  the  Danes,  who  slew  Elwmaen 
the  son  of  Abloic  king  of  the  country,  and  so  ravaged  and 
laid  waste  that  kingdom,  that  a  great  number  of  the  natives 
perished  by  famine. 

The  year  following,  Owen  the  son  of  Dyfnwal,  a  man  of 

989.  considerable  note  and  reputation  among  the  Welsh,   was 
slain,  which  was  the  only  remarkable  event  that  happened 
this  year;  but  in  the  next  year  Edwin  ap  Eineon,  who  was 
right  heir  to  the    principality   of   South  Wales,    having 

990.  procured  the  aid  of  a  great  army  of  English  and  Danes 
entered  in  great  force  into  Meredith's  country,  spoiled  all 
the  land  of  Cardigan,   Dyfed,   Gwyr,   Kydwely,  and  St. 
David's,  and  received  hostages  of  the  chief  persons  of  thoee 

991.  countries  to  own  him  as  their  rightful  prince.     To  avenge 
these  outrages  upon  Edwyn,  Meredith  destroyed  the  town 
of  Radnor,  spoiled  Glamorgan,  and  carried  away  the  chief 
men  thereof  prisoners,  who  on  paying  their  ransom  were  set 
at  liberty.     Whilst  Wales  was  in  this  distracted  condition, 
and  scarce  any  place  free  from   hostility,   Meredith  and 
Edwyn  were  happily  reconciled,  and  the  differences  were 
composed  that  had  existed    between    them,    so  that  the 
English   and  Danes  who  came  in  with  Edwyn,   and  who 
expected  to  reap  an  harvest  out  of  these  civil  disturbances 
of  the  Welsh,  were  unexpectedly  dismissed  and  sent  home. 
Soon  after  this   agreement,   Cadwalhon,  the  only  son  of 
Meredith,  died,  which  rendered  the  composition  between 
Meredith  and  Edwyn  more  firm,  by  reason  that  this  latter 
thought  now  that  he  should  without  any  dispute  succeed 
Meredith  in  the  principality.     This,  however,  did  not  take 
place,  for  Meredith  being  very  much  disturbed  in  South 
Wales,  had  so  much  work  upon  his  hands  to  defend  that 
country,  that  he  left  North  Wales  exposed  to  the  common 
enemy,  which  the  Danes  were  quickly  acquainted  with,  and 

so 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  57 

so  landing  in  Anglesey,  they  ravaged  and  laid  waste  the 
whole  island.  The  men  of  North  Wales  finding  themselves  A.  D.  992. 
thus  forsaken  by  Meredith,  and  their  country  in  danger  of 
being  over-run  by  the  Danes,  if  not  timely  prevented,  set 
up  Edwal  the  son  of  Meyric,  the  indisputable  heir  of  North 
Wales,  though  long  kept  from  it,  and  owned  him  for  their 
prince.*  These  incessant  wars  and  commotions  in  South 
Wales,  occasioned  a  great  famine  in  the  country,  of  which 
.  a  considerable  number  of  people  perished.  Meredith,  how- 
ever, who  had  once  conquered  North  Wales,  and  for  a  long 
time  had  got  possession  of  South  Wales,  without  any  right 
or  title  to  either,  was  now  obliged  to  relinquish  the  one,  and 
was  scarcely  able  to  maintain  the  other. 


EDWAL  AP  MEYRIC. 

JCjDWAL,  after  a  long  and  tedious  expectation,  being  993. 
now  joyfully  received  by  the  men  of  North  Wales  as  their 
prince,  endeavoured,  in  the  first  place,  to  defend  his  sub- 
jects from  the  injuries  and  depredations  they  received  from 
the  Danes  ;  and  having  in  a  measure  effected  that,  he  was 
accosted  by  another  enemy ;  for  Meredith  being  resolved  to 
revenge  the  indignity  and  disgrace  inflicted  upon  him  by  the 
men  of  North  Wales,  in  depriving,  him  of  the  government 
of  their  country,  gathered  together  all  his  power,  intending 
to  recover  possession  of  that  principality.  Having  advanced 
as  far  as  Lhangwm,f  Edwal  met  him,  and  in  open  battle 
routed  his  army;  in  which  action  Theodore  or  Tewdwr 
Mawr,  Meredith's  nephew,  was  slain,{  leaving  two  sons, 
Rhys  and  Rytherch,  and  a  daughter  named  Elen.  It  is, 
however,  deemed  probable  that  it  was  not  Tewdwr  Mawr, 
but  his  brother  Edwyn,  that  was  slain  in  this  battle,  which 
also  seems  rather  to  have  been  fought  at  Hengwm  in  Ar- 
dudwy,  in  Merionethshire,  than  at  Lhangwm,  for  in  Hen- 
gwm there  are  to  this  day  certain  monuments  of  victory  to 
be  seen,  as  heaps  of  stones,  tomb-stones,  and  columns, 
which  they  call  Carneddi  Hengwm.  Edwal  returning  home 
triumphantly  after  this  victory,  thought  he  had  now  secured 
himself  in  his  government,  and  expected  to  enjoy  his 
dominions  without  molestation.  He  had,  however,  scarcely 
recovered  the  fatigue  of  the  last  engagement,  when  Swane 
the  son  of  Harold,  having  lately  pillaged  and  wasted  the 
Isle  of  Man,  landed  in  North  Wales,  whom  Edwal  endea- 
vouring 
*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  71.  f  Llangwm,  in  Denbighshire.  J  Welsh  Chron,  p.  72. 


58  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

vouring  to  oppose,  was  slain  in  the  encounter,  leaving  one 
son,*  called  lago.  Within  a  short  time  the  Danes  returned 
again  against  St.  David's,  and  destroying  all  before  them 
with  fire  and  sword,  slew  Morgeney,  or  Urgency,  bishop  of 
that  diocese.  Prince  Meredith  being  highly  concerned  at 
the  mischiefs  these  barbarous  people  continually  did  to  his 
country,  and  the  more,  because  he  was  not  able  to  repel 
their  insolencies,  died  of  grief  and  vexation,  having  issue  an 
only  daughter  named  Angharad,  who  was  twice  married ; 
first  to  Lhewelyn  ap  Sitsyhlt,  and  after  his  death  to  Confyn 
ap  Hirdref,  or,  as  others  think,  to  Confyn  ap  Gwerystan. 
She  had  children  by  both  husbands,  which  occasioned  after- 
wards many  disturbances  and  civil  commotions  in  Wales, 
the  issue  of  both  marriages  pretending  a  right  of  succession 
to  the  principality  of  South  Wales. f 


AEDAN  AP  BLEGORAD. 


Prince  of  North  Wales,  being  killed  in  the 
battle  against  Swane,  and  having  no  other  issue  than  lago, 
who  was  a  minor,  and  too  young  to  take  upon  him  the 
government;  and  Meredith,  Prince  of  South  Wales,  dying 
without  any  other  issue  than  a  daughter,  caused  various 
quarrels  and  contentions  among  the  Welsh,  several,  without 
any  colour  of  right,  putting  in  their  claim  and  pretensions  to 
the  government.  In  North  Wales,  Conan  the  son  of  Howel, 
A.D.  1003.  and  Aedan  the  son  of  Blegorad,  were  the  chief  aspirers  to 
that  principality;  and  because  they  could  not  agree  who 
should  be  the  governor,  they  determined  to  try  the  matter  in 
open  field,  where  Conan  had  the  misfortune  to  be  slain; 
and  so  Aedan  was  victoriously  proclaimed  Prince  of  North 
Wales.*  Who  this  Aedan  was  descended  from,  or  what 
colour  or  pretence  he  could  lay  to  the  principality,  is  matter 
of  great  doubt,  there  being  none  of  that  name  to  be  met 
with  in  any  Welsh  records,  excepting  Blegorad  who  is 
mentioned  in  the  line  of  Howel  Dha,  whose  estate  and 
quality  were  not  sufficient  to  countenance  any  claim  of  his 
posterity  to  the  principality  of  Wales.  But  be  that  as  it 
may,  Aedan,  after  his  victory  over  Conan  ap  Howel,  was 
owned  Prince  by  the  men  of  North  Wales,  over  whom  he 
bore  rule  for  the  space  of  twelve  years  ;  though,  besides  his 
conquest  of  Conan  ap  Howel,  there  is  nothing  recorded  of 
1015.  him,  excepting  his  being  slain,  together  with  his  four  sons, 
by  Lhewelyn  ap  Sitsylht. 

While 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  73.         t  Ibid.  p.  73.        J  Ibid.  pp.  74,  83. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  59 

While  the  Welsh  were  in  this  unsettled  condition,  the 
Scots  began  to  grow  powerful  in  Ireland,  and  having  de- 
stroyed the  town  and  country  of  Develyn,  they  took  Gulfath 
and  Ubiad,   two  Irish  lords,  prisoners,  whose   eyes   they 
inhumanly  put  out.     The  Danes  also,  who  had  lately  made 
their  incursions  into  South  Wales,  began  now  to  molest  the 
English :  having  landed  in  the  west,  they  passed  through 
the  counties  of  Somerset,  Dorset,  Hants,  and  Sussex,  de- 
stroying and  burning  all  before  them;  and  advancing  with- 
out any  opposition  as  far  as  the  river  Medway,  they  laid 
siege  to  Rochester,  which  the  Kentish  men  endeavoured  to 
preserve  by  assembling  themselves  together  and  giving  the 
Danes  battle,  but  they  were  vanquished  in  the  undertaking. 
King  Edelred  was  then  in  Cumberland,  where  the  Danes 
were  more  numerously  planted,  which  country  he  kept  quiet 
and  in  subjection.     In  the  mean  time  another  army  of  Danes 
landed  in  the  west,  against  whom  the  country  people  of 
Somersetshire  assembled   themselves,    and    shewed    their 
readiness  to  attack  them,  but  wanting  a  leader,  were  easily 
put  to  the  rout,  and  the  Danes  ruled  and  commanded  the 
country  at  their  pleasure.     The  King  being  much  harassed 
by  the  insolence  and  continual  depredations  of  the  Danes, 
thought  convenient  to  strengthen  himself  by  some  powerful 
affinity,  and  to  that  end  sent  ambassadors  to  Richard  Duke 
of  Normandy,  desiring  his  daughter  Emma   in  marriage, 
and  requesting  aid  to  repel  the  Danish  incursions.     Here 
it  is  observable,  that  as  the  Saxons,  being  formerly  called 
over   as  friends  and  allies  to  the  well-meaning    Britons, 
violently  and  wrongfully  possessed  themselves  of  the  great- 
est part  of  the  island,  so  now  the  Normans,  being  invited 
to  aid  the  English  against  the  Danes,  took  so  great  a  liking 
to  the  country,  that  they  never  gave  over  their  design  of 
obtaining  it  till  they  became  conquerors  of  the  whole  island. 
The  mischief  of  calling  in  the  Normans  had  been  foretold  to 
King  Edelred,  but  he  was  so  far  concerned  about  the  present, 
calamities  caused  by  the  Danes,  that  he  was  deaf  to  all 
considerations  as  to  the  future  ;  and  therefore,  being  elated 
with  hopes  of  increase  of  strength  by  this  new  alliance,  he 
sent  private  letters  to  all  cities  and  towns  throughout  his 
dominions  where  the  Danes  were  quartered,  requiring  them 
all  upon  St.  Brice's  night  to  massacre  the  Danes,  which  was 
accordingly  performed  with  much  unanimity  and  secrecy. 
This  cruel  act  was  so  far  from  discouraging  the  Danes,  that 
they  now  began  to  vow  the  eradication  of  the  English  nation, 
and  to  revenge  that  unmanly  massacre  of  their  countrymen ; 
to  which  end  they  landed  in  Devonshire,  and  over-running 

the 


60  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

the  country  with  fire  and  sword,  spared  nothing  that  had  the 
least  spark  of  life  in  it.  The  city  of  Exeter  they  razed  to 
the  ground,  and  slew  Hugh  the  Norman,  whom  the  Queen 
had  recommended  to  the  government  of  it.  To  prevent 
their  further  incursions,  Almarus  Earl  of  Devon  gathered 
a  great  army  out  of  Hampshire  and  Wiltshire  and  the 
country  thereabouts,  and  marched  with  a  determined  reso- 
lution to  oppose  the  Danes;  but  they  put  Almarus  to  flight, 
and  pursued  him  to  Wilton  and  Salisbury,  which  being 
ransacked  and  plundered,  they  carried  the  pillage  thereof 
triumphantly  to  their  ships. 

A.  D.  1004.  The  next  year  Swane,  a  prince  of  great  repute  in  Den- 
mark, landed  upon  the  coast  of  Norfolk  and  laid  siege  to 
Norwich,  and  wasted  the  country  thereabouts.  Wolfkettel, 
Duke  of  that  country,  being  too  weak  to  oppose  him, 
thought  it  most  convenient  to  make  a  peace  with  the  Dane  ; 
which  was  quickly  broken,  and  then  Swane  marched  pri- 
vately to  Thetford,  and  after  he  had  spoiled  and  ransacked 
that  place,  he  returned  with  his  prey  to  his  ships.  Wolf- 
kettel hearing  this,  privately  drew  up  his  forces,  and 
marched  against  the  enemy ;  but  being  far  inferior  in 
number,  the  Danes  defeated  him,  and  afterwards  sailed  to 
their  own  country.  Within  two  years  after,  the  Danes 
returned  again,  bringing  with  them  their  usual  companions, 
fire,  sword,  and  spoliation,  and  landed  at  Sandwich ;  after 
they  had  burnt  and  pillaged  that  place,  they  sailed  to  the 
Isle  of  Wight,  where  they  took  up  their  quarters  till 
Christmas :  and  then  coming  forth  thence,  they  over-ran, 
by  several  parties,  the  countries  of  Hampshire  and  Berk- 
shire, as  far  as  Reading,  Wallingford,  and  Colsey ;  devour- 
ing, for  want  of  other  plunder,  all  the  provisions  they  found 
in  the  houses,  and  destroyed  the  same  with  fire  and  sword 
at  their  departure.  In  their  return  they  met  with  the  army 
of  the  West  Saxons  near  Essington,  but  this  consisting  only 
of  a  raw  and  inexperienced  rabble,  was  easily  broken 
through,  and  the  Danes  passing  triumphantly  by  the  gates 
of  Winchester,  got  safe  with  great  booty  to  the  Isle  of 
Wight.  King  Edelred  all  this  while  lay  at  his  manor-house 
in  Shropshire,  much  troubled  and  concerned  at  these  unin- 
terrupted devastations  of  the  Danes;  and  the  nobility  of 
England,  willing  rather  to  save  some  than  lose  all  they 
possessed,  bought  their  peace  of  the  Danes  for  the  sum  of 
30,000  pounds.  During  the  interval  of  repose  thus  obtained, 
King  Edelred,  rousing  his  drooping  spirits,  ordained,  that 
every  three  hundred  hides  of  land  (one  hide  being  as  much 
as  one  plough  can  sufficiently  till)  through  his  dominions 

should 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  61 

should  man  and  fit  out  a  ship,  and  every  eight  hides  provide 
a  corslet  and  a  helmet;  besides  which  the  king  had  no 
inconsiderable  navy  sent  him  from  Normandy.  This  fleet 
when  rendezvoused  at  Sandwich  seemed  very  powerful  in 
those  days,  and  was  the  greatest  that  had  ever  down  to  that 
period  rode  upon  the  British  sea.  And  now,  when  it  was 
thought  that  all  things  would  go  well  with  the  English,  of  a 
sudden  another  cloud  appeared ;  for  one  Wilnot,  a  noble- 
man of  Sussex,  being  banished  by  King  Edelred,  got  to  sea 
with  a  small  number  of  ships,  and  practised  piracy  along 
the  coasts  of  Britain,  greatly  annoying  all  merchants  and 
passengers.  Brightrych,  brother  to  the  traitorous  Edric  A.D.  1008. 
Earl  of  Mercia,  thinking  to  advance  his  reputation  by  some 
signal  exploit,  promised  to  bring  Wilnot  dead  or  alive  before 
Edelred  :  to  which  end  he  set  forth  with  a  considerable  fleet ; 
which  meeting  with  a  terrible  storm,  was  by  the  tempest 
driven  back,  and  wrecked  upon  the  shores  ;  so  that  a  great 
number  of  the  ships  were  lost,  and  the  rest  burnt  by  Wilnot 
and  his  followers.  Brightrych  being  dismayed  with  this 
unfortunate  beginning,  returned  ingloriously  by  the  Thames 
back  to  London  ;  so  that  this  great  preparation  against  the 
Danes  was  dashed  to  pieces  and  came  to  nothing. 

The  Danes  were  not  ignorant  of  the  misfortune  the  1009. 
English  received  by  this  storm,  and  without  any  further 
enquiry,  landed  at  Sandwich,  and  so  passed  on  to  Canter- 
bury, which  they  intended  to  destroy,  but  were  prevented 
by  the  citizens  paying  3000  pounds.  Passing  from  thence, 
through  Kent,  Sussex,  and  Hampshire,  they  came  to  Berk- 
shire, where  King  Edelred  at  length  met  with  them,  and 
determining  resolutely  to  attack  them,  was  by  the  cunning 
insinuations  and  subtile  arguments  of  the  traitor  Edric 
dissuaded  from  fighting.  The  Danes  being  thus  delivered 
from  the  danger  which  they  certainly  expected,  passed  on 
joyfully  by  the  city  of  London,  and  with  great  booty  returned 
to  their  ships.  The  next  year  they  landed  again  at  Ipswich, 
upon  •  Ascension  Day,  where  Wolfkettel  met  them  by  a 
spirited  encounter ;  but  being  overpowered  by  numbers,  he 
was  forced  to  fall  back  and  yield  the  victory  to  the  Danes. 
Passing  from  thence  to  Cambridge,  they  met  with  Ethelstan, 
King  Edelred's  nephew  by  his  sister,  who  with  an  army 
endeavoured  to  oppose  them ;  but  the  Danes  proving  too 
powerful,  he  with  many  other  noblemen  were  slain ;  among 
whom  were  Duke  Oswyn  and  the  Earls  Edwyn  and  Wol- 
frike.  From  hence  the  Danes  passed  through  Essex, 
leaving  no  manner  of  cruelty  and  barbarity  unpractised,  and 
returned  laden  with  booty  to  their  ships,  which  lay  in  the 

imes. 


62  HISTORY  OF  WALES 

A.D.  1010.  Thames.     They  could  not,  however,  continue  long  in  their 
vessels ;  and  therefore  sallying  out,  they  passed  by  the  river 
side  to  Oxford,   which   they  ransacked  again;  adding  to 
their  prey  the  plunder  of  the  counties   of  Buckingham, 
Bedford,  Hertford,  and  Northampton,  and  having  accom- 
plished that  year's  cruelties,  at  Christmas  they  returned  to 
their  ships.     Yet  the  prey  of  the  country  from  the  Trent 
loll. southward  did  not  satisfy  these  unmerciful  barbarians;  for 
as  soon  as  the  season  gave  them  leave  to  peep  out  of  their 
dens  they  laid  siege  to  the  city  of  Canterbury,  which  being 
delivered  up  by  the  treachery  of  Almarez  the  Archdeacon, 
was  condemned  to  blood  and  ashes,  and  Alfege  the  Arch- 
bishop carried  prisoner  to  the  Danish  fleet,  where  he  was 
1012.  cruelly  put  to  death.     The  next  year  Swane  King  of  Den- 
mark came  up  the  Humber  and  landed  at  Gainesborow, 
whither  repaired  to  him  Uthred  Earl  of  Northumberland 
with  his  people,  the  inhabitants  of  Lindsey,  with  all  the 
countries  northward  of  Watling-street,   being  a  highway 
crossing  from  the  east  to  the  west  sea,  and  gave  their  oath 
and  hostages  to  obey  him  ;  on  which,  King  Swane  finding 
his  undertaking  fortunate  beyond  expectation,  committed 
the  care  of  his  fleet  to  his  son  Canute,  and  marched  himself 
first  to   Oxford,    and  then  to   Winchester;   which  cities, 
probably  through  fear  of  further  calamities,  readily  acknow- 
ledged him  for  their  king.     From  thence  he  marched  for 
London,  where  King  Edelred  then  lay,  and  which  was  so 
ably  defended  by  the  citizens,  that  he  was  likely  to  effect 
nothing  against  it ;  and  therefore  he  directed  his  course  to 
Wallingford  and  Bath,  where  the  principal  men  of  the  West 
Saxons  yielded  him  subjection.     The  Londoners  too,  at  last, 
fearing  his  fury  and  displeasure,  made  their  peace,  and  sent 
him  hostages ;   which  city  being  thus  received  under  his 
subjection,   Swane  from  that  time  was  accounted  King  of 
all  England.     King  Edelred  perceiving  all  his  affairs  in 
England  to  go  against  him,  and  his  authority  and  govern- 
ment reduced  to  so  narrow  a  compass,  and  having  sent  his 
queen  with  his  two  sons  Edward  and  Alfred  to  Normandy, 
he  thought  it  expedient  within  a  short  time  to  follow  himself. 
He  was  honourably  received  by  his  brother-in-law  Richard ; 
and  had  not  been  there  long  before  news  arrived  of  the  death 
of  Swane,  and  that  he  was  desired  by  the  English  to  return 
to  his  kingdom.     Being  animated  and  comforted  with  this 
cheering  news,  he  set  forward  with  a  great  army  to  England, 
and  landing  at  Lindsey,  he  cruelly  harassed  that  province, 
by  reason  that  it  had  owned  subjection  to  Canute  the  son  of 
Swane,  whom  the  Danes  had  elected  king  in  his  father's 

stead. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  63 

stead.  King  Canute  being  at  Ipswich,  and  certified  of  the 
arrival  of  King  Edelred,  and  the  devastation  of  Lindsey, 
and  fearing  that  his  authority  was  going  down  the  wind, 
barbarously  cut  off  the  hands  and  noses  of  all  the  hostages 
he  received  from  the  English,  and  presently  set  sail  for 
Denmark.  Whilst  England  was  in  this  general  confusion, 
there  occurred  as  great  a  storm  in  Ireland ;  for  Brian  king 
of  that  island,  and  his  son  Murcath,  with  other  kings  of  the 
country  subject  to  Brian,  joined  their  forces  against  Sutric 
the  son  of  Abloic  King  of  Dublin,  and  Mailmorda  King  of 
Lagenes.  Sutric  being  of  himself  too  weak  to  encounter  so 
numerous  a  multitude,  hired  all  the  pirates  and  rovers  who 
cruised  upon  the  seas,  and  then  gave  Brian  battle,  who,  with 
his  son  Murcath,  were  slain ;  and  on  the  other  side,  Mail- 
morda, and  Broderic  General  of  the  auxiliaries. 

But  Canute,  though  he  was  in  a  manner  forced  to  forsake  A  .D.  1013. 
England  upon  the  recalling  of  King  Edelred,  did  not 
abandon  all  his  pretence  to  the  kingdom ;  and  therefore  the 
next  year  he  came  to  renew  his  claim,  and  landed  with  a 
powerful  force  in  West-Sex,  where  he  exercised  very  great 
hostility.  To  prevent  his  incursions,  Edric,  and  Edmund 
(bastard  son  to  Edelred),  raised  their  forces  separately;  but 
when  both  armies  were  united,  they  durst  not,  either  for 
fear  or  because  of  the  dissension  of  the  two  generals,  fight 
with  the  Danes.  Edmund  therefore  passed  to  the  north, 
and  joined  with  Uthred,  Duke  of  Northumberland,  and  both 
together  descended  and  spoiled  Stafford,  Leicester,  and 
Shropshire.  On  the  other  side,  Canute  marched  forcibly 
through  Buckingham,  Bedford,  and  Huntingdonshire,  and 
so  (by  Stafford)  passed  toward  York,  whither  Uthred  has- 
tened, and,  finding  no  other  remedy,  submitted  himself, 
with  all  the  Northumbrians,  to  Canute,  giving  hostages  for 
the  performance  of  what  they  then  agreed  upon.  Notwith- 
standing this  submission,  Uthred  was  treacherously  slain, 
not  without  the  permission  of  Canute,  and  his  dukedom 
betowed  upon  one  Egrick,  a  Dane ;  whereupon  Edmund 
left  them,  and  went  to  his  father,  who  lay  sick  at  London. 
Canute,  returning  to  his  ships,  presently  followed,  and 
sailed  up  the  Thames  towards  London ;  but  before  he  could 
come  near  the  city  King  Edelred  was  dead,  after  a  trou- 
blesome reign  of  thirty-seven  years.  On  his  decease,  the 
English  nobility  chose  his  base  son  Edmund  (for  his  eminent 
strength  and  hardiness  in  war,  surnamed  Ironside)  as  their 
king.  Upon  this,  Canute  brought  his  whole  fleet  up  the 
river  to  London,  and,  having  cut  a  deep  trench  round  the 
town,  invested  it  on  all  sides ;  but  being  valorously  repulsed 

by 


64  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

by  the  defendants,  he  detached  the  best  part  of  his  army  to 
fight  with  Edmund,  who  was  marching  to  raise  the  siege ; 
and  both  armies  meeting  in  battle  at  Proman  by  Gillingham, 
Canute  with  his  Danes  were  put  to  flight ;  but  as  soon  as 
time  and  opportunity  permitted  him  to  recruit  his  forces, 
Canute  gave  Edmund  a  second  battle  at  Caerstane :  Edric, 
Almar,  and  Algar,  however,  covertly  siding  with  the  Danes, 
Edmund  had  great  difficulty  in  maintaining  the  fight  obsti- 
nately till  night  and  weariness  parted  them.  Both  armies 
having  suffered  considerably  in  this  action,  Edmund  went  to 
West-Sex  to  reinforce  himself,  and  the  Danes  returned  to 
the  siege  of  London,  whither  Edmund  quickly  followed, 
raised  the  siege,  forced  Canute  and  his  Danes  to  betake 
themselves  in  confusion  to  their  ships,  and  then  entered 
triumphantly  into  the  city.  Two  days  after,  passing  the 
Thames  at  Brentford,  he  fell  upon  the  Danes  in  their  retreat, 
by  which  lucky  opportunity  obtaining  a  considerable  victory, 
he  returned  again  to  raise  recruits  among  the  West  Saxons. 
Canute,  upon  Edmund's  removal,  appeared  again  before 
London,  and  invested  it  by  land  and  water,  but  in  vain  ;  the 
besieged  so  manfully  and  resolutely  defending  themselves, 
that  it  was  impossible  to  master  the  town  before  Edmund 
could  come  to  the  relief  of  it :  and  this  they  soon  experi- 
enced; for  Edmund,  having  augmented  his  forces,  again 
crossed  the  Thames  at  Brentford,  and  came  to  Kent  in 
pursuit  of  Canute,  who  upon  giving  battle  was  so  signally 
defeated  at  first,  and  his  men  put  to  such  rout,  that  there 
wanted  nothing  of  a  full  and  absolute  victory  but  the  firm 
adherence  of  the  traitor  Edric,  who  perceiving  the  advan- 
tage to  incline  to  Edmund,  and  the  Danes  likely  to  receive 
their  final  blow,  cried  aloud,  "  Fled  Engle,  Fled  Engle, 
Edmund  is  dead,"  and  thereupon  fled  with  that  part  of  the 
army  under  his  command,  leaving  the  king  overpowered 
with  numbers.  By  this  desertion  and  treachery  the  English 
were  at  last  overthrown,  and  a  great  number  slain,  among 
whom  were  Duke  Edmund,  Duke  Alfric,  Duke  Godwyn, 
and  Wolfkettel,  the  valiant  Duke  of  the  East  Angles,  together 
with  all  the  English  cavalry,  and  a  great  portion  of  the 
nobility.  After  this  victory  Canute  marched  triumphantly 
to  London,  and  was  crowned  king ;  but  Edmund,  resolving 
to  try  his  fortune  in  another  field,  mustered  together  all  the 
forces  he  could,  and  meeting  with  Canute  in  Gloucestershire 
intended  to  give  him  battle  :  considering,  however,  what 
cruel  and  unnatural  bloodshed  had  already  been  caused, 
both  generals  agreed  to  put  an  end  to  their  tedious  quarrel 
by  single  combat ;  and  the  place  being  appointed,  Edmund 

and 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  65 

and  Canute  attacked  each  other  very  vigorously,  till  at  last 
Canute  perceiving  it  impracticable  to  vanquish  a  man  like 
Ironsides,  laid  down  his  weapon,  making  an  offer  to  divide 
the  kingdom  fairly  betwixt  them :  Edmund  was  not  dis- 
pleased at  the  proposal,  and  therefore  both  parties  sub- 
mitted to  this  decision,  that  Edmund  should  rule  the  West- 
Saxons  and  the  South ;  Canute  in  Mercia  and  all  the 
North ;  and  so  they  parted  friends,  Canute  moving  to 
London,  and  Edmund  to  Oxford.  But  Edric  was  not 
satisfied  that  Edmund  should  have  any  share  at  all  of  the 
government,  and  therefore  he  resolved  to  conspire  against 
his  life,  and  to  deliver  the  whole  kingdom  of  England  into 
the  hands  of  Canute  ;  of  whom  he  might  reasonably  expect 
for  this,  and  other  traitorous  services,  a  very  ample  and  an 
answerable  return.  This  he  committed  to  one  of  his  own 
sons  to  put  in  execution,  a  scion  of  the  old  stock,  and  one 
early  versed  in  wicked  and  traitorous  designs,  who,  per- 
ceiving the  king  to  go  to  stool,  thrust  a  sharp  knife  up  his 
fundament,  of  which  wound  he  immediately  died.  Edric 
being  soon  informed  of  the  fact,  hastened  to  London,  and 
with  great  joy  and  loud  acclamations  came  to  Canute, 
greeting  him  as  sole  King  of  England,  and  withal,  telling 
him  in  what  manner,  and  by  whose  means,  his  old  enemy, 
King  Edmund,  was  assassinated,  at  Oxford.  Canute, 
though  pleased  at  the  death  of  Edmund,  was  a  person  of 
greater  honour  than  to  commend  so  horrible  a  deed,  though 
done  to  an  enemy,  and  therefore  told  Edric,  that  he  would 
without  fail  take  care  to  reward  him  as  his  deserts  required, 
and  would  advance  him  above  all  the  nobility  of  England, 
which  was  quickly  performed,  his  head  being  placed  upon 
the  highest  tower  in  London,  for  a  terror  to  such  villainous 
traitors  to  their  king.  Edric  was  thus  deservedly  dis- 
appointed of  the  mighty  thoughts  he  entertained  of  great- 
ness upon  the  advancement  of  King  Canute :  this  generous 
Dane  scorned  his  baseness,  and  having  paid  Edric  a  traitor's 
reward,  caused  execution  to  be  done  upon  all  his  accom- 
plices, and  upon  all  those  that  consented  to  the  base  murder 
of  that  brave  Prince,  King  Edmund. 

About  the  same  time  there  happened  great  disturbance  A.D.10W. 
and  commotion  in  Wales;  Lhewelyn  ap  Sytsylht  having 
for  some  years  been  still  and  quiet,  began  now  to  bestir 
himself,  and  having  drawn  all  his  forces  together,  marched 
against  Aedan,  who  forcibly  and  without  any  legal  pretence 
had  entered  upon,  and  for  all  this  time  had  kept  himself  in, 
the  government  of  North  Wales.  Aedan  would  not  quietly 

surrender 


60  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

surrender  what  had  been  so  long  in  his  possession,  and  to 
maintain  which,  he  now  gave  Lhewelyn  battle;  but  the 
victory  going  against  him,  he  and  his  four  sons  were  slain 
upon  the  spot :  on  which  Lhewelyn,  without  any  regard  to 
the  claim  of  lago  the  son  of  Edwal,  the  right  heir,  took 
upon  himself  the  title  and  authority  of  Prince  of  all  Wales. 
His  pretension  to  North  Wales  was,  as  being  descended 
from  Trawst,  daughter  to  Elis,  second  son  to  Anarawd,  who 
was  the  eldest  son  of  Roderic  the  Great;*  and  to  South 
Wales,  as  having  married  Angharad,  the  only  daughter  of 
Meredith  Prince  of  South  Wales;  by  virtue  of  which  pre- 
tensions he  assumed  to  himself  the  government  of  all  Wales. 


LHEWELYN  AP  SITSYLHT. 

JLjHEWELYN  having,  as  already  stated,  taken  upon 
him  the  general  government  of  Wales,  managed  his  charge 
with  such  prudence  and  moderation,  that  the  country  in  a 
short  time  became  very  flourishing  and  prosperous;  peace 
and  tranquillity  being  established  produced  plenty  and  in- 
crease of  all  things  necessary  to  human  subsistence:  for 
there  was  none  that  could  lay  any  claim  or  pretence  to 
either  of  the  principalities,  excepting  Ingo  the  son  of  Kdwal, 
who  was  indeed  lawful  heir  of  North  Wales,  but  either  too 
weak  to  withstand  or  unwilling  to  disturb  Lhewclyn's  title, 
and  therefore  lay  quiet  for  a  time,  expecting  a  better  oppor- 
tunity to  recover  his  r'mht.  In  the  mean  time  Canute 
being  crowned  King  of  all  England,  married  Emma  the 
widow  of  King  Edelred ;  and  for  the  better  securing  the 
English  crown  to  himself  and  his  heirs,  he  thought  it  expe- 
dient to  dispatch  Edmund  and  Edward  Ilie  sons  of  Ironsides 
out  of  the  way.  Lest,  however,  such  an  execrable  fact 
should  seem  too  black  to  be  done  in  England,  he  sent  the 
two  youths  to  Solomon  King  of  Hungary,  request  .ing  him  to 
use  some  convenient  opportunity  to  take  siway  their  lives; 
which  seemed  to  Solomon  so  very  unnatural,  that  instead  of 
complying  with  Canute's  request,  lie  educated  and  brought 
them  up  as  his  own  children.  Canute  imagined  now  that 
his  (ear  was  over,  and  his  business  effectually  finished,  so 
that  he  could  the  more  boldly  demand  of  his  subjects  what 
either  his  necessity  or  curiosity  would  prompt  him  to ;  and 
reflecting  with  himself  what  excessive  expense  he- had  been 
ut  in  the  conquest  of  England,  was  •  resolved  that  the 

English 

•  Brit,  Ant.  revived  by  Vanglian  of  Hongwrt,  p.  14. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  67 

English  should  repay  him,  and  therefore  required  a  sub- 
sidy of  seventy-two  thousand  pounds,  besides  eleven  thou- 
sand which  the  city  of  London  contributed.  At  this  time, 
M  eyrie  the  son  of  Arthtael,  a  person  of  quality  in  Wales, 
rebelled,  end  raised  an  am  -t  Prince  Lhewelyn,  who 

as  soon  as  he  appeared  in  the  field  to  quell  this  mal-content 
General,  met  with  him  and  manfully  slew  him  with  his  own 
hand,  and  easily  discomfited  his  followers.*  About  this 
time  also  Canute  sailed  over  to  Denmark,  and  made  war 
upon  the  Vandals,  who,  notwithstanding  they  had  a  greater 
army  in  the  field,  were  overcome  by  the  incomparable 
valour  of  Earl  Godwyn ;  for  which  famous  action  Canute 
held  the  English  in  great  esteem  ever  after. 

Lhewelyn  Prince  of  Wales,  though  he  had  lately  quelled  A. 
the  roMs  headed  by  Meyric,  had  now  to  encounter  another 
difficulty,  which  seemed  to  threaten  greater  disturbance  and 
trouble  to  him ;  for  a  certain  person  of  a  mean  quality  in 
land  coming  to  South  Wales,  assumed  the  name  of 
Run,f  and  em  out  that  he  was  the  son  of  Meredith  Prince 
of  South  Wales:  to  whom  joir.ed  a  great  number  of  the 
nobility,  who  had  no  great  aflection  for  Lhewelyn,  and 
proclaimed  Rim  Prince  of  South  Wales.  Lhewelyn  being 
then  in  North  A\  ales,  was  informed  of  this  famous  impostor, 
and  assembling  an  army  together,  marched  to  meet  him, 
who,  with  the  whole  strength  of  South  Wales,  then  lay  at 
Tsiwili.J  where  he  waited  the  arrivsl  of  Lhewelyn. 
When  both  armies  were  ready  to  join  battle,  Run  made  a 
vaunting  speech  to  his  soldiers,  assuring  them  of  victory, 
and  so  persuading  them  courageously  to  fall  on,  private!  y 
himself  retired  out  of  harm's  way ;  so  that  there  was  on  the 
one  side  a  valiant  army  under  a  cowardly  general,  and  on 
the  other  part  a  valiant  and  a  noble  commander  engaging 
with  a  slow  and  a  faint-hearted  army :  for  Lhewelvn,~like  a 
bold  and  courageous  prince,  ventured  into  the  miclst  of  liis 
enemies,  whilst  Run  privately  sneaked  off  out  of  all  danger; 
and  die  men  of  South  Wales  were  more  fierce  and  eager  in 
the  cause  of  a  pretender  than  the  men  of  North  Wales  to 
tain  the  quarrel  of  a  prince  of  their  own  blood.  After 
great  slaughter  on  both  sides,  the  men  of  North  Wales 
calling  to  mind  the  several  victories  they  had  obtained,  and 
beini  in  a  great  degree  animated  by  the  incomparable 
valour  of  their  prince,  fell  on  so  warmly  that  they  put  their 
enemies  to  flight,  and  pursued  Run  so  close,  that  notwith- 
standing his  several  devices,  he  was  at  last  overtaken  and 

slain. 
F  -2 

»  Wefch  Chron  p.  SV  f  ^«W»  Chi^o  p  S&. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

slain.  Lhewelyn,  after  this  victory,  returned  laden  with 
spoil  into  North  Wales,*  and  for  some  time  lived  peaceably 
and  without  disturbance:  but  the  next  year,  Howel  and 
Meredith,  the  sons  of  Edwyn,  conspired  against  him  and 
slew  him.  He  left  a  son  called  Gruffydh  ap  Lhewelyn,f 
who  afterwards,  though  not  immediately,  ascended  to  the 
principality  of  North  Wales, 


o 


1AGOJ  AP  EDWAL. 


.  'N  the  death  of  Lhewelyn,  lago  the  son  of  Edwal,  the 
true  heir  to  the  principality  of  North  Wales,  who  had 
been  so  long  wrongfully  kept  from  it,  thought  this  the  best 
opportunity  to  enter  upon  his  right,  by  reason  of  the  mi- 
nority of  Gruffydh  the  son  of  Lhewelyn;  upon  which 
pretence,  likewise,  Rytherch  the  son  of  lestyn  forcibly 
assumed  the  principality  of  South  Wales.  About  the  same 
time,  Canute  King  of  England  sailed  over  to  Denmark  and 
Sweden,  against  Ulf  and  Alaf,  who  had  excited  the  Fin- 
landers  against  him,  whom  he  subdued,  though  with  the 
loss  of  a  great  part  of  his  army,  as  well  English  as  Danes. 
Writhin  a  while  after  his  return  to  England,  he  made  a  very 
pompous  and  magnificent  journey  to  Rome  ;  more  to  satisfy 
his  ambitious  temper,  and  to  signify  to  the  world  his  great- 
ness and  might,  which  he  expressed  by  his  costly  presents 
and  princely  behaviour,  than  in  any  way  to  make  atonement 
for  the  oppression  and  bloodshed  by  which  he  had  estab- 
lished himself  in  his  kingdom :  for  what  holiness  and  morti- 
fication he  had  learnt  at  Rome  presently  appeared  upon  his 
return  to  England ;  when,  without  any  provocation,  he 
marched  with  an  army  into  Scotland,  and  forced  Malcolm 
the  king  thereof,  together  with  Molbeath  and  Jermare,  the 
kings  of  the  Orkneys  and  Ewist,  to  do  him  homage. 
A .  D.  1031.  The  affairs  of  Wales  were  at  this  time  very  turbulent  and 
unsettled;  for  Howel  and  Meredith,  after  the  murder  of 
Prince  Lhewelyn,  expected  to  enjoy  some  part  of  his  prin- 
cipality themselves,  but  finding  that  lago  had  seized  upon 
North  Wales,  and  Rytherch  upon  South  Wales,  and  withal 
perceiving  their  own  power  too  weak  to  oppose  their  de- 
signs, they  invited  over  the  Irish-Scots  to  their  aid  against 
Rytherch  ap  lestyn,  Prince  of  South  Wales.  By  the  help 

of 

*  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  85,  86. 

Wish  Chron.  ibid.     Ap  Einion.  ap  Owen  ap  Howel  Dh£.     The  word  aj>,  which  90 
frequently  occurs  in  Welsh  names,  signifies  a  son. 

I  Lineally  descended  from  Roderic  the  Great,  but  had  been  long  unjustly  excluded.— 
Welsh  Chron.  pp.  87,  8e.— Warringtou,  vol.  1,  p.  312. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  69 

of  these,  Howel  and  Meredith  prevailed  over  Rytherch, 
who  being  at  length  slain,  they  jointly  took  upon  themselves 
the  rule  and  government  of  South  Wales.  This,  however, 
was  not  a  sufficient  title  to  establish  them  so  firmly  in  it 
that  their  usurpation  would  not  be  called  in  question ;  for  A.  D.  1033, 
the  sons  of  Rytherch,  presently  after  their  father's  death, 
gathered  their  forces  together  to  fight  with  the  brothers 
Howel  and  Meredith,  who  met  at  Irathwy,*  where  a  cruel 
battle  was  fought,  called  Gwaith  Irathwy;  and  at  last  the 
sons  of  Rytherch  were  put  to  flight.  Though  these  vic- 
tories, the  one  over  Rytherch,  and  the  second  over  his  sons, 
seemed  in  a  great  measure  to  favour  Howel  and  Meredith's 
pretence  to  and  establishment  in  the  principality;  yet  the 
unpardonable  crime  of  the  murder  of  Lhewelyn,  a  prince  of  1033. 
so  extraordinary  qualities,  could  not  remain  long  unreveng- 
ed  ;  for  the  sons  of  Conan  the  son  of  Sitsyiht,  Prince 
Lhewelyn's  brother,  were  resolved  to  avenge  their  uncle's 
murder  upon  the  two  usurpers,  which  in  a  short  time  they 
effected  against  Meredith,  who  met  with  the  same  end  from 
the  sons  of  Conan  that  he  had  formerly  inflicted  upon 
Lhewelyn.  These  civil  discords  in  Wales  were  quickly  1034. 
discovered  by  the  English,  who,  taking  advantage  of  so  fair 
an  opportunity,  entered  with  a  great  army  into  the  land  of 
Gwent,  where,  after  they  had  committed  considerable  waste 
for  some  time,  Caradoc  the  son  of  Rytherch  ap  lestyn  gave 
them  battle,  but  was  in  that  engagement  unhappily  slain. 
Shortly  afterwards  died  King  Canute,  the  most  famous  and  1035. 
the  mightiest  prince  then  in  the  western  parts  of  the  world, 
whose  dominions  extended  over  all  Sweden,  from  Germany 
almost  to  the  North  Pole,  together  with  the  kingdoms  of 
Norway  and  Denmark,  and  the  noble  island  of  Britain.  To 
him  succeeded  his  son  Harold,  for  his  swiftness  surnamed 
Harefoot,  begotten  upon  Alwyn,  the  daughter  of  Duke 
Alselyn,  though  several  firmly  contended  for  Hardycanute, 
his  other  son  by  Ernma,  who  was  then  in  Denmark.  Harold, 
however,  being  advanced  to  the  throne,  took  care  to  estab- 
lish himself  as  firmly  as  he  could  in  it,  and  to  that  end 
thought  it  expedient  to  banish  out  of  his  dominions  his 
mother-in-law  Emma,  who  was  endeavouring  to  promote  the 
interest  of  her  own  son  Hardycanute,  and  to  bring  him  to 
the  crown  of  England. 

Whilst  Harold  was  by   these  measures  settled   in    his  1037. 
dominions,  lago  ap  Edwal  was  on  the  point  of  losing  his 
principality  of  North   Wales;    for    Gruffydh   the  son   of 
Lhewelyn  ap  Sitsyiht,  sometime  Prince  of  North  Wales, 

having 

*  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  87,  88. 


70  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

having  intimated  his  intention  of  rebelling  against  lago,  was 
so  generously  encouraged  and  universally  followed  by  all 
people,  for  the  love  they  bore  to  his  father,  that  in  a  short 
time  his  army  amounted  to  an  invincible  number.  However, 
lago  was  not  so  thoroughly  affrighted  as  to  give  up  his 
principality  without  drawing  a  sword  for  it ;  but  providing 
for  himself  as  well  as  he  could,  and  drawing  together  such 
forces  as  he  could  assemble,  he  gave  Gruffydh  battle,  when 
his  number  being  far  too  weak  to  oppose  so  great  an  army  as 
that  of  Gruffydh,  he  was  presently  overpowered  and  put  to 
the  rout,  and  himself  slain,  leaving  a  son  called  Conan,  by 
his  wife  Afandred,  daughter  to  Gweir  the  son  of  Pyhl.* 


GRUFFYDH  AP  LHEWELYN. 

J  AGO  ap  Edwal  being  slain,  Gruffydh  ap  Lhewelyn  was 
received  with  loud  acclamations,  and  joyfully  greeted  as 
Prince  of  North  Wales,  and  treading  in  his  father's  steps, 
demeaned  himself  in  his  government  with  that  prudence  and 
conduct,  that  he  manfully  defended  his  country  against  the 
frequent  invasions  of  the  English  and  Danes  ;  for  he  was 
scarcely  settled  in  his  dominion  when  these  inveterate  ene- 
mies of  the  Welsh  entered  in  an  hostile  manner  into  Wales, 
and  advanced  as  far  as  Crosford  upon  the  Severn,  where 
Gruffydh  met  them,  and  forced  them  to  retire  with  the 
utmost  speed  to  their  own  country.  From  thence  Gruffydh 
passed  to  Llanbadarn  Vawr,  in  Cardiganshire,  which  he  laid 
in  ashes,  and  afterwards  marched  through  all  the  country  of 
South  Wales,  receiving  of  the  people  an  oath  of  fidelity  and 
subjection  to  him.  In  the  mean  time,  Howel  ap  Edwyn 
Prince  of  South  Wales  fled  to  Edwyn,  brother  to  Leofric 
Earl  of  Chester,  and  prevailed  upon  him  to  come  with  an 
army,  consisting  of  English  and  Danes,  to  his  aid  against 
Gruffydh,  who,  meeting  his  enemies  in  the  field,  easily 
overcame  them,  Edwyn  being  slain  upon  the  spot,  and 
Howel  forced  to  'preserve  his  life  by  flight ;  after  which 
victory  Gruffydh,  having  reduced  all  the  country  of  Wales 
A.D.  1039-  to  subjection,  returned  again  to  North  Wales.f  Howel,  as 
soon  as  he  could  recover  himself  and  recruit  his  army, 
entered  again  into  South  Wales,  intending  the  recovery  of 
that  principality,  which  he  was  now  so  well  assured  of,  that 
he  brought  his  wife  with  him  to  the  field,  to  let  her  see  how 

easily 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  89.  f  Welsh  chron-  P-  91- 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  71 

easily  he  could  conquer  Gruffydh  ;*  but  too  great  an  assur- 
ance of  victory  seldom  proves  prosperous,  which  Howel  soon 
experienced ;  for  Gruffydh  meeting  with  him  at  Pencadair,f 
gave  him  so  warm  an  entertainment  that  he  was  forced  to  a 
precipitate  flight,  which,  however,  could  not  so  well  secure 
him,  but  that  he  was  narrowly  pursued,  and  his  wife,  who 
was  to  have  been  entertained  with  the  conquest  of  Gryffydh, 
saw  herself,  on  the  contrary,  taken  prisoner  by  him,  and 
forced  to  comply  so  far  to  his  humour  as  to  be  his  concu- 
bine.:}: 

At  this  time  Harold  King  of  England  died,  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  brother  Hardycanute,  a  prince  very  famous 
for  hospitality,  and  a  great  lover  of  good  cheer,  having  his 
table  covered  four  times  a  day  with  great  plenty  and  variety 
of  dishes,  and  numerous  superfluities  for  all  comers;  but  he 
likewise  dying  at  Lambeth,  after  two  years  reign,  the 
English  agreed  to  send  for  Alfred  the  eldest  son  of  Edelred 
from  Normandy,  and  to  make  him  king.  This  message  by 
no  means  pleased  Earl  Godwyn,  a  man  of  great  sway  then 
in  England,  who,  knowing  Alfred  to  be  a  person  of  greater 
spirit  than  to  permit  him  to  rule  as  he  pleased,  endeavoured 
by  every  means  to  dissuade  the  English  from  sending  for 
Alfred.  He  told  them  how  dangerous  it  was  to  permit  a 
warlike  nation  to  take  ro'ot  in  their  country,  and  how 
numerously  Alfred  would  be  attended  by  the  Normans,  to 
whom  he  h,ad  promised  the  chief  places  and  rule  of  the 
kingdom;  ]by  which  and  other  like  insinuations  he  so 
exasperated  the  English  nobility  against  the  Normans,  that 
to  diminish  their  number  they  put  every  tenth  man  to  death. 
This,  however,  not  being  sufficient,  they  acted  the  same 
part  over  again,  and  tythed  them  a  second  time ;  and  being 
highly  enraged  against  the  Normans,  they  led  Alfred,  who 
had  brought  them  over,  from  Gilford,  where  this  execution 
was  committed,  to  Gillingham,  where  having  put  -out  his 
eyes,  they  removed  him  to  Ely,  and  there  at  length  mur- 
dered him.  Then  they  sent  for  Edward  out  of  Normandy, 
and  made  him  king,  who,  according  to  his  promise  to  Earl 
Godwyn,  married  his  daughter  Edith,  a  lady  much  com- 
mended not  only  for  beauty,  modesty,  and  other  feminine 
qualifications,  but  also,  beyond  what  was  then  considered 

requisite 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  91.  -\-  In  Caermarthenshire. 

J  Welsh  Chron.  p.  91. —  But  it  does  not  appear  that  Gruffydh  lo«t  any  reputation  wilh 
his  subjects;  the  Welsh,  like  most  other  nations  at  that  time,  regarding  whatever  they  had 
taken  in  war,  even  the  wives  of  the  vanquished,  as  the  lawful  property  of  the  conqueror; 
so  great  is  the  force  of  habit  upon  the  human  mind,  as  to  counteract  the  first  and  (he 
noblest  principles  of  nature  and  religion. — Lord  Lyttleton's  Hen.  II.— Warrington,  vol.  1, 
p .  316. 


72  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

requisite  for  a  woman,  learning.  King  Edward  did  not 
deal  so  favourably  with  her  brother  Swane,  son  to  Earl 
Godwyn,  who  upon  some  distaste  was  banished  England, 
and  thereupon  forced  to  betake  himself  to  Baldwyn  Earl  of 
Flanders,  by  whom  he  was  very  honourably  received. 
A.  D.  1041.  These  troubles  and  revolutions  in  England  were  succeeded 
by  others  of  no  less  consequence  in  Wales.  For  Howel, 
chagrined  at  being  kept  so  wrongfully  out  of  his  kingdom, 
returned  again  the  third  time  into  South  Wales,  where  he 
had  not  continued  long  before  a  great  number  of  strangers 
landed  in  the  west  of  Wales,  and  advancing  farther  into  the 
country,  pillaged  and  destroyed  all  places  they  came  to. 
Howel,  though  desirous  to  reserve  his  army  to  fight  with 
Prince  Gruffydh,  yet  could  not  behold  his  country  so  miser- 
ably wasted  and  over-run  by  strangers  ;  and  thinking  more- 
over, that  by  so  charitable  an  action  he  should  win  the 
universal  love  of  the  men  of  South  Wales,  he  drew  up  his 
forces  against  them,  and  overtaking  them  at  Pwll  Fynach, 
forced  them,  with  much  loss,  to  retire  to  their  ships ;  which 
action  was  called  in  Welsh  Gwaith  Pwll  Fynach.  At  the 
same  time  Conan,  the  son  of  lago  ap  Edwal,  who,  for  fear 
of  Prince  Gruffydh,  was  forced  to  flee  to  Ireland,  with  the 
forces  of  Alfred,  King  of  Dublin,  whose  daughter,  named 
Ranulph,  he  had  married,  landed  in  North  Wales;  and 
having,  by  some  treacherous  stratagem,  taken  Gruffvdh, 
triumphantly  carried  him  prisoner  towards  his  ships.  This 
unhappy  accident  being  discovered,  and  publicly  known,  the 
North  Wales  men  rose  on  a  sudden,  and  so  unexpectedly 
overtook  the  Irish,  that  they  easily  recovered  their  Prince, 
and  drove  his  enemies  with  great  slaughter  to  their  ships ; 
who,  without  any  further  consultation,  were  glad  to  sail 
with  Conan  for  Ireland.*  Wales,  both  North  and  South, 
being  now  free  from  all  foreign  invasion,  and  Howel,  as  yet, 
too  weak  to  dispute  his  title  with  Gruffydh,  the  next  year 

1042.  passed  without  any  occurrence  of  moment,  excepting  the 
death  of  Howel,  the  son  of  Owen,  Lord  of  Glamorgan,  a 

1043.  man  of  great  quality  and  esteem  in  Wales.     Howel,  the  son 
of  Edwyn,  however,  as  soon  as  he  could  call  in  his  Danes, 
to  whom  he  added  all  the  forces  he  could  raise  in  South 
Wales,  intended  to  march  against  Prince  Gruffydh ;  but  he 
being  previously  aware  to  what  end  those  levies  wrere  de- 
signed, prepared  against  the  approaching  storm;    and  to 
avert  the  war  from  his  own  country,  marched  courageously 
to  South  Wales,  not  fearing  to  face  an  enemy  whom  he  had 
completely  vanquished  twice  already.     Both  armies  having 

met, 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  03. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  73 

met,  Gruffydh  easily  overcame,  and  pursued  Howel  as  far 
as  the  spring-head  of  the  river  Towy,*  where,  after  a  long 
and  a  bloody  fight,  Howel  was  at  last  slain,  and  his  army 
so  universally  routed,  that  few  escaped  with  their  lives.f 
Though  Howel  was  now  dead,  there  remained  still  more 
pretenders  to  the  principality  of  South  Wales;  so  that 
Gruffydh  had  no  great  prospect  of  enjoying  the  same  peace- 
ably:  *for  as  soon  as  it  was  published  that  HowePs  army  was 
defeated,  and  himself  slain,  Rytherch  and  Rhys,  the  sons  of 
Rytherch  ap  lestyn,  put  in  their  claim  to  South  Wales  in 
right  of  their  father,  who  had  once  enjoyed  the  sovereignty 
of  that  country;  and  in  order  to  its  recovery,  they  assembled 
together  a  great  army,  consisting  partly  of  strangers  and 
partly  of  such  as  they  could  raise  in  Gwentland  and  Gla- 
morgan, and  marched  to  fight  with  Gruffydh.  The  Prince, 
according  to  his  usual  manner,  delayed  no  time,  but  ani- 
mating and  solacing  his  soldiers  with  the  remembrance  of 
their  former  victories  and  conquests,  gave  his  enemies 
battle,  which  conflict  proved  so  very  bloody  and  protracted, 
that  nothing  could  part  them  beside  the  darkness  of  the 
night.  This  battle  so  tired  and  exhausted  both  armies, 
that  neither  was  very  desirous  of  another  engagement,  and 
the  one  being  unwilling  to  renew  the  contest  with  the  other, 
they  each  agreed  to  return  to  their  own  habitations.^:  At 
this  time  Joseph,  Bishop  of  Teilo  or  Llandaff,  died  at  Rome. 
The  contending  armies  being  separated,  Prince  Gruffydh 
enjoyed  a  quiet  and  unmolested  possession  of  all  Wales  for 
about  two  years;  after  which,  the  gentry  of  Ystrad  Towy 
treacherously  slew  140  of  his  best  soldiers,  which  made  him 
so  indignant,  that  to  revenge  their  death,  he  destroyed  all 
Dyfed  and  Ystrad  Towy. 

About  the  same  time,  Lothen  and  Hyrling,  two  Danish 
pirates,  with  a  great  number  of  Danes,  landed  at  Sandwich, 
and  having  plundered  the  town,  returned  again  to  their 
ships,  and  sailed  for  Holland,  where  they  sold  the  booty 
they  had  taken,  and  then  returned  to  their  own  country. 
Shortly  aftewards  Earl  Swayn  came  out  of  Denmark  with 
eight  ships,  and  returned  to  England,  and  coming  to  his 
father's  house  at  Pevenese,  humbly  requested  of  him,  and 
his  brothers  Harold  and  Tostie,  to  endeavour  to  obtain  his 
reconciliation  with  the  King.  Earl  Beorned  also  promised 
to  intercede  for  him,  and  going  to  Swayn's  fleet  to  sail  to 
Sandwich,  where  the  King  then  lay,  he  was  by  the  way  most 
treacherously  and  ungratefully  murdered,  and  his  body  cast 
upon  the  shore,  which  lay  there  exposed,  till  his  friends 

hearing 
*  In  Caerraarthenshire.  f  Welsh  Chron.  p.  92.  J  Ibid. 


74  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

hearing  of  the  fact,  came  and  carried  it  to  Winchester,  and 
buried  it  by  the  body  of  King  Canute,  Beorned's  uncle. 
Swayn  having  committed  this  most  detestable  murder,  put 
himself  again  under  the  protection  of  the  Earl  of  Flanders, 
not  daring  to  shew  his  face  in  England,  till  his  father  by 
earnest  mediation  made  his  peace  with  the  King. 

This  year  Conan,  the  son  of  Tago,  raised  again  an  army 
of  his  friends  in  Ireland,  and  sailed  towards  Wales,  pur- 
posing to  recover  his  inheritance  in  that  country  ;  but  when 
he  was  come  near  the  Welsh  coast,  there  suddenly  arose 
such  a  violent  storm,  that  his  fleet  was  immediately  scattered, 
and  most  of  his  ships  wrecked,  which  rendered  this  expe- 
dition ineffectual.*  About  the  same  time,  Robert,  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  impeached  Earl  Godwyn,  and  his 
sons  Swayn  and  Harold,  of  treason,  and  the  Queen  of 
adultery,  and  upon  the  account  of  their  non-appearance 
when  cited  before  the  Peers  at  Gloucester,  the  Queen  was 
divorced,  and  Godwyn  and  his  sons  banished,  who  with  his 
son  Swayn  fled  to  Flanders,  and  Harold  to  Ireland.  These 
unhappy  occurrences,  and  the  many  troubles  that  ensued 
thereupon,  arose  upon  this  occasion  :— Eustace,  Earl  of 
Bologne,  being  married  to  Goda,  the  King's  sister,  came 
over  this  year  to  England  to  pay  King  Edward  a  visit,  and 
on  his  return  to  Canterbury,  one  of  his  retinue  forcibly 
demanding  a  lodging,  provoked  the  master  of  the  house  so 
far,  as  by  chance  or  anger  to  kill  him.  Eustace,  on  this 
affront,  returned  to  the  King,  and  by  the  insinuations  of  the 
Archbishop,  made  a  loud  complaint  against  the  Kentish 
men ;  to  repress  whose  insolencies,  Earl  Godwyn  was  com- 
manded to  raise  forces,  which  he  refused  to  do,  on  account 
of  the  kindness  he  bore  to  his  countrymen  of  Kent.  The 
king  summoned  a  parliament  at  Glocester,  and  commanded 
Godwyn  to  appear  there;  but  he,  mistrusting  either  his 
own  cause,  or  the  malice  of  his  adversaries,  gathered  a 
powerful  army  out  of  his  own  and  his  son's  earldoms,  and 
marched  towards  Glocester,  giving  out  that  their  forces 
were  to  go  against  the  Welsh,  who  intended  to  invade  the 
Marshes.  King  Edward  being  satisfied  by  the  Welsh  that 
they  had  no  such  design,  commanded  Godwyn  to  dismiss 
his  army,  and  to  appear  himself  to  answer  to  the  articles 
exhibited  against  him.  Godwyn  having  refused  to  obey, 
the  King,  by  the  advice  of  Earl  Leofrick.  summoned  an 
assembly  at  London,  whither  a  great  number  of  forces 
arrived  from  Mercia,  which  Godwyn  perceiving,  and  withal 
finding  himself  unable  to  withstand  the  king's  proceedings, 

privately 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  94. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  75 

privately  retired  with  his  sons  out  of  the  kingdom,  and  fled 
into  Flanders :  whereupon  the  king  issued  out  an  edict, 
proclaiming  Godwyn  and  his  sons  out-laws,  and  then  con- 
fiscating their  estates,  bestowed  them  upon  others  of  his 
nobility.  To  pursue  his  displeasure  the  further,  he  di- 
vorced his  Queen  Edith,  Earl  Godwyn's  daughter,  and 
committed  her  to  a  cloister,  where,  in  a  mean  condition,  she 
spent  some  part  of  her  life.  In  the  distribution  of  the  for- 
feited estates,  Adonan  obtained  the  earldoms  of  Devon  and 
Dorset,  and  Algar,  the  son  of  Leofrick,  that  of  Harold. 
Godwyn,  however,  could  not  patiently  behold  his  estate 
bestowed  upon  another ;  and,  therefore,  having  hired  some 
men  and  ships  in  Flanders,  he  sailed  to  the  Isle  of  Wight, 
and  having  made  a  sufficient  havock  there,  he  landed  at 
Portland,  which  he  treated  after  the  same  manner.  About 
the  same  time,  Harold  having  sailed  from  Ireland,  at  length 
met  with  his  father,  and  then,  with  their  united  navy,  they 
burnt  Preveneseny,  Romney,  Heath,  Folkston,  Dover, 
and  Sandwich,  and  entering  the  Thames,  they  destroyed 
Cheppy,  and  burnt  the  king's  house  at  Middletown. 
Then  they  sailed  up  the  river  towards  London,  where  the 
King's  army  being  ready  to  oppose  them,  a  treaty  of  peace 
was,  by  the  means  of  Bishop  Stigand,  agreed  upon,  which 
was  so  much  in  Godwyn's  favour,  that  the  King  received 
him  again  to  his  confidence,  restored  him  and  his  sons  to 
all  their  estates,  recalled  the  Queen,  and  banished  the 
Archbishop,  with  all  the  Frenchmen  who  had  been  pro- 
moters of  the  unhappy  suspicion  that  the  king  had  enter- 
tained of  them. 

About  this  time  Rhys,  brother  to  Gruffydh  Prince  of  A.  D.  1052, 
Wales,  who  by  several  irruptions  upon  the  borders  had 
considerably  galled  and  damaged  the  English,  was  taken 
and  put  to  death  at  Bulenden,  whose  head  being  cut  off, 
was  presented  to  the  King,  then  at  Gloucester.*  The  king  A.  D.  1053. 
received,  however,  better  news  some  time  after  from  the 
north,  for  Siward  Earl  of  Northumberland  having  sent  his 
son  against  Macbeth  King  of  Scotland,  vanquished  the 
Scots,  though  not  without  the  loss  of  his  son,  and  many 
others,  both  English  and  Danes.  Siward  was  not  cast  down 
at  his  son's  death  ;  but  enquiring  whether  he  received  his 
death's  wound  before  or  behind,  and  being  assured  that  it 
was  before,  he  replied,  "  He  was  very  glad  of  it,  for  he 
could  not  wish  his  son  to  die  otherwise."  After  this  victory 
King  Edward  marched  in  person  to  Scotland,  and  having 

again 

*  His  head  was  cut  off  by  command  of  King  Edward  the  Confessor. — Simon  Dunehne, 
sub.  ann.  1053.— Stowe's  Chron.  p.  97.— Matth.  Westm.  p.  323.— Hist.  Angl. 


76  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

again  overcome  Macbeth  in  battle,  he  made  the  whole  king- 
dom of  Scotland  tributary  to  the  crown  of  England.  The 
next  year  Earl  Godwyn,  sitting  with  the  king  at  table, 
suddenly  sunk  down  dead,  being  choaked,  as  it  is  thought, 
in  swallowing  a  morsel  of  bread  ;  whose  earldom  the  King 
bestowed  upon  his  son  Harold,  and  Harold's  upon  Algar 
Earl  of  Chester. 

To  this  time  is  referred  the  origin  of  the  Stewards  in 
Scotland,  which  being  a  remarkable  passage,  and  in  a  great 
measure  dependant  upon  the  affairs  of  the  Welsh,  is  there- 
fore here  recorded.  Macbeth  King  of  Scotland  having 
caused  Bancho,  a  nobleman  of  that  kingdom,  to  be  in- 
humanly murdered,  Fleance,  Bancho's  son,  to  avoid  the 
like  cruelty  to  himself,  fled  to  Gruffydh  ap  Lhewelyn  Prince 
of  Wales,  who  taking  a  very  great  liking  to  his  person,  and 
commiserating  his  condition,  shewed  him  all  the  respect 
and  kindness  possible.  But  Fleance  had  not  continued 
long  with  Gruffydh  when  he  became  enamoured  of  the 
prince's  daughter,  and  havinjg  obtained  her  good-will,  with- 
out any  regard  had  to  her  father's  kindness  towards  him, 
abused  her  so  far  as  to  get  her  with  child.  Gruffydh  being 
acquainted  with  the  fact,  so  resented  the  affront,  that  he 
caused  Fleance  to  be  slain,  and  treated  his  daughter  most 
servilely  for  prostrating  her  chastity,  especially  to  a  stranger. 
However,  she  was  in  a  short  time  delivered  of  a  son,  who 
was  christened  by  the  name  of  Walter ;  a  child  who  in  his 
youth  promised  much,  and  evinced  every  probability  of  his 
making  a  very  considerable  man,  which  happened  according 
to  expectation.  The  first  evidence  of  his  future  greatness 
happened  upon  a  very  accidental  occasion  :  being  reproached 
of  bastardism  by  one  of  his  companions,  he  took  it  in  such 
dudgeon  that  nothing  could  satisfy  his  revenge  but  the  life 
of  the  aggressor.  Being  on  this  mischance  afraid  to  await 
the  award  of  the  law,  he  thought  it  expedient  to  fly  to 
Scotland,  where,  falling  in  company  with  certain  English- 
men who  were  come  thither  with  Queen  Margaret,  sister  to 
Edgar  Edeling,  he  behaved  himself  so  discreetly,  that  he 
won  the  favour  and  good  character  of  all  who  knew  him, 
and  his  fame  daily  increasing,  he  grew  at  length  to  that 
height  of  reputation  as  to  be  employed  in  the  most  urgent 
affairs  of  the  commonwealth,  and  at  last  was  made  Lord 
Steward  of  Scotland,  from  which  office  his  posterity  retained 
the  surname  of  Steward; — the  Kings  of  Scotland  of  that 
name,  with  several  other  families  of  quality  in  that  kingdom, 
being  descended  from  him.* 

*  Subsequent  researches  have  proved  that  this  passage  is  founded  in  error,  and  that  the 
Steward*  lineally  descend  from  the  ancient  Shropshire  family  of  Fitr-Alan. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  77 

But  to  return  to  England:  Siward,  the  worthy  Earl  of 
Northumberland,  died  about  this  time  of  the  bloody  flux ; 
a  man  of  a  rough  demeanor  and  a  mere  warlike  temper,  as 
he  plainly  manifested  when  at  the  point  of  death ;  for,  be- 
wailing as  a  misfortune  that  he,  who  had  escaped  so  many 
dangerous  engagements,  should  be  laid  upon  a  bed  of 
sickness,  and  withal  disdaining  to  die  so  effeminately,  he 
caused  himself  to  be  completely  armed,  and,  as  it  were,  in 
defiance  of  death,  expired  in  this  display  of  martial  bravery. 
His  son  being  too  young,  the  king  bestowed  his  earldom 
upon  Tosty,  the  son  of  Earl  Godwyn. 

Wales  had  been  now  a  long  time  quiet,  and  free  of  all  A.  D.  1054. 
troubles  both  from  abroad  and  at  home ;  but  it  was-  not  to 
be  expected  that  such  a  calm  should  prove  durable,  but 
rather  that  something  or  other  would  create  new  commo- 
tions and  disturbances.  Accordingly  Gruffydh,  son  to 
Rytherch  ap  lestyn,  having  recruited  and  recovered  himself 
after  the  last  defeat  he  received  from  Prince  Gruffydh,  ven- 
tured another  trial  for  the  principality  of  South  Wales.* 
The  Prince,  losing  no  time,  speedily  marched  against  him, 
and  both  armies  having  met,  Gruffydh  ap  Rytherch  was 
easily  vanquished,  and  finally  was  slain.  But  the  troubles 
of  the  Welsh  did  not  end  with  him;  for  Algar  Earl  of 
Chester  being  convicted  of  treason,  and  thereupon  banished 
the  kingdom,  fled  to  Gruffydh  Prince  of  Wales,  requesting 
his  aid  against  King  Edward ;  and  Gruffydh  reciting  the 
frequent  wrongs  he  had  received  at  the  hands  of  the  Eng- 
lish, by  their  upholding  his  enemies  against  him,  gladly 
embraced  the  opportunity,  and  promised  him  all  imaginable 
support :  and  thereupon  assembling  his  forces,  he  entered 
with  him  into  Herefordshire,  and  advancing  into  the  country  1055. 
within  two  miles  of  the  city  of  Hereford,  they  were  opposed 
by  Randulph,  Earl  of  that  country,  who  boldly  gave  them 
battle.  The  fight  continued  very  dreadful  and  dubious  for 
some  hours,  till  at  last  Gruffydh  so  encouraged  his  soldiers 
with  the  remembrance  of  their  former  victories  over  the 
English,  that  they  attacked  the  English  with  renewed 
energy,  and  easily,  discomfited  Randulph,  and  slew  the  best 
part  of  his  army.  Afterwards  they  pursued  their  chase  to 
the  town,  and  having  made  all  the  waste  and  havoc  they 
were  able,  they  laid  the  town  itself  in  ashes,  and  so  returned 
home  triumphantly,  laden  with  rich  booty  and  plunder.f 

King 

*  Welsh  Chron,  p.  98. 

f  The  Welsh  in  this  en^a^ement  cut  in  pieces  four  or  five  hundred  of  the  fugitives, 
and  having  entered  into  Hereford  they  burnt  the  Minster,  and  slew  seven  of  the  canons 
who  rashly  attempted  to  defend  it. — Saxon  Chron.  p.  169. — Roger  Hovedon,  p.  443,  444. 
— Simon  Tuaelme,  p.  188.— Matth.  Westm.p.  324- 


78  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

King  Edward  receiving  notice  of  this  invasion,  presently 
gathered  a  great  army  at  Gloucester  under  the  conduct  of 
Harold,  Earl  Godwyn's  son,  who  courageously  pursuing  the 
enemy,  entered  into  Wales,  and  encamped  beyond  Strad- 
clwyd;  but  Gruflfydh  and  Algar  dreading  to  oppose  him, 
retired  further  into  South  Wales,  of  which  Harold  being 
certified,  left  one  part  of  his  army  behind  (with  orders  to 
fight,  if  occasion  required),  and  with  the  other  passed  to 
Hereford,  which  he  fortified  with  a  strong  wall  round  the 
town.     Gruffydh,  perceiving  his  undaunted  industry,  after 
many  messages,  concluded  a  peace  with  Harold  at  a  place 
called  Biligelhag,  by  which  articles  Algar  was  pardoned  by 
the  king,  and  restored  to  his  earldom  of  Chester.*      He  did 
not,  however,  continue  long  in  the  king's  favour  ;    for  about 
two  years  after,  upon  conviction  of  treason,  he  was  again 
banished  the  land,  so  that  he  was  forced  to  betake  himself 
to  his  old  friend,  Gruffydh  Prince  of  Wales,  by  whose  aid, 
and  that  of  a  fleet  from  Norway,  in  defiance  of  the  king  he 
was   restored  to  his   earldom.      King  Edward  was  much 
offended  with  the  Prince  of  Wales  for  thus    harbouring 
traitors,  and  therefore,  to  be  revenged  upon  him,  he  dis- 
patched Harold  again  with  an  army  to  North  Wales,  who, 
coming  to  Ruthlan,  burnt  the  Prince's  palace  there,  and  his 
fleet  that  lay  in  the  harbour,  and  then  returned  to  the  king 
at  Gloucester. 

This  year  Edward,  the  son  of  Edmund  Ironsides,  who 

was  sent  for  out  of  Hungary,  being  designed  successor  to 

the  crown,  came  to  England,  but  in  a  short  time  after  his 

coming  died  at  London,  leaving  a  son  named  Edgar  Edeling, 

and  a  daughter  named  Margaret,  who  was  afterwards  Queen 

of  the  Scots,  and  mother  to  Maud,  the  wife  of  Henry  the 

A.D.  1056.  First.     About  two  years  after,  Roderic,  son  to  Harold  King 

of  Denmark,  came  with  a  considerable  army  into  Wales, 

and  being  kindly  received  by  Prince  GruflTydh,  united  his 

force  with  the  Welsh,  and  so  entered  into  England,  which 

they  cruelly  harassed  and  laid  waste ;   but  before  they  could 

advance  any  considerable  distance,  Roderic  was  compelled 

to  sail  for   Denmark,   and  Gruffydh  returned  laden  with 

spoils  into  Wales.    At  this  time  also  Harold,  Earl  Godwyn's 

son,  sailing  to  Flanders,  was  driven  by  force  of  weather  to 

land  at  Poytiers,  where  being  taken  prisoner,  he  was  brought 

before  William,  the  bastard  Duke  of  Normandy,  to  whom 

he  declared  the  reason  of  his  voyage,  that  it  was  purposely 

to  tender  him  his  service  in  the  affairs  of  England ;  and  so 

taking  an  oath,  first  to  marry  the  Duke's  daughter,  and 

after 

*  Roger  Hovedon,  pp.  443,  444. —Simon  Bur.elmfj'p.  188.— Matth.  Wcstm.  p.  324. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  79 

after  the  death  of  Edward  to  secure  the  kingdom  of  Eng- 
land for  him,  he  was  honourably  dismissed.  Upon  his 
return  to  England,  by  the  persuasions  of  Caradoc  the  son 
of  Gruffydh  ap  Rytherch,  he,  with  his  brother  Tosty,  raised 
a  great  army  and  entered  into  South  Wales,*  which  they  A.  D.  1064. 
ravaged  to  such  a  degree  that  the  Welsh  were  glad  to 
deliver  up  hostages  for  the  payment  of  that  tribute  which 
aforetime  they  used  to  pay.  Gruffydh  hearing  of  the  inso- 
lencies  of  the  English  in  South  Wales,  made  every  possible 
haste  and  preparation  to  oppose  them,  but  to  no  purpose  ;f 
Harold  having  already  treacherously  hired  some  of  Gruf- 
fydh's  nearest  friends  to  murder  him,  who  watching  their 
opportunity,  executed  their  wicked  design  and  brought  his 
head  to  Harold.  £  Gruffydh  being  dead,  Harold  (by  King 
Edward's  orders)  appointed  Meredith,  son  of  Owen  ap 
Edwyn,  Prince  of  South  Wales,  and  gave  the  government  of 
North  Wales  §  to  Blethyn  and  Rywalhon,  the  sons  of 
Confyn,  brothers  by  the  mother's  side  to  Prince  Gruffydh, 
and  who  probably,  for  the  desire  of  rule,  were  accessary  to 
the  murder  of  that  noble  prince.  Thus  Gruffydh  ap  Lhew- 
elyn  enjoyed  the  principality  of  Wales  for  the  space  of 
thirty-four  years.  He  was  a  prince  of  incomparable  virtues, 
both  wise  and  valiant,  beloved  of  his  subjects  and  formidable 
to  his  enemies,  in  all  his  actions  behaving  himself  great  and 
princely ;  and  having  valiantly  defended  his  country  against 
all  foreign  opposition,  he  was  far  unworthy  of  that  treacherous 
and  cruel  death  which  his  unkind  subjects  and  unnatural 
friends  inflicted  upon  him.  He  left  issue  but  one  daughter, 
named  Nest,  abused  first  by  Fleance  son  of  Bancho,  and 
afterwards  married  to  Trahaern  ap  Caradoc  Prince  of  North 
Wales. 


BLETHYN  AND  RYWALHON. 

A  FTER  the  deplorable  mnrder  of  Prince  Gruffydh, 
Meredith,  the  son  of  Owen  ap  Edwyn,  who,  according  to 
some,  was  son  to  Howel  Dha,  took  upon  him,  as  it  is  said, 
the  government  of  South  Wales,  and  Blethyn  and  Rywalhon 
the  sons  of  Confyn,  half-brothers  to  Gruffydh,  as  descended 
from  Angharad  daughter  to  Meredith,  sometime  Prince  of 

Wales, 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  101.  f  *1)id- 

J  Together  with  the  prow  of  the  ship  in  which  he  returned.— Simon  Dunelme,  p.  191. 

§   And  Powys. — Welsh  Chron.  p.  102.  — Simon  Dunrlme,  p.  1P2. — Willtam 

Mnlmsbury,  p.  94. 


80  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

Wales,*  entered  upon  the  principality  of  North  Wales; 
Conan,  the  son  of  lago  ap  Edwal,  the  right  heir  to  that 
crown,  being  then  with  his  father-in-law  in  Ireland.  This 
partition  of  Wales  fell  much  short  of  the  expectation  of 
Caradoc  ap  Gruffydh  ap  Rytherch,  who  being  the  chief 
promoter  of  Harold's  making  an  expedition  against  Gruf- 
fydh ap  Lhewelyn,  had  expected  to  obtain  the  government 
of  South  Wales,  in  case  of  Gruffydh  being  defeated  :  but  it 
happened  otherwise ;  for  Harold  being  sensible  of  Caradoc's 
subtilty  and  knavery,  and  doubting  whether  (if  he  was  made 
Prince  of  South  Wales)  he  could  obtain  a  certain  lordship 
nigh  Hereford,  for  which  he  had  a  great  desire,  he  made  a 
composition  with  Meredith  ap  Owen  for  the  said  lordship, 
and  created  him  Prince  of  South  Wales, f  and  banished 
Caradoc  out  of  the  country.  Harold  having  obtained  the 
consent  of  Meredith  ap  Owen,  built  a  very  magnificent 
house  at  a  place  called  Portascyth,  in  Monmouthshire,^  and 
storing  it  with  a  great  quantity  of  provision,  splendidly 
entertained  the  King,  who  honoured  him  with  a  visit.  It 
was  by  no  means  pleasing  to  Tosty  to  see  his  younger 
brother  in  greater  esteem  and  favour  with  the  king  than 
himself;  and  having  concealed  his  displeasure  for  a  time, 
he  could  not  forbear  at  length  from  evincing  his  dissatis- 
faction :  accordingly,  one  day  at  Windsor,  while  Harold 
reached  the  cup  to  King  Edward,  Tosty,  ready  to  burst  for 
envy  that  his  brother  was  so  much  respected  beyond  himself, 
could  not  refrain  from  running  furiously  upon  him,  and 
pulling  him  by  the  hair,  dragged  him  to  the  ground,  for 
which  unmannerly  action  the  king  forbade  him  the  court :  § 
but  he  with  continued  rancour  and  malice  rode  to  Hereford, 
where  Harold  had  many  servants  preparing  an  entertainment 
for  the  king,  and  setting  upon  them  with  his  followers, 
lopped  off  the  hands  and  legs  of  some,  the  arms  and  heads 
of  others,  and  threw  them  into  the  butts  of  wine  and  other 
liquors  which  were  put  in  for  the  king's  drinking,  and  at  his 
departure  charged  the  servants  to  acquaint  Harold,  "  That 
"  of  other  fresh  meats  he  might  carry  with  him  what  he 
"  pleased,  but  for  sauce  he  should  find  plenty  provided 
"  ready  for  him."  ||  For  this  barbarous  offence  the  king 
pronounced  a  sentence  of  perpetual  banishment  upon  Tosty.^I 
But  Caradoc  ap  Gruffydh  gave  a  finishing  stroke  to  Harold's 
house,  and  to  the  king's  entertainment  at  Portascyth ;  for 
coming  thither  shortly  after  Tosty's  departure,  to  be  re- 
venged 

*  William  Malmsbury,  p.  94.  f  Welsh  Chron.  p.  102. 

t  Portaskewith,  in  Monmouthshire. — Simon  Dunelmt-,  p.  192. 

§  Simon  Dunelme,  p.  192.     ||  Matth.  Westm  p.  331. 
f  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  104, 105.— Simon  Dunelme,  p.  192.— Camden's  Brit.  p.  597. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  81 

venged  upon  Harold,  he  killed  all  the  workmen  and  labour- 
ers, with  all  the  servants  he  could  find,  and  utterly  defacing 
the  building,  carried  away  all  the  costly  materials  which, 
at  a  great  expense,  had  been  brought  thither  to  beautify  and 
adorn  the  structure.*  Soon  after  this,  the  Northumbrians 
(who  could  not  endure  the  insolencies  of  the  two  brothers 
Harold  and  Tosty,  who,  bearing  an  uncontroulable  sway  in 
the  kingdom,  were  accustomed  to  practise  the  most  hellish 
villainies  to  obtain  any  man's  estate  that  displeased  them,) 
in  a  tumult  at  York  beset  the  palace  of  Tosty,  and  having 
pillaged  his  treasure,  slew  all  his  family,  as  well  Englishmen 
as  Danes.  Then  joining  to  themselves  the  people  of  Lincoln, 
Nottingham,  and  Derbyshire,  they  elected  Marcher  the  son 
of  Earl  Algar  their  general,  to  whom  came  his  brother 
Edwyn  with  a  considerable  number  of  troops,  and  a  great 
party  of  Welshmen.  Then  they  marched  in  a  hostile  manner 
to  Northampton,  where  Harold  met  them,  being  sent  by  the 
king  to  know  their  demands ;  to  whom  they  laid  open  their 
grievances,  and  the  cruelty  of  Tosty's  government,  and,  at 
last,  with  an  absolute  refusal  of  admitting  him  again,  desired 
that  Marcher  should  be  appointed  Earl  over  them,  which 
the  King,  upon  the  reasonable  complaints  of  injuries  done 
by  Tosty,  easily  granted,  and  willingly  confirmed  Marcher's 
title :  whereupon  they  peaceably  returned  back  to  the  north, 
and  the  Welsh,  with  several  prisoners  and  other  booties  got 
in  this  expedition,  returned  to  Wales. 

The  year  following,  King  Edward  died,  and  was  buried  A.  D.  1066. 
at  Westminster,  being  the  last  king  of  the  Saxon  blood  be-  lst  Of 
fore  the  conquest  that  governed  the  kingdom  of  England,  William  the 
which  from  Cerdic  King  of  the  West  Saxons  had  continued 
544,  and  from  Egbert  the  first  monarch,  171  years.  Edward 
being  dead;  the  next  difference  was  about  the  election  of  a 
successor,  Edgar  Edeling  being  set  up  by  some  as  lawful 
heir  to  the  crown,  which  Harold,  as  being  a  person  of 
greater  power  and  authority  in  the  kingdom,  much  wealthier 
and  more  befriended,  presently  thwarted,  and  brought  mat- 
ters so  cunningly  about,  that  himself  was  chosen  king,  with- 
out any  regard  observed  to  the  oath  and  promise  he  had 
formerly  made  to  William  Duke  of  Normandy.  Duke 
William  upon  notice  of  Harold's  advancement,  and  that  he 
had  accepted  of  the  crown  of  England  contrary  to  the  articles 
between  them,  convened  together  his  nobles,  and  laid  before 
them  the  several  wrongs  and  affronts  he  had  received  at  the 
han<7s  of  Harold,  as  the  death  of  his  cousin  Alfred,  the 

banishment 
G 
*  Matthew  Westm.— Welsh  Chron.  &c. 


82  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

banishment  of  Archbishop  Robert,  Earl  Odan,  and  all  the 
Normans,  and,  lastly,  the  breach  of  his  oath  and  promise. 
Then  he  declared  to  them  the  pretence  he  had  to  claim  the 
crown  of  England,  that  Edward  had  given  him  formerly  an 
absolute  promise  in  Normandy,  that  if  ever  he  enjoyed  the 
English  crown,  William  should  be  his  heir;  which  title, 
though  in  itself  weak  and  insignificant,  served  William's 
purpose  well  enough  to  make  an  expedition  against  an  in- 
truder.    Duke  William's  pretence  seemed  plausible  enough 
to  the  Norman  nobility,  but  the  difficulty  of  the  undertaking 
and  the  danger  of  this  expedition  was  somewhat  perplexing, 
and  made  them  less  inclinable  to  encourage  so  precipitous 
an  undertaking;  which  they  the  more  disliked   upon  the 
persuasion  of  William  Fitzosbert  the  Duke's  sewer,  whom 
they  pitched  upon  to  deliver  their  thoughts  as  to  the  expedi- 
tion unto  the  duke ;  but  he,  instead  of  dissuading  him  from 
this  voyage,  politicly  declared  that  himself  with  all  his 
powrer  were  ready  to  live  and  die  with  him  in  this  expedition, 
which  the  rest  hearing  could  not  but  offer  the  duke  their 
service  in  the  same  manner ;  and  so  all  things  were  prepared 
for  an  invasion  of  England.     In  the  mean  while  Tosty,  full 
of  indignation  at  his  brother's  advancement  to  the  crown, 
entered  the  river  H umber  with  forty  sail,  but  meeting  with 
Earl  Edwyn,  who  came  to  oppose  him,  he  was  forced  after 
a  considerable  encounter  to  bear  off,  and  secure  himself  by 
flight ;  but  meeting  with  Harold  King  of  Norway  upon  the 
coast  of  Scotland,  coming  for  England  with  three  hundred 
sail,  he  joined  his  forces  with  Harold,  and  so  both  together 
entering  the  Humber,  they  landed  their  army  and  marched 
to  York,  where  the  Earls  Edwyn  and  Marcher  unsuccess- 
fully gave  them  battle.    Having  pillaged  and  destroyed  that 
city,  they  passed  on  to  Stamford-bridge,  and  there  met  with 
King  Harold,  who  with  a  well  disciplined  army  was  come 
to  stop  their  farther  career.      After  a  long  and  terrible 
fight,  and  much  bloodshed  on  both  sides,  the  Norwegians 
began  at  last  to  give  way,  which  the  English  perceiving, 
fell  on  so  manfully  that  few  or  none  escaped  with  their  lives, 
Harold  and  Tosty  being  also  slain  upon  the  spot.     One  of 
the  Norwegians  is  deservedly  recorded  for  his  incomparable 
exploits    performed  in  this  battle,    who  with   incredible 
valour,  maintaining  the  bridge  against  the  whole  strength 
of  the  English  army  for  above  an  hour,  by  his  single  resist- 
ance delayed  their  victory,  and  having  slain  a  great  number 
of  his  enemies,  he  seemed  invincible,  till  in  the  end,  no  one 
daring  to  grapple  with  him  fairly,  he  was  run  through  with 
a  spear  from  under  the  bridge,  and  so  by  his  fall  a  passage 

was 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  83 

was  opened  for  pursuit  to  complete  the  victory.  King 
Harold  overjoyed  with  this  success,  triumphantly  entered 
into  York,  and  whilst  he  was  making  merry  with  his  nobles 
at  a  sumptuous  feast,  news  came  that  Duke  William  of 
Normandy  was  safely  landed  at,  and  began  to  fortify  himself 
in,  Hastings,  with  which  tidings  being  no  way  dashed,  as 
fearing  nothing  after  his  late  victory,  he  forthwith  marched 
towards  him,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  arrived  in  Sussex,  with- 
out any  consideration  of  the  fatigue  his  army  had  undergone 
in  their  march,  gave  William  battle.  The  Duke,  dividing 
his  army  into  five  battalions,  made  a  long  harangue  to  his 
soldiers,  wherein  he  repeated  and  commended  the  noble  acts 
of  their  ancestors  the  Danes  and  Norwegians,  who  had  per- 
petually vanquished  the  English  and  French,  and  other 
nations,  as  many  as  they  had  to  do  with  ,•  and  that  them- 
selves, being  well  horsed  and  armed,  were  now  to  engage 
with  a  people  void  of  both,  who  had  no  other  defence  to 
trust  to,  than  the  nimbleness  and  swiftness  of  their  heels. 
Both  armies  being  joined  upon  the  14th  day  of  October, 
Duke  William,  after  some  hours  engaging,  ordered  his  army 
so  to  retire,  as  if  they  seemed  to  fly,  which  the  English 
perceiving,  broke  their  ranks  in  haste  of  pursuing  the  sup- 
posed fugitive,  which  falling  out  according  to  the  Duke's 
expectation,  he  sent  in  a  fresh  supply  of  Normans,  who, 
falling  upon  the  confused  battalions  of  the  English,  easily 
overcame  them,  and  Harold  receiving  first  a  wound  by  an 
arrow  was  at  length  slain,  and  then  both  the  field  and  the 
victory  were  left  to  the  Normans.  The  day  being  thus  won, 
William,  from  this  time  called  the  Conqueror,  went  straight 
to  London,  where  he  was  received  with  all  possible  formality, 
and  upon  Christmas-day  solemnly  crowned  King  of  England. 
This  change  and  alteration  in  England  was  previously  prog- 
nosticated by  a  comet  which  appeared  in  the  spring  of  this 
year,  upon  which  a  certain  poet  made  the  following  verses : 

Anno  milleno  sexageno  quoque  seno, 
Anglorum  metce  flammas  censer e  cometce. 

King  William  having  established  himself  on  the  throne  A.  D.  1066. 
of  England,  passed  over  the  next  year  to  Normandy,  so  to 
settle  affairs  there,  as  afterwards  they  might  have  no  need 
of  his  presence.  In  the  mean  while  Edgar  Edeling,  taking 
advantage  of  his  absence,  returned  from  Scotland  to  York, 
being  declared  king  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  country,  who 
had  already  slain  Robert,  upon  whom  William  had  bestowed 
that  earldom,  with  nine  hundred  of  his  men.  But  the  king 
upon  his  return  to  Normandy  presently  marched  to  the 

north, 
G  2 


84  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

north,  and  having  sufficiently  revenged  himself  upon  the 
inhabitants,  by  wasting  and  destroying  their  country,  chased 
Edgar  to  Scotland  again.  The  like  advantage  Edric  Syl- 
vaticus,  the  son  of  Alfric  Earl  of  Mercia,  embraced,  who 
refusing  to  hold  any  submission  to  the  conqueror,  took  the 
opportunity  of  his  departure  to  Normandy  to  fall  foul  upon 
such  as  were  appointed  vicegerents  and  governors  of  the 
kingdom  in  his  absence:  whereupon  Richard  Fitzserope, 
governor  of  the  castle  of  Hereford,  with  the  forces  under 
his  command,  so  much  harassed  him,  by  wasting  and  con- 
suming his  lands  and  carrying  off  the  goods  of  his  tenants, 
that  he  was  compelled  to  desire  aid  of  Blethyn  and  Ry  walhon 
Princes  of  Wales,  by  whose  help,  to  recompense  the  loss  he 
had  received,  he  passed  into  Hereford,  and  after  that  he 
had  over-run  and  pillaged  the  country  to  Wyebridge,*  re- 
turned back  with  exceeding  great  booty.  But  no  sooner 
were  Blethyn  arid  Ry  walhon  arrived  in  North  Wales,  but 
they  received  news  of  a  rebellion  raised  against  them  by 
Meredith  and  Ithel,  the  sons  of  GrufFydh  ap  Lhewelyn, 
who  had  drawn  together  a  considerable  number  of  men,, 
upon  pretence  of  recovering  the  principality  of  North 
Wales,  which  they  said  was  fraudulently  detained  from 
them.  Blethyn  and  Rywalhon  did  not  delay  going  in  quest 
of  their  enemies,  and  meeting  with  them  at  a  place  called 
Mechain,f  without  any  farther  ceremony,  set  upon  the 
rebels,  who  behaved  themselves  so  gallantly,  that  after  a 
fight  of  several  hours  they  wanted  nothing  but  numbers  to 
complete  the  victory.  There  fell  in  this,  battle  on  the  one 
side  Prince  Rywalhon,  and  on  the  other  Ithel,  who  being 
A.  D.  1068.  slain,  Meredith  was  forced  to  give  way  and  endeavour  to 
save  himself  by  flight,  which  could  not  secure  him,  he  being 
so  narrowly  pursued  by  Blethyn,  that,  in  fine,  he  was  glad 
to  escape  to  the  mountains,  where,  for  want  of  victuals  and 
other  necessaries,  he  soon  perished,  leaving  Blethyn  ap 
Confyn  sole  Prince  of  North  Wrales  and  Powis.J  During 
these  Welsh  disturbances,  Swane  King  of  Denmark,  and 
Osburn  his  brother,  with  three  hundred  sail,  came  up  the 
Humber,  and  being  joined  by  Edgar  Edeling  and  Earl 
Waltelfe  marched  to  York,  and  taking  the  castle  disposed 
of  their  forces  to  winter  quarters,  betwixt  the  rivers  Ouse 
and  Trent.  The  king  understanding  the  matter,  posted  to 
the  north ;  whose  coming  so  dashed  the  confederates,  that 
they  quickly  dispersed  their  power,  and  the  Danes  escaped 
to  their  ships,  and  the  king  having  taken  vengeance  upon 

the 

*  Simon  Dunelme,  p.  197. — Welsh  Chron.  p.  109. 
f  In  the  present  County  of  Montgomery.  J  Welsh  Chron.  p.  109. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  85 

the  rebellious  inhabitants  of  the  country,  and,  upon  his 
submission,  having  pardoned  Earl  Waltelfe,  returned  back 
to  London. 


BLETHYN  AP  CONFYN. 

ABOUT  the  same  time  Caradoc,  son  to  Gruffydh  ap 
Rhytherch  ap  lestyn,  all  this  while  being  much  dissatis- 
fied that  he  could  not  attain  to  the  principality  of  South 
Wales,  invited  over  a  great  number  of  Normans,  to  whom 
he  joined  all  the  forces  he  could  raise  out  of  Gwentland, 
and  other  parts  of  Wales.  Then  attacking  Prince  Meredith,  A.  D.  1070. 
who  was  far  too  weak  to  encounter  so  considerable  an  army, 
gave  him  an  easy  overthrow  near  the  river  Rymhy,*  where 
Meredith  was  slain,  and  so  Caradoc  obtained  the  govern- 
ment of  South  Wales,  which  for  a  long  time  he  had  en- 
deavoured sinistrously  to  encompass.  He  had  sometime 
before  procured  Harold  to  make  an  invasion  upon  Gruffydh 
ap  Lhewelyn,  purposely  that  himself  might  arrive  at  the 
principality  of  South  Wales ;  and  failing  then  of  his  expecta- 
tion, he  now  invited  over  the  Normans,  not  being  willing  to 
trust  the  English  any  more,  by  reason  that  he  had  so  un- 
gratefully been  prevented  by  Harold  ;  so  that  it  seems  he 
cared  not  by  what  course,  or  by  whose  means  he  should 
gain  his  point ;  though  it  were  by  the  ruin  and  destruction 
of  his  country,  which  hitherto  he  had  earnestly  promoted. 
Being  at  length  advanced  to  his  long  expected  government 
of  South  Wales  (which,  though  not  recorded,  seems  yet 
very  probable,  by  reason  that  his  son  Rhytherch  ap  Caradoc 
enjoyed  the  same  very  soon  after),  he  did  not  enjoy  this 
honour  long,  but  dying  in  a  short  time  after  his  advance- 
ment, left  to  succeed  him  his  son  Rytherch  ap  Caradoc. 
At  the  same  time  that  Caradoc  carried  on  this  rebellion  in 
Wales,  the  Earls  Edwyn,  Marcher,  and  Hereward  revolted 
from  the  King  of  England;  but  Edwyn  suspecting  the 
success  of  their  affairs,  and  determining  to  retire  to  Malcolm 
King  of  Scotland,  in  his  journey  thither  was  betrayed,  and 
slain  by  his  own  followers.  Then  Marcher  and  Hereward 
betook  themselves  to  the  Isle  of  Ely,  which,  though  suffi- 
ciently fortified,  was  so  warmly  besieged  by  the  King,  that 
Marcher  and  his  accomplices  were  in  a  short  time  forced  to 
surrender  themselves  up  prisoners ;  only  Hereward  made 
his  escape  to  Scotland :  but  the  king  followed  him  closely ; 

and 
*  Prympyn,  a  river  in  that  country. 


86  HISTORY  OK  WALKS. 

and  after  he  had  received  homage  of  Malcolm  King  of 
Scotland,  returned  hack  to  Kngland  ;  tuul  after  a  short  stax 
here,  passed  over  to  Normandy,  \\IUMV  he  rcceixed  Kdii;ar 
Kdehnij,  a^am  lo  mercy. 

A.D.  1071.      The  next  sear  the  Normans,  having  already  tasted  of  the 
sweetness  of  \xasting  and   plundering  a  country,  came  oxer 
again  to   \N 'ales  ;   and   basing  spoiled  and   destroyed    Dxfed 
and  the  country  of  Cardigan,  returned  honuMvith  xerx  great 
spoil  ;  and   the    following  year   sailed   over  again   for  more 
booty.      About    the    same    time,    Neythyd,    Bishop    of  St. 
I  )a\  id's,  died,  and  was  sneeeeded  hx  one  Snlien.      This  \\as 
not  all  the  misfortune  that   hefel   the  Welsh  ;    for   Kadnlph 
Marl  of  the  Kast  Angles,  together  with  l\oger  Karl  of  Here- 
lord  and    lOarl  \\'altelpe,  entered   into  a   eonspiraex  against 
King    \\illiam,    appointing    the   da\    of   marriage    between 
Kadnlph  and   Roger's  sister,   \\hieh  \\as  to  he  solemni/ed  in 
KSM>\,   to  tn'at   of  ami  conclude  their  design.*      Radulph's 
mother  was  come  out  of  Wales,  and,   upon  that  account,  he 
"united  oxer  sexeral  of  her  friends  and  relations  to  the  red- 
ding ;  meaning  chietlN ,  under  the  colour  of  seeming  alleetion, 
by  their  help  and  procurement  to  bring  over  the  princes  and 
people  of   Wales,    to  favour  anil     assist   his  undertaking  ;f 
but    King  William  heim;  acquainted   with   the  whole   plot, 
quickly  ruined  all  their  intrigues;  and  unexpectedly  coming 
from  Normandy,    surprised  the  conspirators ;    excepting 
Radulph,  \\ho  either  doubted  of  the  success  of  their  affairs, 
or  else  had  intimation  gi\ en  him  of  the  king's   landing,  and 
prexiousK  took  shipping  at  Norwich,  and  fled  to  Denmark. 
\\altelpeand    Roi^er  \\ere  exei'uteil.   and  all  the  other  ad- 
herents  punished  ;J   more  particnlarl)  the  Welsh,   some  of 
whom  were  hanged,  others  hail  their  ex. es  put  out,  and  the 
A.D.  107:1.  rest  \xere  l>anislu*d.      Soon  aHer,    Blethxn  ap  ('onlxn  Prince 
7th  of     of  \\  ales  \\as    basely  and    treacherously   murdered    bx    Rhxs 
AVilliaiiitlir  ;ip  ()\xen  ap  Kd\\\n   and    the  gentlemen  of  N  strail   TXNXX,^ 
Conqueror.  nfior  ju.  |i;ui   n.Jo,u»d   thirteen  years:    a   prince  of  singular 
qualifications  and   virtues,   and  a   mvat   observer  of  justice 
and   eijuitx  towards  his  .subjects;   he  xxas  xery   liberal   and 
munificent,  being  indeed  xerx  able,  haxing  a  prodigious  and 
almost  incredible  estate,  as  appears  by  these  verses  made 
upon  it; 


Blethyn  ap  Confyn 
]Si  fum  bioedh  fien 


bob  Ctrys 

liiuris. 


He 


•  Malth.  P*ri«,  p.  7 j  Wttt*1  edition.  f  Wchh  Chron.  p.  111.  J  Ib 

^  Welsh  Annals,  lll,-~0wca  up  Edwyn  was  the  youngest  son  of  Howel  Dh&. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  8t 

lie  had  tour  wive*.  In  whom  he  li;ul  issue  as  follows,  vr/.  : 
Meredith  In  liner  daughter  of  (Minn,  his  first  wile; 
1. In  \vnrch  ami  ( 1ndos*an  by  the  second  ;  Madoc  atul  Kir\d 
by  the  third  ;  and  lorwerth  b\  his  last.* 


TRAHAERN  AP  CARADOC. 

Jt>LETHYN  being,  as  is  said,  traitorously  murdered,  A. D.  1073. 
i  here  was  no  regard  had  to  his  issue,  ns  to  their  right  of 

.succession;  but  Trahacrn  ap  (\iradoc  his  cousin  ^orman, 
biMiii;  a  person  of  mval  pov>cr  and  swny  iu  the  country,  \vas 
unnnimousK  elected  IViiuv  of  North  NYalcs,  and  Rhys ap 
O\\en  \vitli  Rythereh  ap  Caradoc  jointlx  p>vemeil  J^outu 
NN 'aK's.  Trahaorn,  indeed,  had  sonu*  predMire  to  that 
principality,  as  having  married  Nest,  the  only  surviving 
issue  of  that  i^ivat  priuco  (initlxdli  ap  Lhewelyu:  \\hosi* 
two  si>us  MiMvdith  and  itlu'l  were  lalelx  slain  in  their 
attempt  against  Hleth\n  and  Ixywalhon ;  but  his  title  did 
not  secure  him  in  Ins  n;o\  eminent  so  nnieh  as  Ins  possession, 
siiu'e  there  was  one  still  living,  though  not  much  regarded, 
who,  \\ithout  am  dispute,  uas  true  heir  and  proprietor  of 
the  prineipalit\  ol'  North  ^'alcs.  This  was  (iruflydh  son 
ti>  (\Mian.  son  to  laj^o  ap  I'Mwal,  who  being  informed  ol'lhe 
death  of  Hlethyn  aj>  Contyn,  and  the  advancement  of  Tra- 
haeru,  though!  this  a  proper  time  to  endeavour  the  IVCOMM-N 
of  what  was  (ml)  his  right,  and  out  of  which  he  had  been  all 
this  time  most  wrongfully  excluded.  ^  hcrclore,  having 
obtained  help  in  Ireland,  where  he  privately  sojourned 
during  the  reign  of  Blethyn  ap  Confyn,  from  Encumolhon 

King 

*  Hw  first  wife,  Hacr,  wa*  a  widow,  very  beautiful :  she  was  the  daughter  nud  heiress 
o!"i;ill>M,  tlu-sonof  Klaiilii  Uhudd,  ortho  bloody  wolf  of  (u^st,  in  Klionydtl.     Hy  t'ynfyn 

llinlrct',  licr  l\\^\  Inisb.unl,  «.lic  » ;»s  m.\\uliuoll)cr  to  Uiriil,  «l»ot»>olv  tlic  Appellation  of 
Illaidd,  or  tho  \\o\\\  as  dcsivudrd  fn'«n  Ulaidd  Ithudd  Jihovi-  incntioiifd.  The  famous 
llowrl  >  ptMlol.ut  was  tb«-  sou  ol'  (;«rnllian.  d.ui^litiM-  to  Uin.l  1'l.ii.UI.  'I'lu-ri-  is  a  \Vrlsli 
poem  t-\(.int  of  I'uiddrUv  IM  \.l\ihl  m.»«  r,  thr  i;u\U  b.inl,  «  l»o  tlonrishcil  aboul  the  >  ear 
11(50,  on  ivturnin-;-  thanUs  to  Kiml  lor  a  Tun-  sword  with  whieh  lie  had  presented  him.— 
>  orke's  lio\  al  Tubi-.s  p.  1'28.  The  following  is  a  translation  of  ft  portion  of  this  poem: 

"  1  luv<<  ,i  (ViiMiilly  w»H'.   lli.it  si.\iuls  l»y  inc.  to  rinvh 
'l'h<-  ui.Millini;  (.',•."     It  iMiot  tlu-  Ion-si  »»U.  si-.UIorinjr 
Tlu-  l)i»i-ml<-vx  il>.,k.   luil  tin-  \volT  of  tlu>  li.-ltl  of  buttle  i 
Though  at  otln-r  times  he  is  uulil  .uul  liberal." 

Mr.  Vaughan,  of  Hcngwrt,  informs  us  "  Hint  CriilTtuKl  ab  Cynan,  Rhys  ah  Tewdwr,  and 

l'vleildyn\\b  (\tnfyn,  nude  diligent  seareb  after  the  arms,  ensigns,  and  pedigrees  of  their 
aneestors,  (he  noi.ility,  nud  kings  of  (he  Prit-Mis.  \M>at  the>  diseov.-red  by  their  psiins 
in  any  pap»-r-.  an<l  reeoriU,  was  aflerw  ;mi?.  l'\  tlie  l>.u  Is  digested,  and  put  into  books,  and 
they  ordained  five  royal  tribes,  there  being  only  three  before,  from  whom  their  posterity 
to  this  day  can  derive  themselves;  ami  aUo  fifteen  special  tribes,  of  whom  the  gentry  of 

North  Wales  are  for  the  most  part  descended." 


88  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

King  of  Ultonia,  and  from  Ranalht  and  Mathawn,  two  other 
kings  of  that  country,  he  sailed  for  Wales,  and  landed  in 
the  Isle  of  Anglesey,  which  he  easily  reduced  and  brought 
to  subjection.*  At  the  same  time  Cynwric  ap  Rywalhon,  a 
nobleman  of  Maelor  or  Bromfield,  was  slain  in  North  Wales, 
but  how,  or  upon  what  account,  is  not  known.  Whilst 
Gruflfydh  ap  Conan  endeavoured  to  dispossess  Trahaern  of 
North  Wales,  Gronow  and  Lhewelyn,  the  sons  of  Cadwgan 
ap  Blethyn,  having  united  their  forces  with  Caradoc  ap 
Gruffydh  ap  Rytherch,  intended  to  revenge  the  murder  of 
their  grandfather  Blethyn  ap  Confyn,  upon  Rhys  ap  Owenf 
and  Rytherch  ap  Caradoc,  the  joint  rulers  of  South  Wales  ; 
and  marching  confidently  to  find  them,  both  armies  met 
together  and  fought  at  a  place  called  Camdhwr;+  where 
after  a  severe  engagement  the  sons  of  Cadwgan  at  length 
obtained  a  complete  victory.  In  North  Wales,  at  the  same 
time,  Gruffydh  ap  Conan  having  established  his  possession 
of  the  Isle  of  Anglesey,  intended  to  proceed  farther  in  the 
main  land  of  Wales  ;  to  which  end,  having  transported  his 
forces  over  the  strait,  lie  encamped  in  the  neighbouring 
country  of  Carnarvonshire,  purposing  tq  reduce  North 
Wales  by  degrees.  Trahaern  ap  Caradoc  being  informed 
of  this  descent  of  Gruffydh's,  made  all  possible  speed  to 
prevent  his  farther  progress  ;  and  having  made  all  necessary 
preparations  that  the  shortness  of  the  opportunity  would  per- 
mit, he  drew  up  his  forces  to  Bron  yr  Erw,  §  where  he  gave 
Gruffydh  battle,  and  in  fine  forced  him  to  a  shameful  flight; 
so  that  he  was  glad  to  retire  back  safely  to  Anglesey.  || 
A.  D.  1074.  The  next  year  Rytherch  ap  Caradoc  Prince  of  South 
Wales  died,  being  murdered  through  the  unnatural  villainy 
of  his  cousin-german  Meyrchaon  ap  Rhys  ap  Rytherch ; 
after  whom  Rhys*ap  Owen  obtained  the  sole  government  of 
South  Wales  :  but  his  enjoyment  of  the  whole  of  that 
principality  was  not  very  lasting,  and  scarcely  at  all  void  of 
1075.  the  trouble  and  vexation  of  war.  For  shortly  after  the  death 
of  Caradoc,  the  sons  of  Cadwgan,  thinking  they  might  now 
easily  foil  and  vanquish  one,  seeing  they  had  some  time  ago 
victoriously  overcome  both  princes  together,  with  all  the 
forces  they  could  raise,  set  upon  Rhys  at  a  place  called 
Gwanyffyd,  who  not  being  able  to  combat  their  numbers, 
was  routed  and  forced  to  flee  ;  however  the  blow  was  not  so 
mortal  but  that  Rhys  gathered  together  new  levies,  by  the 

help 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  112.— It  may  be  proper  here  to  remark,  that  though  the  lineal 
succession  was  frequently  interrupted,  yet  the  Welsh  always  paid  a  regard  to  the  same 
royal  blood,  except  in  the  instance  of  ^Edan  ap  Blegored. 

f  Of  the  Royal  House  of  South  Wales.  J  Camddwr,  in  Cardiganshire. 

§  Near  to  the  Castle  of  Harlech,  in  Merionydh.  ||  Welsh  Chron.  p.  11  §, 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  89 

help  of  which  he  was  emboldened  still  to  maintain  himself 
in  his  principality.*  Fortune,  however,  which  had  ad- 
vanced him  to  the  crown,  seemed  now  to  frown  at  and  cross 
all  his  endeavours  and  undertakings,  and  being  reduced  to 
a  very  weak  condition  in  the  last  battle,  he  was  attacked  by 
a  fresh  enemy  before  he  could  have  sufficient  time  to  recover 
and  recruit  himself.  For  Trahaern  ap  Caradoc,  Prince  of 
North  Wales,  perceiving  the  weakness  and  inability  of  Rhys 
to  make  opposition  against  any  foreign  enemy  that  invaded 
his  territories,  thought  it  now  very  feasible  to  obtain  the 
conquest  of  South  Wales,  and  then  to  annex  it  to  his  own 
principality  of  North  Wales  ;  and,  being  induced  by  these 
imaginations,  he  dispatched  his  army  to  South  Wales  to 
fight  with  Rhys,  who,  with  all  the  forces  he  could  possibly 
levy,  as  laying  his  whole  fortune  upon  the  event  of  this 
battle,  boldly  met  him  at  Pwlhgwttic,  where,  after  a  tedious 
fight  on  both  sides,  Rhys  having  lost  the  best  part  of  his 
army,  was  put  to  flight,  and  so  warmly  pursued,  that  after 
long  shifting  from  place  to  place,  himself  with  his  brother 
Howel  fell  at  length  into  the  hands  of  Caradoc  ap  Gruffydh, 
who  put  them  both  to  death,  in  revenge  of  the  base  murder 
of  Blethyn  ap  Confyn,  by  them  previously  committed.! 
The  principality  of  South  Wales  being  thus  vacant  by  the 
death  of  Rhys  ap  Owen ;  Rhys  son  to  Theodore  ap  Eirieon 
ap  Owen  ap  Howel  Dha4  as  lawful  heir  to  that  government, 
put  in  his  claim,  which  being  very  plain  and  evident,  so  pre- 
vailed with  the  people  of  that  country,  that  they  unanimously 
elected  him  for  their  prince,^  much  against  the  expectation 
of  Trahaern  ap  Caradoc,  Prince  of  North  Wales.  The 
next  year  St.  David's  suffered  greatly  by  strangers,  who 
landing  there  in  a  considerable  number,  spoiled  and  A. D.  1077. 
destroyed  the  whole  town,  shortly  after  which  barbarous 
action  Abraham,  bishop  of  that  see,  died ;  and  then  Sulien, 
who  the  year  before  had  relinquished  and  resigned  that 
bishoprick,  was  compelled  to  resume  it. 

The  government  of  all  Wales,  both  North  and  South,  had  1079. 
been  now  for  a  long  time  supplied  by  usurpers,  and  forcibly 
detained  from  the  right  and  legal   inheritors ;    but  Provi- 
dence would  not  suffer  injustice  to  reign  any  longer,  and 

therefore 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  113.—  Vita  Griff.  Conani :  a  Manuscript  Life  of  that  Prince,  written 
in  the  Welsh  language,  as  is  supposed,  near  the  time  in  which  he  lived. 

f  Welsh  Chron.  p.  113. — Bleddyn— Strength  of  the  army. 

J  Ab  Cadel  ab  Rhodri  Mawr  ab  Mervyn  Vrych  ab  Gwriad  ab  Elidyr  ab  Sandde  ab 
Alser  ab  Tegid  ab  Gwyar  ab  Dwywg  ab  Llywarch  Hen  ab  Elidyr  Llydanwyn  ab 
Meirchion  Gul  ab  Grwst  Ledlwm  ab  Coneu  ab  Coel  Godebog.  Rhys  ab  Tcwdwr  was 
Jhe  founder  of  our  second  Royal  Tribe. 

§  Welsh  Chron.  p,  114. 


90  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

therefore  restored  the  rightful  heirs  to  the  principalities. 
Rhys  ap  Theodore  had  actual  possession  of  South  Wales,* 
and  there  wanted  no  more  at  this  time  but  to  bring  in 
Gruffydh  ap  Conan  to  the  principality  of  North  Wales  ; 
both  these  princes  being  indisputably  right  and  lawful  heirs 
to  their  respective  governments,  as  lineally  descended  from 
Roderic  the  Great,  who  was  legal  proprietor  of  all  Wales. 
Gruffydh  ap  Conan  had  already  reduced  the  isle  of 
Anglesey,  but  not  being  able  to  levy  a  sufficient  army  from 
thence  to  oppose  Trahaern,  he  invited  over  a  great  party  of 
Irish  and  Scots,  and  then  with  his  whole  army  joined  with 
Rhys  ap  Theodore,  Prince  of  South  Wales.  Trahaern  in 
like  manner  associating  to  himself  Caradoc  ap  Gruffydh  and 
Mailyr  the  son  of  Rywalhon  ap  Gwyn  his  cousins-german, 
the  greatest  and  most  powerful  men  then  in  Wales,  drew  up 
his  forces  together  with  resolution  to  fight  them.  Both 
armies  meeting  upon  the  mountains  of  Carno,f  which 
proved  the  more  fierce  and  bloody,  by  reason  that  both 
parties  resolutely  referred  their  whole  fortune  to  the  success 
of  their  arms,  and  life  would  prove  vain  if  the  day  was  lost. 
But  after  a  bloody  fight  on  both  sides,  the  victory  fell  at  last 
to  Gruffydh  and  Rhys,  Trahaern  with  his  cousins  being  all 
slain  in  the  field,:}:  after  whose  death  Gruffydh  took  posses- 
sion of  North  Wales  ;  and  so  the  rule  of  all  Wales,  after  a 
tedious  interval,  was  again  restored  to  the  right  line. 
About  the  same  time  Urgency  ap  Sitsylht,  a  person  of  noble 
quality  in  Wales,  was  treacherously  murdered  by  the  sons  of 
Rhys  Sais,  or  the  Englishman ;  by  which  name  the  Welsh 
were  accustomed  to  denominate  all  persons  who  either  had 
lived  any  considerable  time  in  England,  or  could  fluently 
and  handsomely  speak  the  English  tongue. 

GRUFFYDH 

*  According  to  Mr.  Vaughan,  of  Hengwrt,  the  immediate  territories  of  this  prince  were 
the  counties  of  Cardigan  and  Caermarthen ;  as  Pembroke,  Brecknock,  Gwent  or  Mon- 
mouthshire, and  Glewising  or  Herefordshire,  were  governed  by  their  several  reguli : 
though  there  is  no  doubt  but  all  these  acknowledged  the  sovereign  authority  of  South 
Wales.— British  Ant.  Revived,  pp.  7,  8.— Welsh  Chron.  p.  114. 

•f  In  South  Wales,  called  Mynydd  Cam,  on  account  of  a  large  Carnedd  upon  it, 
covering  the  remains  of  a  great  warrior,  who  had,  in  ancient  times,  been  slain  and  buried 
there. 

I  Vita  fil  Griff.  Conani.— Welsh  Chron.  p.  114. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  91 


GRUFFYDH  AP  CONAN. 

(jrRUFFYDH  ap  Conan  being  established  in  the  princi- 
pality of  North  Wales,  and  Rhys  ap  Theodore  in  that  of 
South  Wales ;   there  was  no  one  that  could  create  them 
any  molestation  or  disturbance  upon  the  account  of  their 
right,  which  was  unquestionably  just ;  so  that  they  quietly 
enjoyed  for  some  time  their  respective  dominions,  without 
apprehension  of  any  pretender  :  indeed,  it  had  seldom  been 
known  before,  but  that  one  of  the  princes  was  an  usurper ; 
and  particularly  in  North  Wales,  where,  from  the  time  of 
Edwal  Foel,  none  had  legally  ascended  to  the  crown,  ex- 
cepting Edwal  the  son  of  Meyric,  eldest  son  to  Edwal  Foel, 
in  whose  line  the  undoubted  title  of  North  Wales  lawfully 
descended:    and  the    right    line    being  now    restored  in 
Gruffydh  ap  Conan,  the  same  legally  continued  to  Lhewelyn 
ap  Gruffydh,  the  last  prince  of  the  British  blood.     During 
these  revolutions  in  Wales,   some  things  memorable  were 
transacted  in  England;  Malcolm  King  of  the   Scots  de- 
scending into  Northumberland,  ravaged  and  destroyed  the 
country  without  mercy,  carrying  away  a  great  number  of 
prisoners ;  after  which  the  Northumbrians  fell  upon  Walter 
Bishop  of  Durham,    whom   they  slew,    together  with  a 
hundred  men,  whilst  he  sate  keeping  his  court,  not  anti- 
cipating any  such  treacherous  villainy.     At  the  same  time 
Robert  Curthoys,  the  Bastard's  eldest  son,  being  for  some 
reason  disgusted  against  his  father,  and  instigated  by  the 
King  of   France,  entered  Normandy  with   an  army   and 
claimed  it  as  his  right,  which   King  William  being  ac- 
quainted with,  passed  over  to  Normandy,  and  meeting  with 
his  son  hand  to  hand  in  battle,  was  by  him  overthrown. 
Returning  from  Normandy  he  entered  with  a  great  army 
into  Wales,  and  marching  after  the  manner  of  a  pilgrimage 
as  far  as  St.  David's,  he  offered  and  paid  his  devotion  to  A.  D.  1079. 
that  saint,*  and  afterwards  received  homage  of  the  kings  and    13th  of 
princes  of  the  country.     About  the  same  time  the  tomb  of  William  the 
Walwey,  King  Arthur's  sister's  son,  a  most  valiant  person  Con<luerort 
in  his  time,  and  governor  of  that  country,  from  him  called 
Walwethey,  was  discovered  in  the  country  of  Rhos,  nigh 
the  sea-shore,   whose    skeleton  proved    monstrously  pro- 
digious, being  in  length  about  fourteen  feet. 

This  year  Madawc,  Cadwgan,  and  Riryd,  the  sons  of  ^  D.  i086. 
Plethyn  ap  Confyn  some  time  Prince  of  Wales,  raised  a 

rebellion 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  115. 


92  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

rebellion  against  Rhys  ap  Tewdwr,*  and  having  drawn 
together  a  great  number  of  licentious  and  discontented 
people,  thought  to  eject  him  out  of  the  principality  of  South 
Wales.  Rhys  had  not  power  and  forces  enough  to  oppose 
them,  while  the  rebel  army  increased  daily  by  the  addition 
of  the  discontented  multitude,  wlio  always  rejoice  at  any 
new  commotion  or  disturbance,  and  therefore  he  was  com- 
pelled to  retire  to  Ireland,  where  he  obtained  a  very  con- 
siderable party  of  Irish  and  Scots  upon  promise  of  a 
sufficient  reward  in  the  event  of  his  being  restored  to  his 
principality.  Having  by  this  measure  obtained  a  large 
increase  to  his  former  strength,  he  landed  in  South  Wales, 
the  news  of  whose  arrival  being  spread  abroad,  his  friends 
from  all  quarters  presently  assembled  about  him,  so  that  in 
a  short  time  his  army  became  numerous,  and  able  to  confront 
the  enemy.  The  rebels  were  aware  how  the  Prince's  forces 
daily  multiplied,  arid  therefore  to  prevent  any  farther  addi- 
tion, they  made  all  possible  haste  to  force  him  to  a  battle, 
which  in  a  short  time  after  happened  at  Lhech  y  Creu,f 
where  the  rebels  were  vanquished;  Madawc  and  Riryd 
being  slain,  and  Cadwgan  glad  to  save  his  life  by  flight. 
Rhys  having  won  so  signal  a  victory,  and  fearing  no  farther 
disturbance,  dismissed  the  Irish  and  Scots  with  great 
rewards,  who  honourably  returned  to  their  own  country. 
Within  a  while  after,  an  unaccountable  sacrilege  was  com- 
mitted at  St.  David's,  the  shrine  belonging  to  the  cathedral 
being  feloniously  conveyed  out  of  the  church,  all  the  plate 
and  other  utensils  were  stolen,  and  only  the  shrine  left  empty 
behind.  The  same  year  a  civil  war  £  broke  out  in  England, 
and  several  armies  in  several  parts  of  the  kingdom  were  up 
in  array  at  the  same  time,  and  amongst  the  rest  the  Welsh, 
who  entering  into  Gloucester  and  Worcester  shires,  burnt 
and  destroyed  all  before  them  to  the  gate  of  Worcester.  § 
The  king  having  drawn  his  army  together,  proceeded 
against  his  enemies  by  degrees,  and  falling  upon  their 
separate  parties,  without  any  great  difficulty  reduced  all  to 
A.  D.  1089.  obedience.  Within  two  years  after,  Archbishop  Sulien,  the 
most  pious  and  learned  person  in  Wales,  died,  in  the 
eightieth  year  of  his  age,  and  in  the  sixteenth  year  of 
his  bishoprick;  soon  after  whose  death  the  town  of  St. 
David's  suffered  a  more  apparent  calamity,  being  first 
plundered,  and  afterwards  burnt  by  a  company  of  pirates, 

who 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  117.  f  Lhechayd,  in  Radnorshire. 

J  Excited  by  the  Earls  of  Hereford  and  Shrewsbury. 

§  Called  by  the  Romans  Brangonia ;  by  the  Britons  Caer-Vrangon  ;  and  b*>  the  Saxons 
Worcester.— Humffrey  Lhuyd,  p.  26. — Annales  Waverlenses,  p.  136.— Simon  Dunelme, 
p.  214.— Matth.  Paris,  p.  12.— Welsh  Chron.  p.  118. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  93 

who  much  infested  the  British   coasts.      About  the  same 
time  also  died  Cadifor  the  son  of  Calhoyn  Lord  of  Dyfed, 
whose    sons  Lhewelyn   and    Eineon  moved    Gruffydh   ap 
Meredith  to  take  up  arms  against  his  sovereign  Prince  Rhys 
ap  Tewdwr,  with  whom  they  joined  all  the  forces  they  could 
levy   among   their   tenants  and   dependants ;  then   passing 
with  their  army  to  Lhandydoch,*  boldly  challenged  Rhys 
to   fight;    who   thereupon   gave  them  battle,  and  after   a 
resolute  engagement  on  both  sides,  the  rebels  were  at  length 
worsted,   and  put  to  flight,  and  so  closely  pursued,   that 
Gruffydh  ap  Meredith  was  taken  prisoner,  and  executed  as 
a  traitor  :f  but  Eineon  made  his  escape,  and  not  venturing 
to  trust  himself  with  any  of  his  own  kindred,   he  fled  to 
lestyn  ap  Gwrgantf  Lord  of  Morgannwc,§  who  was  then 
in  actual  rebellion  against  Prince  Rhys ;  and  to  ingratiate 
himself  the  more  in  lestyn's  favour,  he  entered  into  condi- 
tions for  the  performance  of  certain  articles,  one  of  which 
more  especially  was,  that  he  should  receive  his  daughter  in 
matrimony ;    that  he  would  bring  over  to  his  aid  a  consider- 
able body  of  Normans,   with  whom  he  was  intimately  ac- 
quainted, as  having  served  a  long  time  in  England.     These 
articles  being  agreed  to  and  recorded,   Eineon  posted  to 
England,  and  in  a  little  time  brought  matters  so  about,  that 
he   prevailed    with  Robert  Fitzhamon    and    twelve  more 
knights  to  levy  a  strong  army  of  Normans,  and  to  come  to 
Wales  to  the  protection  and  aid  of  lestyn.     The  beginning  A.  D.  1090. 
of  the  following  year  they  landed  in  Glamorganshire,  and 
were  honourably  received  by  lestyn,  who,  joining  his  power 
to   theirs,    marched  to  Prince  Rhys's   dominions,  where, 
without  the  least  shew  of  mercy  to  his  own  countrymen,  he 
encouraged  the  Normans  by  his  own  example  to  spoil  and 
destroy  all  that  came  before  them.     Prince  Rhys  was  much 
grieved  to  find  his  country  so  unmercifully  harassed;  and 
though  at  this  time  very  old,  being  above  ninety-eight  years 
of  age,  he  would  not  refrain  from  meeting  his  enemies  ;  and 
having  with  all  possible  speed  raised  an  army,  he  met  with 
them  near  Brecknock,  where,  after  a  terrible  fight  and  a  1091. 
great  slaughter  on  both   sides,   he   was  unhappily  slain.  || 
With  him  fell  the  glory  and  grandeur  of  the  principality  of 
South  Wales;    for  it  was   afterwards   rent  in  pieces  and 

divided 

*  In  the  county  of  Pembroke.  f  Welsh  Chron.  p.  119. 

J  lestyn  ap  Gwrgant  wa's  the  founder  of  the  fourth  Royal  Tribe  of  Wales,  and  de- 
scended in  the  twenty-ninth  generation,  from  the  illustrious  Caractacus. — "  A  sorry  slip," 
says  Mr.  Yorke,  "  from  such  a  stock."— The  Silurian  prince  had  defended  his  country  from 
foreign  enemies :  his  descendant  introduced  them  to  enslave  it.— Royal  Tribes,  p.  129. 

§  The  territory  of  Morgannwg  or  Morgan. 

||  Upon  the  Black  Mountain  near  Brecknock.— Humffrey  Lhuyd,  p.  80.— Polydore 
Vergil,  lib.  x.  p.  171. 


94  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

divided  into  several  parts  by  piecemeal  among  the  Norman 
captains,  as  is  hereafter  more  particularly  related.  Prince 
Rhys  left  issue  by  the  daughter  of  Rywalhon  ap  Confyn, 
two  sons,  Gruflfydh  and  Grono,  the  latter  of  whom  was 
detained  prisoner  by  the  King  of  England ;  *  though  the 
author  of  the  winning  of  the  lordship  of  Glamorgan  affirms 
that  he  was  slain  together  with  his  father  in  this  battle 
against  the  Normans. 

The  Normans  having  received  a  sufficient  reward  from 
lestyn,  on  account  of  their  service  against  Prince  Rhys, 
returned  to  their  ships,  in  order  to  their  voyage  homeward ; 
but  before  they  could  loose  anchor  to  sail  off,  Eineon  re- 
called them,  being  ungratefully  affronted  by  lestyn,  who 
absolutely  refused  to  make  good  to  him  the  conditions  which 
they  had  agreed  upon  before  the  Normans  were  invited  to 
Wales.     On   this  account,  Eineon  was  so  irreconcileably 
incensed  against  lestyn,  that,  to  be  revenged  upon  him,  he 
was  willing  to  sacrifice  his  native  country  into  the  hands  of 
strangers ;  and  therefore  persuaded  the  Normans  as  to  the 
fertility  of  the  country,  and  how  easily  they  might  conquer 
and  make  themselves  masters  of  it.     But  it  needed  not  many 
arguments  to  persuade  a  people  that  were  willing  of  them- 
selves, and  more  especially  when  encouraged  thereto  by  a 
person  of  some  esteem  in  the  country  ;    wherefore,  without 
any  more  questions,  they  presently  fell  to  their  business ; 
and  from  friends  became  unexpectedly  foes.     lestyn  was 
much  surprised  to  find  the  Nonnans,  whom  he  had  but 
lately  honourably  dismissed  from  his  service,   and,  as  he 
thought  with  satisfaction,  so  soon  become  his  enemies ;  but 
perceiving  a  serpent  in  the  hedge,  by  Eineon  being  upon 
such  friendly  terms  among  them,  he  quickly  guessed  at  the 
reason,  of  which  there  was  no  remedy  left,  and  for  which  he 
had  to  bewail  the  needless  folly  of  his  own  knavery.     The 
Normans  easily  dispossessed  lestyn  of  the  whole  lordship  of 
Glamorgan ;  f  the  most  pleasant  and  fertile  part  of  which 
they  divided  among  themselves ;   leaving  the  more  moun- 
tainous and  craggy  ground  to  the  share  of  Eineon ;  J   but  as 
Sir  Edward  Stradling,  a  descendant  from  one  of  Eineon's 
Norman  associates,  hath  left  a  particular  and  interesting 
account  of  this  expedition,   and  of  the  principal  persons 
engaged  in  it,  I  shall  here  insert  his  statement. 

The 

*  Humffrey  Lhuyd's  Brev.  p.  81.— Welsh  Chron.  p.  120. 

f  Humffrey  Lhuyd's  Brev.  p.  80.— Welsh  Chron.  p.  120.— From  Ran.  Cest.  lib.  vii.  cap. 
7. — Marianus  Scotus. 

J  Camden's  Britannia,  p.  602  j  Gibson's  Edit.— Humffrey  Lhuyd's  Breviary,  p,  80.— 
Welsh  Chron.  p.  120. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  95 


The  winning  of  the  Lordship  of  Glamorgan  or  Mor- 
gannwc  out  of  the  Welshmen's  Hands,  and  first  of  the 
description  of  the  same  Lordship. 

[Reprinted  from  the  Edition  of  1584.] 

J.  N  primis,  the  said  lordship  in  length  from  Rymny  bridge 
on  the  east  side,  to  Pwlh  Conan  on  the  west  side,  is  27 
miles.  The  breadth  thereof  from  the  haven  of  Aburthaw 
alias  Aberdaon,  on  the  south  side,  to  the  confines  of 
Bredinockshire,  above  Morleys  castle,  is  22  miles. 

Item  the  same  lordship,  being  a  lordship  marcher,  or  a 
lordship  royal,  and  holden  of  no  other  lordship,  the  lords 
ever  since  the  winning  of  the  same,  owing  their  obedience 
only  to  the  crown,  have  used  therein  jura  regalia :  that  is, 
the  trial  of  all  actions,  as  well  real  as  personal,  with  pleas  of 
the  crown,  and  authority  to  pardon  all  offences,  treason  only 
excepted. 

Item  there  were  11  lordships,  to  wit,  Senghennyth, 
Myskyn,  Ruthin,  Lhanblethian,  Tir  larlh,  Glyn  Rothney, 
Auan,  Neth,  Coyty,  Talauan  and  Lhantuit  alias  Bouiarton, 
that  were  members  of  the  said  lordship  of  Glamorgan.  In 
every  of  the  members  were  the  like  jura  regalia  used  in  all 
things,  saving  that  if  any  wrong  judgement  were  given  in 
any  of  the  courts  of  the  said  members,  it  should  be  reversed 
by  a  writ  of  false  judgement  in  the  county  court  of  Glamor- 
gan, as  superior  court  to  the  said  members.  Also  all 
matters  of  conscience  happening  in  debate  in  any  of  the  said 
members,  should  be  heard  and  determined  in  the  chancery 
of  Glamorgan,  before  the  chancellor  thereof. 

Item,  the  body  of  the  said  lordship  of  Glamorgan  was 
(before  the  alteration  of  the  laws  in  Wales)  a  county  of  itself, 
wherein  the  lord  had  two  castles  and  three  market  towns, 
to  wit,  the  castle  and  town  of  Kynfigs,  alias  Kefnffigen,  in 
the  west  part  thereof,  and  Cowbridge  town,  alias  Pont  vaen, 
in  the  middest.  And  the  town  and  castle  of  Cardyff,  or 
Caer-Dhydh,  in  the  east  part,  in  which  castle  of  Cardyff 
the  lord  did  most  inhabit ;  and  therein  he  had  his  Chancery 
and  Exchequer,  and  a  fair  court  house,  wherein  the  county 
court  was  monthly  kept  on  the  Monday  for  all  the  suiters  of 
the  shrievalty,  that  is,  of  the  body  of  the  said  lordship  itself, 
without  the  said  members. 

Item,  within  the  said  shrievalty,  or  body  of  the  said  lord- 
ship, were  18  castles,  and  36  knight's  fees  and  an  half,  that 

held 


96  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

held  of  the  said  lordship  of  Glamorgan  by  knights  service, 
besides  a  great  number  of  freeholders. 

6  Item,  in  eight  of  the  said  members  were  ten  castles  and 
four  borough  towns. 

7  Item,  the  annual  revenues  of  the  said  lordship  with  the 
The  value  members,  was  1000  marks,  whereof  was  allowed  in  fees  400 

of.       marks;    of  the  which   members  aforesaid,   John  Gamage, 
beVore'the'  ^sq.  occupieth  one  at  this  day,  descended  unto  him  from 
purchase   the  Turberuiles,  his  ancestors,  that  is  to  wit,  the  lordship  of 
thereof.    Coytie ;   and  the  heir  of  John  Bassett  enjoyeth  another,  to 
wit,  the  lordship  of  Talauan,  by  purchase  from  King  Ed- 
ward the  sixth.     The  other  nine  members,  with  four  of  the 
aforesaid  knights  fees,  and  all  the  castles,  market  towns,  and 
borough  towns,  with  the  demesnes  of  the  same ;  and  all  the 
lands  that  were  in  the  lords  hands,  parcel  of  the  said  lord- 
ship and  members,  the  earl  of  Pembroke  hath  purchased. 
The  value  So  that  there  remaineth  now  to  the  senior  of  the  said  lord- 
of  the     gj^p  Q£  Glamorgan  (being  in  the  Queen's  Majesty's  hands) 
but  the  moity  only  of  the  manor  of  Dynaspowys,  of  the  value 
of  26  pounds  by  the  year. 


The  Manner  of  the  winning  of  the  said  Lordship. 

A.D.  1091.  N  the  year  of  our  Lord  1091,  and  in  the  fourth  year  of  the 
reign  of  King  William  Rufus,  one  lestyn,  the  son  of 
Gurgant,  being  lord  of  the  said  lordship  of  Glamorgan, 
Rees  ap  Tewdwr,  prince  of  South  Wales,  that  is,  of  Caer- 
marthyneshire  and  Cardiganshire,  made  war  upon  him. 
Whereupon  the  said  lestyn,  understanding  himself  unable  to 
withstand  the  said  Rees  without  some  aid  otherwise,  sent 
one  Eneon,  a  gentleman  of  his,  to  England,  to  one  Robertus 
Fitzhamon,  a  worthy  man,  and  knight  of  the  privy  chamber 
with  the  said  king,  to  retain  him  for  his  succour.  The 
which  Robert,  being  desirous  to  exercise  himself  in  the 
feats  of  war,  agreed  soon  with  him  thereto  for  a  salary  to 
him  granted  for  the  same.  Whereupon  the  said  Robert 
Fitzhamon  retained  to  his  service  for  the  said  journey, 
twelve  knights,  and  a  competent  number  of  soldiers,  and 
went  into  Wales,  and  joining  there  with  the  power  of  the 
said  lestyn,  fought  with  the  said  Rees  ap  Tewdwr  and 
killed  him,  and  one  Conan  his  son.  After  which  victory, 
the  said  Robert  Fitzhamon,  minding  to  return  home  again 
with  his  company,  demanded  his  salary  to  him  due  of  the 
said  lestyn,  according  to  the  covenants  and  promises  agreed 

upon 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  97 

upon  between  him  and  the  aforesaid  Eneon,  on  the  behalf 
of  the  said  lestyn,  his  master.  The  which  to  perform  in  all 
points  the  said  lestyn  denied ;  and  thereupon  they  fell  out, 
so  that  it  came  to  be  tried  by  battle.  And,  for  so  much 
as  the  said  Eneon  saw  his  master  go  from  divers  articles  and 
promises  that  he  had  willed  him  to  conclude  with  the  said 
Robert  Fitzhamon,  on  his  behalf,  he  forsook  his  master, 
and  took  part,  he  and  his  friends,  with  the  said  Robert 
Fitzhamon.  In  the  which  conflict,  the  said  lestyn  with 
a  great  number  of  his  men  were  slain,  whereby  the  said 
Robert  Fitzhamon  won  the  peaceable  possession  of  the 
whole  lordship  of  Glamorgan,  with  the  members,  of  the 
which  he  gave  certain  castles  and  manors,  in  reward  of  ser- 
vice, to  the  said  twelve  knights,  and  to  other  his  gentlemen. 

The  Names  and  Sirnames  of  the  said  Twelve  Knights 
were  tJiese. 

1  Y  ?  ILLIAM  de  Londres  alias  London. 

2  Richardus  de  Grana  villa  alias  Greenfeeld. 

3  Paganus  de  Turberuile. 

4  Robertus  de  S.  Quintino  alias  S.  Quintine. 

5  Richardus  de  Syward. 

6  Gilbertus  de  Humfrevile. 

7  Rogerus  de  Berkrolles. 

8  Reginaldus  de  Sully. 

9  Peter  le  Soore. 

10  Johannes  le  Fleming. 

1 1  Oliverus  de  S.  John,  a  younger  brother  of  the  Lord  S. 

John,  of  Basing. 

12  William  le  Esterling,    whose  ancestors   came  out    of 

Danske  to  England  with  the  Danes,  and  is  now  by 
shortness  of  speech  called  Stradling. 

The  Parcels  given  by  the  said  Robert  Fitzhamon  to  the 
said  Twelve  Knights  and  other  sf  in  Reward  of  Service. 

J.N  primis,  to  the  said  William  de  Londres,  the   said        i 
Robert  Fitzhamon  gave  the  castle  and  manor  of  Ogmor,    Ogmor. 
being  four  knights'  fees ;  now  parcel  of  the  possessions  of 
the  duchy  of  Lancaster. 

Item,  to  the  forenamed  Sir  Richard  Greenfeeld,  he  gave        2 
the  castle  and  lordship  of  Neth,  being  one  of  the  members      NeUl- 
aforesaid ;  and  now  parcel  of  the  possessions  of  the  Right 
Hon.  the  Earl  of  Penbroke. 

Item, 
H 


98  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

3  Item,  to  Sir  Paine  Turberuile,  he  gave  the  castle  and 
oy  y'     lordship  of  Coyty,  being  another  of  the  said  members ;  and 

now  parcel  of  the  possessions  of  John  Gamage,  Esq. 

4  Item,  to  Sir  Robert  S.  Quintine  he  gave  the  castle  and 
ih  an  BIC  lordship  °f  khan  Blethan,  being  another  of  the  said  mem- 
bers;  and  now  parcel  of  the  possessions  of  S.  William 
Herbert,  of  Swansey,  Knt. 

5  Item,  to  Sir  Richard  Syward,  he  gave  the  castle  and 
Talauan.    lordship  of  Talauan,  being  another  of  the  said  members ; 

and  now  parcel  of  the  possessions  of  Anthony  Maunsell, 
Esq. 

6  Item,  to  Sir  Gilbert  Humfrevile,  he  gave  the  castle  and 
Penmarke.  manor  of  Penmarke,  being  three  knights'  fees ;  now  parcel 

of  the  possessions  of  the  Right  Hon.  Lord  St.  John,  of 
Bledso. 

7  Item,  to  Sir  Reginald  de  Sully,  he  gave  the  castle  and 
Sul|y-     manor  of  Sully,  so  since  called  after  his  name,  being  two 

knights'  fees ;  now  divided  betwixt  the  Earl  of  Pembroke, 
and  the  Lord  St.  John,  of  Bledso. 

8  Item,  to  Sir  Roger  Berkrolles,  he  gave  the  manor  of  East 
Orchard     Orcnard,  being  one  knight's  fee ;  now  parcel  of  the  pos- 
sessions of  S.  William  Herbert,  of  Swansey. 

9  Item,  to  Sir  Peter  le  Soore,  he  gave  the  castle  and  manor 
Peterton.   of  peterton,  so  now  called  after  his  name,  being  one  knight's 

fee ;  now  parcel  of  the  possessions  of  the  Earl  of  Penbroke. 

10  Item,  to  Sir  John  Fleming,  he  gave  the  castle  and  manor 
?orge'  of  St.  George,  being  one  knight's  fee;  and  holden  of  his 

posterity  the  Flemings  to  this  day. 

n  Item,  to  Sir  John  St.  John,  he  gave  the  castle  and  manor 

Fonmon.    of  FOnmon  or  Fenuon,  being  one  knight's  fee;   and  now 

parcel  of  the  possessions  of  the  Lord  St.  John,  of  Bledso. 
12  Item,  to  Sir  William  le  Esterling  alias  Stradling,  he  gave 

s.  Donates,  the  castle  and  manor  of  St.  Donats  or  St.  Denwit,  being  one 
knight's  fee ;  now  parcel  of  the  possessions  of  Sir  Edward 
Stradling,  Knt.  that  now  is. 


Sum.      Four  Lordships  Members,  and  Thirteen  Knights 

Fees. 

13  ITEM,  he  gave  to  the  aforesaid  Eneon,  that  took  his  part, 
the  lordship  of  Senghennyth,  being  another  of  the  said 
members. 

14  Item,  he  gave  the  castle  and  lordship  of  Auan,  another  of 
the  said  members,  to  Caradoc  Fitz  lestyn,  the  eldest  son  of 
the  said  lestyn. 

Item, 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  99 

Item,  be  gave  the  lordship  of  Ruthyn,  another  of  the  said        15 
members,  to  another  son  of  the  said  lestyn. 

Item,  the  rest  of  the  foresaid  knights'  fees,  being  twenty-        ie 
two  and  an  half,  he  distributed  part  to  gentlemen  that  served 
him,  and  part  to  the  Welshmen,  right  owners  of  the  same. 


The  Portion  that  the  Lord  kept  for  himself  and  his 

Heirs. 

Jl  HE  castle  of  Cardyff  and  Kenfigg,  with  the  foresaid 
three  market  towns  of  Cardyff,  Kenfigg,  and  Cowbrige,  and 
the  shrievalty,  being  a  body  of  the  said  lordship  of  Gla- 
morgan, and  all  the  demesnes  of  the  same,  with  the  rest  of 
the  said  members ;  to  wit,  Miskyn,  Glynrothney,  Tyr  larl, 
and  Boviarton  alias  Lentwit:  and  the  chief  seniory  of  the 
whole  the  said  Robert  Fitzhamon  kept  to  himself.  And  in 
the  said  lordship  of  Boviarton  he  had  a  large  grange  or 
house  of  husbandry,  with  the  lands  to  the  same  belonging, 
that  served  him  for  the  provision  of  corn  to  his  house.  He 
dwelt  himself  most  in  the  said  castle  or  town  of  Cardyff, 
being  a  fair  haven  town.  And  because  he  would  have  the 
aforesaid  twelve  knights  and  their  heirs  give  attendance 
upon  him  every  county  day  (which  was  always  kept  by  the 
sheriff  in  the  utter  ward  of  the  said  castle,  on  the  Monday 
monthly  as  is  before  said)  he  gave  every  one  of  them  a 
.lodging  within  the  said  utter  ward,  the  which  their  heirs, 
or  those  that  purchased  the  same  of  their  heirs,  do  enjoy  at 
this  day. 

Also  the1  morrow  after  the  county  day,  being  the  Tuesday, 
the  lord's  chancellor  sat  always  in  the  chancery  there,  for 
the  determining  of  matters  of  conscience  in  strife,  happening 
as  well  in  the  said  shrievalty  as  in  the  members ;  the  which 
day  also,  the  said  knights  used  to  give  attendance  upon  the 
lord ;  and  the  Wednesday  every  man  drew  homeward,  and 
then  began  the  courts  of  the  members  to  be  kept  in  order, 
one  after  another. 


The  Pedigree  of  Robert  Fitzhamon,  and  of  his  Heirs, 
Lords  of  Glamorgan. 

fWl  Some  do  af- 

1     JL  HE  said  Robert  Fitzhamon,  was  son  to  Hamon,  firm  that  he 
a  great  lord,  and  kinsman  of  William  the  Conqueror,  AstreTiie  in 

who  Normandy. 
H  2 


100 


HISTORY  OF  WALES. 


Matt.  West, 
lib.  2,  p.  21. 
I.  Castor. 
Matt.  Paris, 
page  22. 


who  came  into  the  realm  with  him.  This  Robert  (as  is 
before  said)  was  knight  of  the  privy  chamber  with  King 
William  Rufus ;  who  (as  it  appeareth  in  the  Chronicles) 
dreamed  the  night  before  the  king  was  killed,  that  he 
saw  the  king  torn  in  pieces  by  wolves ;  and  therefore,  by 
his  persuasion,  he  walled  the  king  to  forbear  to  go 
abroad  that  forenoon.  But  the  king,  when  he  had 
dined,  there  was  no  man  able  to  stay  him,  but  that  he 
would  ride  forth  a  hunting  into  the  new  forest,  where 
he  was  slain  by  Walter  Tyrrel,  by  the  glancing  of  his 
arrow  shooting  at  a  red  deer. 

2  Mawd,  the  only  daughter  and  heiress  of  the  said 
Robert,  was  married  to  Robert,  Earl    of    Glocester, 
base  son  to  King  Henry  the  First. 

3  William,  Earl  of  Glocester,  son  to  the  said  Robert 
and  Mawd,  died  without  issue  male,  leaving  behind  him 
three  daughters,  of  the  which,  Isabel,  the  eldest,  was 
married  to  King  John,   then   Earl  of  Oxenford  and 
Lancaster,  (as  some  chronicles  do  declare,)  who,  so  soon 
as  he  was  made  king  was  divorced  from  her,  and  then 
she  was  married  to  Geffrey  Mandevile,  Earl  of  Essex, 
and  died  without  issue,  as  far  as  I  can  find. 

4  The  second  daughter  named  Amicia,  was  married  to 
Sir  Gilbart  de  Clare,  then  Earl  of  Clare,  by  whom  he 
had  the  earldom  of  Glocester :    and  Mabile,  the  third 
daughter,  was  married  to  the  Earl  of  Eureux. 

5  Sir  Gilbart  de  Clare,  son  to  the  said  Gilbart,  was  the 
fourth  Earl  of  Glocester. 

6  Sir  Richard  de  Clare's  son  was  the  fifth  Earl. 

7  Sir  Gilbart's  son  was  the  sixth  Earl. 

8  Sir   Gilbart's  son,    who  married    Jane    de    Acres, 
daughter  to  King  Edward  I.  was  the  seventh  Earl. 

9  Sir  Gilbart  de  Clare  their  son  was  the  eighth  Earl, 
and  he  was  slain  by  the  Scots   in  King  Edward  the 
Second's  time ;  and  then  the  earldom  fell  between  his 
three  sisters.     Of  the  which,  Elianor,  the  eldest,  was 
married  to  Hugh  Spencer,  the  son,  in  her  right  Earl  of 
Glocester.    Margaret,  the  second,  was  married  to  Peires 
Gaueston,  and  after  to  the  Lord  Awdeley.     Elizabeth, 
the  third,  was  married  first  to  William,  Lord  Burgh, 
Earl  of  Ulster,  and  after  to   Ralph  Roch,  Baron  of 
Armoy,  in  Ireland ;  she  was  married  the  third  time  to 
Theobald  L.  Verdoun,  and  lastly  to  Sir  Roger  Damory, 
and  had  issue  by  every  one  of  them. 

Sir  Hugh  Spencer  had  to  his  wives  purpartee  the  said 


10 


lordship  of  Glamorgan. 


11 


CAMPBELL 
COLLECTION 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  101 

1 1  Sir  Hugh,  Lord  Spencer,  their  son,  enjoyed  the  same, 
and  died  without  issue. 

12  Edward,  Lord  Spencer,  son  to  Edward,  brother  to 
the  said  Hugh,  succeeded  the  said  Hugh  therein. 

13  Thomas,  Lord  Spencer,  his  son,  succeeded  him. 

14  Richard,  Lord  Spencer,  his  son,  succeeded  him,  and 
died  in  ward. 

15  Isabell,  sister  to  Richard,  succeeded  him,  and  married 
with  Richard  Beauchamp,  Earl  of  Worcester,  and  Lord 
Burgavenny,  who  had  issue  by  her  a  daughter  only,  and 
died.     The  which  daughter  was  married  to  Edward,  the 
son  of  Dawraby,  Ralph  Neuel,  Earl  of  Westmoreland. 
And  after  the  death  of  the  said  Earl  of  Worcester,  the 
said  Isabell  married  with  Richard  Beauchamp,  Earl  of 
Warwick. 

16  Henry  Beauchamp,  Earl  of  Warwick,  and  after  Duke 
of  Warwick,  their  son,  died  without  issue. 

17  Anne,  his  sister  of  whole  blood  succeeded  him,  and 
married  with  Richard  Neuel,  after  Earl  of  Salisburie, 
and  in  her  right  Earl  of  Warwick,  and  had  issue  two 
daughters,  Mary,  married  to  the  Duke  of  Clarence,  and 
Anne,  married  first  to  Prince  Edward,  slain  at  Teux- 
burie,   and  after    his    death   with  Richard,   Duke  of 
Glocester,  who  was  afterwards  King  of  England. 

18  The  said  Anne  and  King  Richard  (being  then  Duke 
of  Glocester)   had  the  said  lordship  given  unto  them 
by  the  said  Anne,  Countess  of  Warwick,  her  mother. 

19  King  Henry  the  Seventh  enjoyed  the  same  after  the 
death  of  King  Richard. 

20  lasper,  Duke  of  Bedford,  enjoyed  the  same  by  the 
gift  of  King  Henry  the   Seventh,   and  died  without 
issue ;  and  by  reason  thereof  it  remained  to  the  king 
again. 

21  King  Henry  the  Eighth  enjoyed  the  same  after  his 
father. 

22  King  Edward  the  Sixth  succeeded  him  therein,  and 
sold  almost  all  the  lands  thereof. 

23  Queen  Mary  succeeded  him  in  the  seniory. 

24  Queen  Elizabeth  our  most  dread  sovereign  that  now 
is,  doth  succeed  her  in  the  same  seniory,  and  hath  sold 
the  lordship  of  Neth  from  it ;   so  that  now  there  remain 
no  more  lands  appertaining  to  the  seniory,    but  the 
moity  of  the  manor  of  Deinaspowys  only. 


The 


102  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 


The  Pedigree  of  Londres,  Lord  of  Ogmore,  one  of  the 
said  Twelve. 

1  WlLLIAM    LONDRES,  lord  of  the  castle   and 
manor  of  Ogmore,  (as  is  before  said,)  won  afterwards 
the  lordships  of  Kydwelhey  and  Carnewilhion,  in  Car- 
marthenshire, from  the  Welshmen  ;   and   gave  to  Sir 
Arnold  Butler  his  servant,  the  castle  and  manor  of  Dun- 
reeven,   in  the  lordship   of   Ogmore  aforesaid.      The 
which  ever  since  hath  continued  in  the  heirs  male  of 
the  said  Arnold  Butler,  until  within  these  few  years  that 
it  fell  to  Walter  Vaghan,  sister's  son  to  Arnold  Butler, 
the  last  of  the  Butlers  that  was  owner  thereof. 

2  Simon  de  Londres,  his  son,  succeeded  him. 

3  William  de  Londres  succeeded  his  father  Simon,  and 
had  issue  one  son. 

4  Moris  de  Londres,  his  son,  succeeded  him,  and  had 
issue  one  only  daughter, 

5  The  said  daughter  married  with  one  Seward,  a  man 
of  great  possessions. 

6  They  had  issue  a  daughter  only,  married  to  Henrie, 
Earl  of  Lancaster,  brother  to  Thomas,   Earl   of  Lan- 
caster. 

7  Henrie  their  son,  made  afterwards  Duke  of  Lancaster, 
did  succeed  them;    and  so  the  said  three  lordships, 
Ogmore,  Kydwelhey,  and  Carnewilhion,  became  parcels 
of  the  Duchy  of  Lancaster  ever  after. 


The  Pedigree  of  Greenefeeld. 

Richard  Greenefeeld  before  said,  (to  whom  the 
lordship  of  Neth  was  given  in  reward,)  was  lord  of  the 
castle  and  manor  of  Bydyford,  in  Devonshire,  at  the  time  he 
came  into  Wales  with  the  said  Robert  Fitzhamon,  and 
founded  an  abby  of  white  monks  in  Neth,  and  gave  the 
whole  lordship  to  the  maintenance  of  the  same,  and  then 
returned  back  again  to  Bydyford,  whereat  the  issue  male  of 
his  body  doth  yet  remain,  and  enjoy eth  the  same. 

The  Pedigree  of  Turberuile,  Lord  of  Goyty, 

I  ^IR  Paine  Turberuile,  Lord  of  Coyty,  as  is  before 
said. 

2 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  103 

2  Sir  Simon  Turberuile  succeeded  him,  and  died  with- 
out issue. 

3  Sir  Gilbart  Turberuile  succeeded  his  brother. 

4  Sir  Paine  Turberuile,  his  son,  succeeded  him,   and 
married  Mawd,  daughter  and  sole  heir  to  Morgan  Gam, 
one  of  the  nephews  of  the  aforesaid  lestyn. 

5  Sir  Gilbart,  their  son,  quartered  lestyn's  arms  with 
Turberuile's. 

6  Sir  Gilbart,  his  son,  succeeded  him. 

7  Sir  Richard,  his  son,  succeeded  him. 

8  Sir  Paine,  his  son,  succeeded  him,  who  merried  with 
Wenlhian,    daughter    to    Sir    Richard    Talbot,    Knt. 
and  had  issue  by  her  two  sons,  that  is  to  wit,  Gilbart 
and  Richard;  and  four  daughters,  namely,  Catharine, 
Margaret,  Agnes,  and  Sara. 

9  Sir  Gilbart  succeeded  Sir  Paine  his  father. 

10       Sir  Gilbart,  his  son,  succeeded  him,  and  died  without 

issue. 
J.1       Sir  Richard,  his  father's  brother,  succeeded  him,  and 

having  no  issue,  entailed  the  lordship  of  Coyty  to  the 

heirs  male  of  Sir  Roger  Berkerolles,  Knt. 

1  Sir  Roger  Berkerolles,   Knt.    son    to    Sir  William 
Berkerolles,   Knt.    and  Phelice  his  wife,   one    of  the 
daughters  of  Veere,  Earl  of  Oxenfbrd,  which  said  Sir 
Roger  had  married  Catharine,  the  eldest  sister  of  the 
said  Sir  Richard.     And  for  default  of  such  issue,  the 
remainder  to  the  heirs  male  of  Sir  Richard  Stakepoole, 

2  Knt.  who  married  with  Margaret,  second  sister  of  the 
said  Richard.      And  for  default  of   such  issue,    the 
remainder  to  the  heirs  of  Sir  John  de  la  Beare,  Knt. 

,3  and  Agnes  his  wife,  the  third  sister  to  the  said  Richard. 
And  for  lack  of  such  issue  male,  the  remainder  to  the 
4  heirs  male  of  William  Gamage,  and  of  Sara  his  wife, 
the  fourth  sister  to  the  said  Sir  Richard  Turberuile. 

The  said  Berkrolles,  Stakepoolle,  and  De  la  Beare, 
died  without  issue  male,*  by  reason  whereof,  after  the 

death 

*  Robert,  the  only  brother  of  the  said  Sir  Richard  Stacpoole,  married  a  daughter  of 
Sir  John  Sitsylt  or  Cecil!. 

T  Sir  William  Stacpoole,  his  eldest  son,  married  a  daughter  of  Howel  ap  Ithel,  Lord  of 
Roos  and  Ryuonioc,  now  Denbighland.  The  said  Sir  William  Stacpoole  had  a  command 
in  an  army,  raised  in  the  reign  of  King  Stephen,  against  David,  King  of  Scots,  but  died 
young,  leaving  three  sons  and  one  daughter. 

Sir  Richard  Stacpoole,  his  eldest  son,  of  Stacpoole,  in  the  county  of  Pembrooke,  married 
a  daughter  of  Sir  Henry  Vernon,  of  Haddon,  in  the  Peke. 

No  mention  is  made  of  the  second  son  ;  but  Robert,  the  youngest  son,  epcouraged  by 
his  cousin  Robert  Fitzstephen,  went  over  to  Ireland  with  Richard,  Earl  of  Strigule,  known 
by  the  name  of  Strongbow,  and  was  a  captain  of  archers  in  that  division  of  the  army  that 

Fitzstephen 


104  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

death  of  Sir  Laurence  Berkerolles,  Knt.  son  to  the  said 
Sir  Roger,  and  Catharine  his  wife;  the  said  lordship 
fell  to  Sir  William  Gamage,  son  to  Gilbert,  son  to  the 
foresaid  William  Gamage,  and  Sara.  The  said  William 
was  son  to  Sir  Robert  Gamage,  Knt.  son  to  Paine 
Gamage,  lord  of  the  manor  of  Rogiade,  in  the  county  of 
Monmowth.  The  foresaid  Sir  William  had  issue 
Thomas,  Thomas  had  issue  John,  John  had  issue 
Morgan,  Morgan  had  issue  Sir  Thomas  Gamage,  Knt. 
and  Margaret,  wife  to  lenkin  Thomas,  and  Anne,  wife 
to  Robert  Raglan,  and  Catharine,  wife  to  Reginald  ap 
Howel,  and  Wenlhian,  wife  to  Thomas  ap  Meyric. 

The  said  Sir  Thomas  Gamage  had  issue  Robert 
Gamage,  that  late  was ;  Catharine  his  eldest  daughter, 
wife  to  Sir  Thomas  Stradling,  Knt.  Marie  the  second 
daughter,  wife  to  Matthew  Herebert ;  Margaret  the  third 
daughter,  wife  to  the  Lord  William  Howard;  and 
Elizabeth  the  fourth  daughter,  wife  to  Richard  Hogan, 
of  Penbrookeshire,  Esq.  The  said  Robert  Gamage  had 
issue  John  Gamage,  that  now  is. 

1  Sole  heir  general  to  the  said  Sir  Roger  Berkrolles, 
Knt.  and  Catharine,  one  of  the  four  sisters,  and  heirs 
general  to  the  aforesaid  Sir  Richard  Turberuile,  Knt. 
is  Sir  Edward  Stradling,  Knt.  that  now  is. 

2  Sole  heir  general  to  the  said  Sir  Richard  Stakepoole, 
of  Penbrookeshire,  and  Margaret  his  wife,  another  of 
the  four  sisters,  and  heirs  general  to  the  said  Sir  Richard 
Turberuille,  Knt.  is  Sir  George  Vernon,  Knt. 

3  Heirs  general  to  the  said  Sir  John  de  la  Beare,  Knt. 
and  Agnes  his  wife,  another  of  the  four  sisters,  and  heirs 
general  of  the  said  Sir  Richard  Turberuille,  Knt.   are 
Oliuer  S.  John,  Lord  S.  John,  of  Bledso,  and  William 
Basset,  of  Glamorgan,  Esq.  that  now  is. 

4  John  Gamage,  Esq.   that  now  is,   is    as  well  heir 
general  lineally  descended  from  Sara  the  fourth  sister, 
and  heir  to  the  said  Sir  Richard  Turberuile,  Knt.  as 
also  heir  by  the  entail  aforesaid,  to  the  whole  lordship 
of  Coyty. 

Robert 


Fitzstephen  commanded  under  Strongbow,  in  the  year  1168,  the  fourteenth  year  of  King 
Henry  the  Second. 

The  said  Robert  Stacpoole  after  settled  in  Ireland,  and  his  lineal  descendant  has  a  large 
property  in  the  county  of  Clare,  in  that  kingdom. 

The  old  mansion  of  Stacpoole  Court,  and  a  large  estate  in  Pembrokeshire,  descended 
to  a  grand-daughter  of  the  second  Sir  Richard  Stacpoole,  and  became  the  property  of  the 
son  of  the  late  Pryse  Campbell,  Esq.  who  was  member  for  that  county,  and  died  in  1769 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  105 


Robert  de  S.  Quintine,  his  Pedigree. 

Robert  de  S.  Quintine,  to  whom  the  lordship  of 
Lhanblethian  was  given,  and  his  issue  male  enjoyed  the 
same  until  King  Henry  the  Third's  time.  And  then,  or  in 
a  short  time  after,  his  issue  male  failed,  of  whom  is  de- 
scended Sir  William  Parr,  late  Marquis  of  Northampton. 


Richard  de  Syward,  his  Pedigree. 

Richard  Syward,  to  whom  the  lordship  of  Talauan 
wras  given,  and  his  issue  male,  enjoyed  the  same  until  King 
Edward  the  Third's  time ;  at  which  time  the  heirs  thereof 
having  other  lands  in  Somersetshire,  sold  the  said  lordship 
to  the  Lord  Spencer,  then  Lord  of  Glamorgan,  and  went 
into  Somersetshire  to  dwell  there,  where  his  issue  male 
continueth  yet. 


Gilbert  de  Humfreuile,  his  Pedigre. 

IR  Gilbert  Humfreuile  aforesaid,  to  whom  the  castle 
and  manor  of  Penmarke  was  given,  and  his  issue  male, 
enjoyed  the  same  till  the  said  King  Edward  the  Third's 
time;  and  then  the  inheritance  of  the  said  castle  and  manor 
descended  to  Sir  John  S.  John,  of  Fonmon,  Knt.  to  whom 
the  forenamed  Lord  S.  John,  of  Bledso,  is  sole  heir. 


SIR 


Roger  de  Berkerolles,  Knt.  his  Pedigree. 

Roger  Berkerolles  aforesaid,  Knt.  to  whom  the 
manor  of  East  Orchard  was  given ;  and  his  issue  male, 
enjoyed  the  same  till  the  thirteenth  year  of  Henrie  the 
Fourth;  that  Sir  Laurence  Berkerolles,  Knt.  died,  whom 
Sir  Edward  Stradling,  Knt.  as  sole  heir  did  succeed,  being 
son  to  Sir  William  Stradling,  Knt.  son  to  Sir  Edward 
Stradling,  Knt.  and  Wenlhian  sole  sister  and  heir  to  the 
said  Sir  Laurence,  of  .whom  Edward  Stradling,  Knt.  (that 
now  is)  is  lineally  descended. 

Reginald 


106  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 


Reginald  de  Sully,  Knt.  his  Pedigree. 

Reginald  de  Sully,  to  whom  the  castle  and  manor  of 
Sully  was  given,  and  his  issue  male,  enjoyed  the  same  until 
about  King  Edward  the  First's  time.  And  then  it  fell  to  a 
daughter  married  to  Sir  Morgan  de  Avan,  Lord  of  the 
lordship  of  Avan  above-named;  whose  son,  Sir  John  de 
Avan,  had  but  one  daughter,  of  whom  Sir  George  Blunt,  of 
Shropshire,  is  lineally  descended  as  sole  heir,  whose  ances- 
tor gave  the  said  lordship  of  Avan,  and  the  castle  and 
manor  of  Sully  to  the  Lord  Spencer,  in  exchange  for  other 
lands  in  England. 


Peter  le  Soore,  Knt.  his  Pedigree. 

Peter  le  .Soore,  Knt.  to  whom  was  given  the  c,astle 
and  manor  of  Peter's  Towne,  and  his  issue  male,  enjoyed 
the  same  until  King  Henry  the  Fourth's  time,  and  then  died 
without  issue,  and  his  inheritance  fell  between  divers. 


John  le  Fleming,  Knt.  his  Pedigree. 

John  le  Fleming,  Knt.  to  whom  the  castle  and  manor 
.of  S.  George  was  given,  and  his  issue  male,  enjoyed  the 
same  until  King  Henry  the  Fourth's  time ;  and  then  it  fell 
to  Edmond  Malefant,  who  had  married  a  daughter  to  the 
last  Fleming.  And  in  King  Henry  the  Seventh's  time  the 
Malefants'  issue  by  Fleming's  daughter  failed;  and  then 
It  fell  to  John  Butler,  of  Dunreeven  above  named,  Esq.  and 
after  the  death  of  him  and  of  Arnold  his  son,  both  the 
inheritances  of  Fleming  and  Butler  fell  to  Walter  Vaghan, 
of  Brodemard,  in  the  county  of  Hereford,  Esq.  now  living, 
sister's  son  to  the  said  Arnold  Butler. 


Oliuer  de  S.  John,  Knt.  his  Pedigree. 

Oliuer  S.  John,  Knt.  to  whom  the  castle  and  manor 
of  Fonmon  was  given,  and  his  heirs  male  have  ever  since 
enjoyed  the  same,  to  whom  the  above-named  Lord  S.  John, 
ofBledso,  that  now  is,  is  sole  heir;  whose  ancestors  from 

the 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  107 

the  winning  of  the  said  lordship  of  Glamorgan  out  of  the 
Welshmens  hands,  have  continually  dwelt  at  Fonmon  afore- 
said, until  the  latter  time  of  King  Edward  the  Fourth. 
That  John  S.  John,  Esq.  had  the  said  lordship  of  Bledso, 
and  many  other  possessions  besides,  by  the  death  of  dame 
Margaret  Beauchampe,  his  mother,  who  was  also  mother  to 
Margaret,  Duchess  of  Somerset,  mother  to  King  Henry  the 
Seventh.  Since  which  time  the  said  John  S.  John,  and  Sir 
John  S.  John,  Knt.  father  to  my  lord  that  now  is,  have 
always  dwelt  in  Bledso,  but  they  do  keep  their  lands  in 
Wales  still  in  their  hands. 


William  le  Esterling,  alias  Stradling,  his  Pedigree. 

1  J^IR  William  Esterling,  Knt.  to  whom  the  castle  and 
manor  of  S.  Donat's  was  given. 

2  Sir  John  le  Esterling,  Knt.  his  son,  succeeded  him. 

3  Sir  Morris  le  Esterling,  Knt.  his  son,  succeeded  him. 

4  Sir  Robert  le  Esterling,  Knt.  (most  commonly  called 
Stradling  by  shortness  of  speech  and  change  of  some 
letters)  succeeded  him. 

5  Sir  Gilbert  Stradling,  Knt.  his  son,  succeeded  him. 

6  Sir  William  Stradling,  Knt.  his  son,  succeeded  him. 

7  Sir  John  Stradling,   Knt.  his  son,  succeeded  him. 
It  doth  not  appear  in  what  stock  or  surname  any  of  these 
seven  knights  above  named  did  marry ;  but  the  names  of 
the  wives  of  William  the  first,  Robert,  and  John   the 
second,  were  Hawisia,  Mathilda,  and  Cicilia. 

8  Sir  Peter  Stradling,  Knt.  his  son,   succeeded  him, 
who  in  the  beginning  of  King  Edward  the  First's  time 
and  reign  married   lulian,  sole  daughter  and  heir  of 
Thomas  Hawey,  by  whom  he  had  three  manors,  Hawey 
and  Comhawey,  in  Somersetshire,  yet  remaining  to  his 
heirs,  and  Compton  Hawey,  in  Dorsetshire,  sold  of  late 
years. 

9  Sir   Edward   Stradling,   Knt.  their  son,    succeeded 
them,  and  he  quartered  the  Haweys'  arms  with  his,  and 
married  with  Elianpr,   daughter  and  heir  to  Gilbert 
Strangbow,  a  younger  brother,  whose  wife  was  daughter 
and  heir  to  Richard  Garnon,    and  had    by  her  two 
manors  in  Oxefordshire. 

10  Sir  Edward  Stradling,  Knt.  his  son,  succeeded  him, 
and  married  with  Wenlhian,  daughter  to  Roger  Berk- 
rolles,  Knt.  and  sole  sister  and  heir  to  Sir  Laurence 
Berkrolles,  Knt.  as  it  happened  afterward. 


108  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

11  Sir  William  Stradling,  Knt.  his  son,  married  with 
Isabel,  daughter  and  heir  to  John  S.  Barbe,  of  Somer- 
setshire ;  but  he  had  no  lands  by  her,  for  it  was  entailed 
to  the  heirs  male.     This  Sir  William,  in  King  Richard 
the  Second's  time,  went  a  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem,  and 
received  there  also  the  orders  of  knighthood  of   the 
sepulchre  of  Christ. 

12  Sir  Edward  Stradling,  Knight,   his   son,   succeeded 
him,  who,  because  he  was  sole  heir  general  to  the  said 
S.  Barbe,  did  quarter  S.  Barbe's  arms  with  his.     To 
whom  also  (in  the  thirteenth  year  of  King  Henry  the 
Fourth)  fell  the  whole  inheritance  of  the  Berkerolles, 
and  the  right  of  the  fourth  part  of  Turberuile's  in- 
heritance, Lord  of  Coyty  aforesaid ;  the  which,  for  lack 
of   issue  male  of  the    said  Berkerolles,    remained  to 
Gamage  and  to  his  heirs  male  by  the  especial  entail 
Aforesaid.     The  which  Sir  Edward  did  quarter  not  only 
the  said  Berkerolles'  arms  with  his,  but  also  the  Tur- 
beruiles  and  lestynes  arms ;    of  whom  the  Turberuiles 
had  in  marriage  one  of  the  inheritors  as  is  before  said, 
because  the  said  Sir  Edward  was  one  of  the  four  heirs 
general  to  Sir  Richard  Turberuile,  to  wit,  son  to  Sir 
William  Stradling,  son  to  Wenlhian,  sister  and  heir  to 
the    said    Laurence     Berkerolles,    and    daughter    to 
Catharine,    eldest  sister,   and  one    of   the  four  heirs 
general  to  the  aforesaid  Sir  Richard  Turberuile. 

The  said  Sir  Edward  married  with  Jane,  daughter  to 
Henry  Beauford,  afterwards  Cardinal,  begotten  (before 
he  was  priest)  upon  Alice,  one  of  the  daughters  of 
Richard,  Earl  of  Arundel ;  and  in  the  beginning  of 
King  Henry  the  Seventh's  reign,  he  went  likewise  on 
pilgrimage  unto  lerusalem,  as  his  father  did,  and 
received  the  order  of  the  sepulchre  there. 

This  Sir  Edward  had  to  his  brother  Sir  John  Strad- 
ling, Knight,  who  married  with  the  heir  of  Dauncy,  in 
Wiltshire,  and  had  issue  Sir  Edmond,  who  had  issue 
John  and  Edmond.  John  had  issue  Anne,  Lady 
Davers,  of  whom  the  Davers,  Hugerfordes,  Fynes,  and 
Leuet,  and  a  great  progeny  of  them  are  descended ;  and 
of  the  said  Edmond  cometh  Carnysoyes,  of  Cornewal. 

The  said  Edward  had  another  brother  called  William, 
of  whom  Stradlyn,  of  Ruthyn,  and  others  are  descended ; 
the  same  William  had  a  daughter  named  Wenlhian, 
who,  by  the  Earl  of  Ryuers,  had  a  daughter,  married  to 
Sir  Robert  Poynes,  of  whom  cometh  all  the  Poynes,  the 
Newtons,  Perots,  and  others. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  109 

13  Sir  Harrie   Stradling,   Knight,  his   son,   succeeded 
him,  and  married  with  Elizabeth,  sister  of  whole  blood 
to  Sir  William  Herbert,  Knight,  Earl  of  Penbrooke, 
and  had  issue  by  her  one  son  and  two  daughters ;  one  of 
them  was  married  to  Myles  ap  Harry,  of  whom  Mrs. 
Blanch  ap   Harrie  and  her  brethren    and  uncles   are 
descended ;  the  other  daughter  was  married  to  Fleming, 
of  Monton,  in  Wales. 

This  Sir  Harrie,  in  the  sixteenth  year  of  King  Edward 
the  Fourth,  went  in  like  manner  on  pilgrimage  to  Jeru- 
salem, and  received  the  order  of  the  sepulchre  there,  as 
his  father  and  grandfather  did,  and  died  in  the  Isle  of 
Cypres  in  his  coming  home ;  whose  book  is  to  be  seen 
as  yet,  with  a  letter  that  his  man  brought  from  him  to 
his  lady  and  wife.  The  saying  is,  that  divers  of  his  said 
ancestors  made  the  like  pilgrimage,  but  there  remaineth 
no  memory  in  writing  but  of  these  three. 

This  Sir  Harrie,  sailing  from  his  house  in  Somerset- 
shire to  his  house  in  Wales,  was  taken  prisoner  by  a 
Brytaine  pirate,  named  Colyn  Dolphyn,  whose  redemp- 
tion and  charges  stood  him  in  2000  marks;  for  the 
payment  whereof  he  was  driven  to  sell  the  castle  and 
manor  of  Basselek  and  Sutton,  in  Monmouthshire,  and 
the  manors  in  Oxfordshire. 

14  Thomas  Stradling,  Esq.  his  son,  succeeded  him,  and 
married  lenet,  daughter  to  Thomas  Matthew,  of  Rayder, 
Esq.  and  had  issue  by  her  two  sons,  Edward  and  Harrie, 
and  one  daughter  named  Jane,  and  died  before  he  was 
twenty-six  years  of  age.      After  whose  death,  his  wife 
married  with  Sir  Rice  ap  Thomas,  Knight  of  the  Garter. 
Harrie  married  with  the  daughter  and  heir  of  Thomas 
lubb,  learned  in  the  law,  and  had  issue  by  her  Francis 
Stradling,  of  S.  George,  of  Bristow,  yet  living.     lane 
was  married  to  Sir  William  Gruffyth,  of  North  Wales, 
Knt.  and  had  issue  by  her  three  sons,  Edward,  Sir  Rice 
Gruffyth,  Knt.  and  John,  and  seven  daughters.     The 
oldest  married  to  Stanley,  of  Houghton,  the  second  to 
Sir  Richard  Buckley,  Knt.    the  third  to  Lewys,    the 
fourth  to  Moston,  the   fifth  to  Conwey,   the  sixth  to 
Williams,  the  seventh  to  Pers  Motton,  and  after  to 
Simon  Theloal,  Esq.  whose  wife  at  this  time  she  is ;  the 
eighth  to  Philips.     Of  which  daughters  there  be  a  won- 
derful   number    descended.      Edward    married  Jane, 
daughter  to  Sir  J  ohn  Puleston,  Knt.  and  had  issue  by 
her  three  daughters ;  Jane  married  to  William  Herbert, 
of  S.  Julian ;  Catharine  married,  to  William  Herbert,  of 

Swansey, 


110  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

Swansey,  and  another  daughter  married  to  Sir  Nicholas 
Bagnoll,  Knt. 

15  Sir  Edward  Stradling,  Knt.  succeeded  his  father,  and 
married  with  Elizabeth,  one  of  the  three  daughters  of 
Sir  Thomas  Arundell,  of  Lanheyron,  in  Cornewall,  Knt. 
The  other  two  were  married  to  Speke  and  S.  Lowe,  and 
had  issue  four  sons,  Thomas,   Robert,   Edward,  and 
John.     Robert  married  Watkyn  Lodher's  daughter,  and 
by  her  hath  many  children ;  Edward  married  with  the 
daughter  and  heir  of  Robert  Baglan,  of  Lantwit,  and 
hath  also  divers  children  ;  and  John  is  a  priest.     Also 
the  said  Sir  Edward  had  two  daughters ;  Jane  married 
to  Alexander  Popham,  of  Somersetshire,  of  whom  is  a 
great  number  descended  ;  and  Catharine  married  to  Sir 
Thomas  Palmer,   of  Sussex,  who  hath  a  son  named 
William. 

16  Sir  Thomas  Stradling,  Knt.  his  son,  succeeded  him, 
and  married   Catharine,  the  eldest    daughter    to    Sir 
Thomas  Gamage,  of  Coyty,Knt.  and  to  dame  Margaret 
his  wife,  daughter  to  Sir  John  S.  John,  of  Bledso,  Knt. 
by   whom  he  hath  living  yet  two  sons,  Edward  and 
Dauid ;  and  five  daughters,  Elizabeth,  Damasyn,  lane, 
loice,  and  Wenlhian. 

17  Sir  Edward  Stradling,  Knt.   that  now  is,  married 
Agnes,  second  daughter  to  Sir  Edward  Gage,  of  Sussex, 
Knt.  and  as  yet  in  the  year  1572  hath  no  issue. 

Memorandum,  that  of  the  heirs  male  of  the  aforesaid 
twelve  knights  that  came  with  Sir  Robert  Fitzhamori  to 
the  winning  of  Glamorgan,  the  lordship  aforesaid,  there 
is  at  this  day  but  the  Stradling  alive,  that  dwelleth  in 
Wales,  and  enjoy eth  the  portion  given  in  reward  to  his 
ancestors. 

There  be  yet  of  the  younger  brothers  of  the  Turberuiles 
and  Flemings. 

Greenefeeld  and  Syward  do  yet  remain,  but  they 
dwell  in  England,  and  have  done  away  their  lands  in 
Wales. 

The  Lord  S.  John,  of  Bledso  (although  he  keepeth 
his  ancient  inheritance  in  Wales)  yet  he  dwelleth  in 
England. 

Thus  far  the  copy  of  the  winning  of  Glamorgan,  as  I 
received  the  same  at  the  hands  of'  Mrs.  Blanch  Parrie, 
penned  by  Sir  Edward  Stradling,  Knt. 

D.  POWEL. 

We 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  Ill 

We  may  here  observe  what  a  train  of  circumstances 
concurred  together,  in  favour  of  the  Normans  having  pos- 
session of  this  lordship :  for  had  not  Eineon,  being  van- 
quished by  Prince  Rhys,  fled  to  lestyn  rather  than  to 
another,  or  had  not  lestyn  been  so  vain  as  to  attempt  the 
conquest  of  South  Wales,  and  to  that  end  consented  to  the 
advice  of  Eineon,  there  had  been  no  necessity  of  inviting 
the  Normans  at  all  to  Wales.  And  then,  the  Normans 
being  arrived,  had  not  Testyn  faithlessly  violated  his  pro- 
mise, and  refused  to  perform  the  articles  agreed  upon 
between  him  and  Eineon,  or  had  not  Eineon  pursued  so 
desperate  a  revenge,  but  satisfied  his  passion  upon  lestyn, 
without  prejudice  to  his  country,  the  Normans  would  have 
returned  home  with  satisfaction,  and  consequently  could 
never  have  been  proprietors  of  that  noble  country  they  then 
forcibly  possessed.  And  again,  the  Welsh  here  experienced 
the  dangerous  consequence  of  calling  in  a  foreign  nation  to 
their  aid ;  the  Saxons  had  already  dispossessed  them  of  the 
best  part  of  the  island  of  Britain,  and  now  the  Normans 
seized  upon  a  great  part  of  that  small  country  which  had 
escaped  the  sovereignty  and  conquest  of  the  English. 

About  the  same  time  that  Robert  Fitzhamon  took  the 
lordship  of  Glamorgan,  Barnard  Newmarch,*  a  nobleman 
likewise  of  Normandy,  obtained  by  conquest  the  lordship  of 
Brecknock;  and  Henry  de  Newburgh,  son  to  Roger  de 
Bellemont,  by  the  Conqueror  made  Earl  of  Warwick,  the 
country  of  Gower.  But  Barnard  Newmarch  gave  the  peo- 
ple of  Wales  some  small  satisfaction  and  content,  by  marry- 
ing Nest,  the  daughter  also  of  Nest,  daughter  to  Lhewelyn 
ap  Gruffydh  Prince  of  Wales,  by  whom  he  had  issue  a  son 
called  Mahael.  This  worthy  gentleman  being  legally  to 
succeed  his  father  in  the  lordship  of  Brecknock,  was  after- 
wards disinherited  by  the  malice  and  baseness  of  his  own 
unnatural  mother.  The  occasion  was  thus :  Nest  becoming 
enamoured  of  a  certain  knight,  with  whom  she  had  more 
than  ordinary  familiarity,  even  beyond  what  she  expressed 
to  her  own  husband ;  Mahael,  who  perceived  her  dissolute 
and  loose  behaviour,  counselled  her  to  take  care  of  her 
fame  and  reputation,  and  to  leave  off  that  scandalous  liberty 
which  she  took ;  and  afterwards  meeting  casually  her  gallant 
coming  from  her,  fought  and  grievously  wounded  him. 

Upon 

*  Several  gentlemen  came  about  this  time  to  Brecknock  with  Barnard  Newmarch,  to 
whom  he  gave  the  following  manors,  which  their  heirs  enjoy  at  this  time  :  The  manor  of 
Abercynvric  and  Slowch  to  the  Aubreys  :  the  manors  of  Llanhamlach  and  Tal-v-Lhyn 
to  the  Walbiefs:  the  manor  of  Gilston  to  the  Gunters  :  and  the  manor  of  Pontw'ilym  to 
the  Havards,  &c.— See  Welsh  Chron.  p.  150.— Camden's  Britannia,  p.  590,  Gibson's  Edit 


112  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

Upon  this  Nest,  to  be  revenged  upon  her  son,  went  to 
Henry  the  First,  King  of  England,  and  in  his  presence  took 
her  corporeal  oath,  that  her  son  was  illegitimate,  and  not  begot 
by  Barnard  Newmarch  her  husband,  but  by  another  person ; 
by  virtue  of  which  oath,  or  rather  perjury,   Mahael  was 
disinherited,  and  his  sister,  whom  her  mother  attested  to  be 
legitimate,  was  bestowed  by  the  King  upon  Milo,  the  son 
of  Walter  Constable,  afterwards  Earl  of  Hereford,  who,  in 
right  of  his  wife,    enjoyed  the  whole  estate  of  Barnard 
Newmarch,  Lord  of  Brecknock.     Of  this  Milo,  it  is  re- 
ported, that  telling  King  Henry  of  a  strange  accident  which 
had  occurred  to  him  by  Lhyn  Savathan,  in  Wales,  where 
the  birds  upon  the  pond,  at  the  passing  by  of  Gruffydh,  the 
son  of  Rhys  ap  Theoder,  seemed  by  their  chirping  to  be  in 
a  manner  overjoyed ;  the  king  replied,  it  was  not  so  wonder- 
ful, "  for  although  (says  he)  manifestly  we  have  violently 
and  injuriously  oppressed  that  nation,  yet  it  is  known  that 
they  are  the  lawful  and  original  inheritors  of  that  country." 
Whilst  the  Normans  were  thus  carving  for  themselves  in 
Glamorgan  and  Brecknock,  Cadogan  ap  Blethyn  ap  Confyn, 
towards  the  end  of  April,  entered  into  Dy  ved,  and,  having 
ravaged  and  destroyed  the  country,  returned  back:   but 
within  eight  weeks  after  there  succeeded  him  a  more  fatal 
enemy ;  for  the  Normans  landing  in  Dyved  and  Cardigan, 
began  to  fortify  themselves  in  castles  and  other   strong 
places,  and  to  inhabit  the  country  upon    the  sea-shore, 
which  before  was  not  in  their  possession.      Indeed   the 
Normans,  having  by  the  connivance  of  the  Conqueror  al- 
ready got  into  their  hands  all  the  best  estates  in  England, 
began  now  to  spy  out   the  commodities   of  Wales;    and 
perceiving,  moreover,    how  well  Robert  Fitzhamon    and 
Barnard  Newmarch  had  sped  there,  thought  they  might 
expect  the  like  fortune.      Wherefore,  having  obtained  a 
grant  from  King  William  (who  readily  consented  to  their 
request,  because  by  this  means  he  killed  two  birds  with  one 
stone,  procuring  to  himself  their  utmost  service  upon  occa- 
sion, and  withal  providing  for  them  without  any  charge  to 
himself)  they  came  to   Wales,  and  so  entered  upon  the 
estates  appointed  them  by  the  king,  which  they  held  of  him 
by  knight-service,  having  first  done  homage   and    sworn 
fealty  for  the  same.     Roger  Montgomery  Earl  of  Arundel 
did  homage  for  the  lordships  of  Powys  and  Cardigan; 
Hugh  Lupus  Earl  of  Chester  for  Tegengl  and  Ryfonioc, 
together  with  all  the  land  lying  upon  the  sea-shore  to  the 
river  Conwy;    Arnulph,   a  younger  son  of  Roger  Mont- 
gomery, for  Dyved:  Barnard  Newmarch  for  Brecknock; 

Ralph 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  113 

Ralph  Mortimer  for  Elvel;  Hugh  de  Lacy  for  the  land  of 
Ewyas;  Eustace  Omer  for  Mold  and  Hapredale;  and 
several  others  did  the  like  homage  for  other  lands.  But 
Roger  Montgomery,  who  by  the  Conqueror  was  created 
Earl  of  Arundel  and  Shrewsbury,  entered  in  an  hostile 
manner  into  Powysland,  and  having  won  the  castle  and 
town  of  Baldwyn,  fortified  it  in  his  own  right,  and  called  it 
Montgomery  after  his  own  name.*  King  William  of  Eng- 
land WPS  now  in  Normandy,  and  busily  engaged  in  a  war 
against  his  brother  Robert;  and  taking  advantage  of  his 
absence,  Gruffydh  ap  Conan,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  and 
Cadogan  ap  Blethyn,  who  now  ruled  in  South  Wales,  with 
joint  force  entered  into  Cardigan,  and  slew  a  great  number 
of  Normans,  whose  arrogance  and  excessive  cruelty  towards 
the  Welsh  were  become  intolerable.  After  taking  suffi- 
cient revenge  there  they  returned  home,  and  the  Normans 
sent  for  aid  from  England;  which  being  arrived,  they 
thought  to  make  a  private  inroad  into  North  Wales,  and  so 
to  be  avenged  upon  the  Welsh :  but  their  design  being 
discovered  to  Cadogan,  he  drew  up  his  forces  to  meet  them, 
and  unexpectedly  falling  upon  them  in  the  forest  of  Yspys, 
after  a  very  warm  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  Normans,  he 
forced  them  to  retire  by  flight,  and  then  triumphantly  march- 
ing through  Cardigan  and  Dyved,  he  destroyed  all  the 
castles  and  fortifications  in  the  country,  excepting  those  of 
Pembroke  and  Rydcors,  which  proved  too  strong,  and,  as 
regarded  his  force,  were  impregnable. 

The  next  year,  the  Normans  who  inhabited  the  country  of  A.  D.  1C93. 
Glamorgan  invaded  and  ravaged  the  countries  of  Gwyr, 
Kidwely,  and  Ystrad  Tywy,  which  they  harassed  in  such  a 
cruel  manner,  that  they  left  them  bare  of  inhabitants ;  and 
to  increase  the  miseries  of  the  Welsh,  King  William  Rufus, 
being  informed  of  the  great  slaughter  which  Gruflfydh  ap 
Conan  and  the  sons  of  Blethyn  ap  Confyn  had  lately  com- 
mitted upon  the  English,  as  well  within  Cheshire,  Shrop- 
shire, Worcestershire,  and  Herefordshire,  as  within  Wales, 
entered  the  country  at  Montgomery,  which  place  the  Welsh 
having  some  time  since  demolished  King  William  had 
recently  rebuilt :  but  the  Welsh  kept  all  the  passages  thro' 
the  woods  and  rivers,  and  all  other  straits,  so  close,  that  the 
King  could  effect  nothing  considerable  against  them;  and 
therefore  when  he  perceived  that  his  labour  was  but  lost  in 
continuing  in  those  parts,  he  forthwith  retreated,  and  re- 
turned without  honour  to  England.  This  retreat  of  King  1094 

William 
i 
*  See  Camden's  Brit-  p.  650.  Gibson's  Edition  .—Welsh  Chron.  p.  152. 


114  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

William  was  not  altogether  so  favourable  to  the  interest  of 
the  Welsh  as  the  death  of  William  Fitz-Baldwyn,  who  was 
owner  of  the  castle  of  Rydcors,  and  who  did  more  injury  to 
the  men  of  South  Wales  than  any  other  person.  He  being 
dead,  the  garrison  of  Rydcors,  which  was  wont  to  keep  the 
Welsh  in  continual  awe,  forsook  that  place,  and  by  that 
means  gave  opportunity  to  the  inhabitants  of  Gwyr,  Breck- 
nock, Gwent,  and  Gwentlhwc,  to  shake  off  the  intolerable 
yoke  which  the  Normans  had  forced  upon  them,  who,  after 
they  had  robbed  them  of  their  lands,  kept  them  in  con- 
tinual subjection.  William  Fitz-Baldwyn  being  now,  how- 
ever, dead,  and  the  garrison  of  Rydcors  scattered,  they 
ventured  to  lay  violent  hands  upon  the  Normans,  who 
thought  themselves  free  from  all  danger;  and  they  pre- 
vailed so  successfully,  that  they  drove  them  all  out  of  the 
country,  and  recovered  their  own  ancient  estates :  but  the 
Normans  thus  ousted  liked  that  country  so  well,  that  they 
were  resolved  not  to  be  so  easily  deprived  of  what  they  had 
with  a  great  deal  of  pains  and  danger  once  possessed ;  and 
therefore  having  drawn  a  great  number  of  English  and 
Normans  to  their  aid,  they  were  anxious  to  venture  another 
encounter  with  the  Welsh,  and  to  return,  if  possible,  to 
their  once  acquired  habitations.  The  Welsh,  however,  so 
abhorred  their  arrogant  and  tyrannical  dominion  over  them 
when  they  were  masters,  that  they  were  resolved  not  to  be 
subject  to  such  tyrants  again;  and  therefore  they  boldly 
met  them  at  a  place  called  Celly  larfawc,  and  fell  upon 
them  so  manfully,  (the  very  apprehension  of  servitude  in- 
citing their  spirits,)  that  they  put  them  to  flight  with  great 
slaughter,  and  drove  them  out  of  the  country.  Yet  the 
Normans  were  not  absolutely  routed  in  this  overthrow :  for, 
like  a  fly  in  the  night,  that  destroys  itself  in  the  candle, 
they  must  needs  seek  their  own  destruction ;  and  their  gree- 
diness urging  them  on  to  venture  that  with  few  which  was 
not  practicable  by  many,  they  came  as  far  as  Brecknock, 
with  a  vow  and  determination  not  to  leave  one  living  thing 
remaining  in  that  country:  but  they  fell  short  of  their 
intention,  for  the  people  of  the  country  having  placed  them- 
selves at  a  narrow  strait,  expecting  their  passing  through, 
as  soon  as  the  Normans  came  up,  fell  upon  them,  and  killed 
a  great  number  of  them.  About  the  same  time,  Roger 
Montgomery  Earl  of  Salop  and  Arundel,  William  Fitz- 
eustace  Earl  of  Gloucester,  Arnold  de  Harecourt,  and 
Neal  le  Vicount,  were  slain  by  the  Welsh  between  Caerdiff 
and  Brecknock,  and  Walter  Eureux  Earl  of  Sarum,  Rosmer, 
Mantilake,  and  Hugh  Earl  of  Gourney,  were  wounded, 

who 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  115 

who  afterwards  died  in  Normandy.*  The  Normans,  finding 
that  they  continually  lost  ground,  thought  it  not  advisable 
to  stay  any  longer;  and  therefore  having  placed  sufficient 
garrisons  in  those  castles  which  they  had  formerly  built, 
they  returned  with  what  speed  they  could  to  England. 
Yet  all  the  haste  they  made  could  not  secure  them  from  the 
fury  of  the  Welsh;  for  Gruffydh  and  Ifor,  the  sons  of 
Ednerth  ap  Cadogan,  waylaid  them  at  a  place  called  Aber- 
Ihech,  where,  falling  unexpectedly  upon  them,  they  slew  the 
greatest  part  of  their  number,  the  remainder  narrowly 
escaping  in  safety  to  England :  but  the  Norman  garrisons 
which  were  left  behind  defended  themselves  with  a  great 
deal  of  bravery,  till  at  last,  finding  no  prospect  of  relief, 
they  were  forced  for  their  own  safety  to  deliver  up  the 
fortresses  to  the  Welsh,  who  from  that  time  became  again 
proprietors  of  those  places  of  which  the  Normans  had 
dispossessed  them.  This  encouraged  the  Welsh  to  under- 
take other  things  against  the  English;  for  immediately 
after  this,  certain  of  the  nobility  of  North  Wales,  Uchthred 
the  son  of  Edwyn  ap  Grono  by  name,  together  with  Howel 
ap  Grono,  and  the  sons  of  Cadogan  ap  Blethyn  of  Powys- 
land,  passed  by  Cardigan  into  Dyved  (which  country  King 
William  had  given  to  Arnulph  son  to  Roger  Montgomery, 
who  had  built  thereon  the  castle  of  Pembroke,  and  appointed 
Gerald  de  Windsor  governor  of  the  same,)f  and  destroying 
all  the  country  with  fire  and  sword,  excepting  Pembroke 
castle,  which  was  impregnable,  they  returned  home  with  a 
great  deal  of  booty.  In  return  for  this,  when  the  lords  of 
North  Wales  had  retired,  Gerald  issued  out  of  the  castle, 
and  spoiled  all  the  country  about  St.  David's ;  and  after  he 
had  obtained  much  plunder,  and  taken  divers  prisoners, 
returned  to  the  castle. 

The  year  following,  King  William  returned  from  Nor-  A.  D.  1095. 
mandy,  and  having  heard  how  the  Welsh  had  cut  off  a 
great  number  of  his  subjects  in  Wales,  gathered  all  his 
power  together,  and  with  great  pomp  and  ostentation  en- 
tered the  marches,  resolving  utterly  to  eradicate  the  rebel- 
lious and  implacable  disposition  of  the  Welsh  nation :  but 
after  all  this  boast  and  seeming  resolution,  he  ventured  no 
farther  than  the  marches,  and  having  built  there  some  few 
castles,  he  returned  with  no  greater  honour  than  he  came. 
In  the  next  spring,  Hugh  de  Montgomery  Earl  of  Arundel  1096. 
and  Salop,  by  the  Welsh  named  Hugh  G6ch,J  and  Hugh 

Fras, 
i  2 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  154.  f  Ibid. 

J  Hugh  with  a  red  head.  • 


116  ,     HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

Fras,  or  the  Fat,  Earl  of  Chester,  being  invited  by  some 
disaffected  Welsh  lords,  came  into  North  Wales  with  a  very 
great  army.  Prince  Gruffydh  ap  Conan,  and  Cadogan  ap 
Blethyn,  perceiving  themselves  to  be  too  weak  to  oppose  so 
numerous  an  army,  and,  what  was  worse,  suspecting  the 
fidelity  of  their  own  forces,  thought  it  best  to  take  to  the 
hills  and  mountains  for  safety,  as  the  places  where  they 
might  remain  most  secure  from  the  enemy.  Then  the 
English  army  marched  towards  Anglesey,  and  being  come 
opposite  the  island,  they  built  the  castle  of  Aberlhiennawc : 
but  Gruffydh  and  Cadogan  could  no  longer  endure  to  see 
their  country  over-run  by  the  English,  and  therefore  they 
descended  from  the  mountains  and  came  to  Anglesey,  think- 
ing, with  what  succours  they  should  receive  from  Ireland, 
(of  which  they  were  disappointed,)  to  be  able  to  defend  the 
island  from  any  attempt  that  should  be  made  upon  it :  and 
then  the  whole  reason  and  occasion  of  the  English  coming 
to  Wales  was  discovered ;  for  Owen  ap  Edwyn,  the  Prince's 
chief  counsellor,  whose  daughter  Gruffydh  had  married 
(having  himself  also  married  Everyth  the  daughter  of 
Confyn,  aunt  to  Cadogan),  upon  some  private  pique  or 
other,  had  requested  the  English  to  come  into  Wales,  and 
he  at  this  time  openly  joined  his  forces  with  theirs,  and  led 
the  whole  army  over  into  Anglesey.  Gruffydh  and  Cadogan 
finding  they  were  thus  betrayed  by  him  that  they  had 
believed  to  be  their  dearest  friend,  for  fear  of  farther 
treachery,  judged  it  prudent  to  sail  privately  for  Ireland; 
after  whose  departure  the  English  fell  cruelly  to  work, 
destroying  all  they  could  come  at,  without  any  respect 
either  to  age  or  sex. 

Whilst  the  English  continued  in  Anglesey,  Magnus  the 
son  of  Harold,  lately  King  of  England,  came  over  with  a 
great  fleet,  intending  to  take  more  secure  hold  upon  that 
kingdom  than  his  father  had  done,  and  to  recover  the  same 
to  himself:  but  whilst  he  steered  his  course  thitherward,  he 
was  driven  by  contrary  winds  to  the  coast  of  Anglesey, 
where  he  would  fain  have  landed  had  not  the  English  army 
kept  him  off.  In  this  skirmish  Magnus  accidentally  wound- 
ed Hugh  Earl  of  Salop  with  an  arrow  in  the  face,  whereof 
he  died;*  and  then  both  armies  suddenly  relinquished  the 
A.  D.  1097.  island,  the  English  returning  to  England,  appointing  Owen 

ap 

*  The  Norwegian  Prince,  on  seeing  him  fall,  exultingly  cried  "  Let  him  dance."— 
Giraldus  Cambrensis,  Itin.  6,  7.  Simon  Dunelme,  p.  223. 

This  accidental  stroke  of  justice,  seen  by  the  eye  of  superstition,  made  the  Welsh  to 
conclude  that  the  arrow  had  been  directed  by  the  immediate  hand  of  the  Almighty. — 
Warrington. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  117 

ap  Edwyn,  who  invited  them  over,  prince  of  the  country. 
Owen  did  not  enjoy  the  principality  long;  for  in  the 
beginning  of  the  following  spring,  Gruffydh  ap  Conan  and 
Cadogan  ap  Blethyn  returned  -from  Ireland,  and  having 
concluded  a  peace  with  the  Normans  for  some  part  of  their 
lands  in  Wales,  Gruffydh  remained  in  Anglesey,  and 
Cadogan  had  Cardigan,  with  part  of  Powys :  but  though 
Cadogan  recovered  his  estate,  yet  in  a  little  while  after  he 
lost  his  son  Lhewelyn,  who  was  treacherously  murdered  by 
the  men  of  Brecknock :  at  which  time  also  died  Rythmarch, 
Archbishop  of  St.  David,  the  son  of  Sulien,  being  in  the 
forty-third  year  of  his  age ;  a  man  of  greater  piety,  wisdom, 
and  learning  than  had  flourished  for  a  long  period  in  Wales, 
excepting  his  father,  under  whose  tutelage  he  was  edu- 
cated. The  year  following,  King  William  Rufus,  as  he  1098. 
was  hunting  in  the  New  Forest,  was  accidentally  slain  with 
an  arrow,  which  one  Walter  Tyrrel  shot  at  a  stag ;  and  his 
eldest  brother  being  then  engaged  in  the  Holy  War,  Henry, 
his  younger  brother,  whom  in  his  life-time  he  had  nomi- 
nated his  successor,  was  crowned  in  his  stead.  The  same 
year,  Hugh  Earl  of  Chester,  Grono  ap  Cadogan,  and  Gwyn 
ap  Gruffydh,  departed  this  life. 

About  two  years  after,  a  rebellion  broke  out  in  England ;  noo. 
Robert  de  Belesmo,  the  son  of  Roger  de  Montgomery 
Earl  of  Salop,  and  Arnulph  his  brother,  Earl  of  Pembroke, 
took  up  arms  against  King  Henry ;  which  he  being  informed 
of,  sent  them  a  very  gracious  message  to  come  before  him 
and  declare  their  grievances,  and  the  reason  of  their  rising 
up  in  arms  against  his  Majesty :  but  the  Earls,  instead  of 
appearing  in  person,  sent  him  slight  and  frivolous  excuses, 
and  in  the  mean  while  made  all  necessary  preparations  for 
the  war,  both  by  raising  offerees  and  fortifying  their  castles 
and  strongholds.  And  to  strengthen  themselves  the  more, 
they  sent  rich  presents,  and  made  large  promises  to  lorwerth, 
Cadogan,  and  Meredith,  the  sons  of  Blethyn  ap  Confyn,  to 
bring  them  to  their  side.  Robert  fortified  four  castles, 
namely,  Arundel,  Tekinhil,  Shrewsbury,  and  Brugge; 
which  last,  by  reason  that  Robert  built  it  without  the  con- 
sent of  the  king,  was  the  chief  occasion  of  this  war ;  and 
Arnulph  fortified  his  castle  at  Pembroke.  After  this,  they 
entered  in  an  hostile  manner  into  the  territories  of  the 
King  of  England,  wasting  and  destroying  all  before  them ; 
and  to  augment  their  strength,  Arnulph  sent  Gerald  his 
steward  to  Murkart  King  oflreland,  desiring  his  daughter 
in  wedlock ;  which  was  readily  granted,  with  the  promise 
too  of  great  succours  and  large  supplies.  King  Henry,  to 

put 


118  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

put  a  stop  to  their  bold  adventures,  marched  in  person 
against  them,  and,  laying  siege  to  the  castle  of  Arundel,  won 
it  without  any  great  opposition ;  and  quickly  afterwards  the 
pastle  of  Tekinhill ;  but  that  of  Brugge,  by  reason  of  the 
situation  of  the  place,  and  the  depth  of  the  ditch  about  it, 
seemed  to  require  longer  time  and  harder  service;  and 
therefore  King  Henry  was  advised  to  send  privately  to 
lorwerth  ap  Blethyn,  promising  him  great  rewards  if  he 
forsook  the  Earls'  part  and  came  over  to  him,  urging  to 
him  what  mischief  Roger,  Earl  Robert's  father,  and  his 
brother  Hugh,  had  continually  done  to  the  Welshmen: 
and  to  make  him  the  more  willing  to  accept  his  proposals, 
he  promised  to  give  him  all  such  lands  as  the  Earl  and  his 
brother  had  in  Wales,  without  either  tribute  or  homage; 
which  was  a  part  of  Powys,  Cardigan,  and  half  Dyved,  the 
other  part  being  in  the  possession  of  William  Fitz-Baldwyn. 
lorwerth  receiving  these  offers,  accepted  them  very  gladly, 
and  then  coming  to  the  king,  he  sent  all  his  forces  to  Earl 
Robert's  lands,  who,  having  received  very  strict  orders, 
destroyed  without  mercy  every  thing  they  met  with ;  and 
what  made  the  spoil  the  greater,  Earl  Robert,  upon  his 
rebelling  against  King  Henry,  had  caused  his  people  to 
convey  all  their  goods  to  Wales  for  fear  of  the  English,  not 
thinking  how  his  father's  memory  sounded  among  the 
Welsh.  When  the  news  of  lorwerth's  revolt  reached  the 
ears  of  the  Earl,  and  of  Cadogan  and  Meredith,  lorwerth's 
brothers,  their  spirits  began  to  faint,  as  despairing  any 
longer  to  oppose  the  king,  since  lorwerth,  who  was  the 
person  of  greatest  power  in  Wales,  had  left  and  forsaken 
them.  Arnulph  was  gone  to  Ireland  to  fetch  home  his 
wife,  and  to  bring  over  what  succour  his  father-in-law, 
King  Murkart,  could  afford  to  send  him ;  but  he  not  coming 
in  time,  some  other  method  was  to  be  tried,  in  order  to 
obtain  aid  against  the  English.  A  little  before  this  rebel- 
lion broke  out,  Magnus,  Harold's  son,  landed  the  second 
time  in  the  Isle  of  Anglesey,  and  being  kindly  received  by 
GrufFydh  ap  Conan,  he  had  leave  to  cut  down  what  timber 
he  had  need  for;  and  so  returning  to  the  Isle  of  Man,  which 
he  had  got  by  conquest,  he  built  there  three  castles,  and 
then  sent  to  Ireland  to  have  the  daughter  of  Murkart  in 
marriage  to  his  son,  which  being  obtained,  he  created  him 
King  of  Man.  Earl  Robert  hearing  this,  sent  to  Magnus 
for  aid  against  King  Henry ;  but  receiving  none,  he  thought 
it  high  time  to  look  to  his  own  safety ;  and  therefore  he  sent 
to  the  king,  requesting  that  he  might  quietly  depart  the 
kingdom,  in  case  he  should  lay  down  his  arms,  which  the 

king 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  119 

king  having  granted,  he  sailed  to  Normandy:  and  then 
King  Henry  sent  an  express  to  his  brother  Arnulph,  re- 
quiring him  either  to  follow  his  brother  out  of  the  kingdom 
or  to  deliver  himself  up  to  his  mercy ;  and  so  Arnulph  went 
over  also  to  Normandy.  When  the  king  was  returned  to 
London,  lorwerth  took  his  brother  Meredith  prisoner,  and 
committed  him  to  the  king's  custody;  his  other  brother 
Cadogan  having  reconciled  himself  beforehand,  to  whom 
lorwerth  gave  Cardigan,  with  a  part  of  Powys.  Then 
lorwerth  went  to  London,  to  put  the  king  in  mind  of  his 
promise,  and  the  service  he  had  done  him  against  Earl 
Robert;  but  the  king  finding  that  now  all  matters  were 
quiet,  was  deaf  to  all  such  remembrances,  and  instead  of 
promising  what  he  had  once  voluntarily  proposed,  he,  con- 
trary to  all  rules  of  equity  and  gratitude,  took  away  Dyfed 
from  lorwerth,  and  gave  it  to  a  knight  of  his  own  called 
Saer ;  and  Straty wy,  Cydwely,  and  Gwyr,  he  bestowed  upon 
Howel  ap  Grono,  and  sent  lorwerth  away  more  empty  than 
he  came :  nor  was  this  sufficient  reward  for  his  former  serv- 
ices,— for  the  next  year  King  Henry  sent  some  of  his  council  A.  D.  1101. 
to  Shrewsbury,  and  cited  lorwerth  to  appear  there,  under 
pretence  of  consulting  about  the  king's  business  and  affairs 
of  those  parts;  but  the  plot  was  laid  deeper,  and  when, 
without  any  suspicion  of  treachery,  he  made  his  appearance, 
he  was,  to  his  great  surprise,  attainted  of  high  treason,  and, 
contrary  to  all  right  and  justice,  actually  condemned  to 
perpetual  imprisonment  ;*  the  true  reason  of  this  unparaL 
leled  severity  being,  that  the  king  feared  his  strength,  and 
was  apprehensive  that  he  would  revenge  the  wrong  and 
affront  he  had  received  at  his  hands :  and  indeed  well  had 
he  reason  to  fear  that,  when  he  so  ungratefully  treated  him 
by  whose  service  he  had  experienced  such  great  advantages. 
But  the  policy  of  princes  is  unaccountable  ;  and  whether  to 
value  an  eminent  person  for  his  service,  or  to  fear  him  for 
his  greatness,  is  a  subject  that  frequently  disturbs  their 
most  settled  considerations.  The  noblemen  that  were  at 
this  time  sent  by  the  king  to  Shrewsbury,  were  Richard  de 
Belmersh,f  who  being  a  chief  agent  of  Roger  Montgomery 
Earl  of  Salop,  was  preferred  to  the  bishoprick  of  London, 
and  afterwards  appointed  by  that  king  to  be  warden  of  the 
marches,  and  governor  of  the  county  of  Salop.  With  him 
were  joined  in  company,  Walter  Constable,  the  father  of 
Milo,  Earl  of  Hereford,  and  Rayner,  the  king's  lieutenant 
in  the  county  of  Salop.  About  this  time,  as  Bale  writes, 
the  church  of  Menevia  or  St.  David  began  to  be  subject  to 

the 
*  Welsh  Chron.  159,  160.  f  Richard  de  Belmarsh. 


120  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

the  see  of  Canterbury,  being  always  previously  the  metro- 
politan church  of  all  Wales. 

A.  D.  1102.      Shortly  after  this,  Owen  ap  Edwyn,  who  had  been  author 
of  no  small  mischief  and  disturbance  to  the  Welsh    in 
moving  the  English  against  his  natural  prince  and  son-in- 
law  Gruffydh  ap  Conan,  departed  this  life,  after  a  tedious 
and  miserable  sickness ;  of  which  he  was  so  much  the  less 
pitied  by  how  much  he  had  proved  an  enemy  and  a  traitor 
to  his  native  country.     Edwyn  was  the  son  of  Grono  by  his 
wife  Edelflede,  the  widow  of  Edmund,  surnamed  Ironside, 
King  of  England ;  and  had  the  title  of  Tegengl ;  though 
the  English,  when  they  had  compelled  Gruffydh  ap  Conan 
to  flee  to  Ireland  for  safety,  constituted  him  Prince  of  all 
North  Wales.     After  his  death,  Richard  Fitz-Baldwyn  laid 
siege  to  and  took  the  castle  of  Rydcors,  and  forcibly  drove 
Howel  ap  Grono,  to  whom  King  Henry  had  committed  the 
custody  of  it,  out  of  the  country.     But  Howel  quickly  re- 
turned, and,  with  a  high  spirit  of  revenge,  began  to  destroy 
and  burn  whatsoever  he  could  meet  with,  and  then  meeting 
a  party  of  the  Normans  in  their  return  homeward,  he  fell 
upon  the  flank  of  them  with  a  very  considerable  slaughter ; 
and  so  brought  all  the  country  to  his  subjection,  excepting 
some  few  garrisons  and  castles  which  would  not  surrender 
to  him.     At  the  same  time  King  Henry  took  away  from 
Saer  the  government  of  Dyfed,  which  formerly  was  lorwerth 
ap  Blethyn's,  and  bestowed  it  upon  Gerald,  who  had  been 
some  time  Earl  Arnulph's   steward  in  those  parts;    and 
therefore,  by  reason  of  his  knowledge  of  the  country,  was  in 
all  probability  best  able  to  take  upon  himself  the  manage- 
ment of  it:    but  the  Normans   in  Rydcors  castle    being 
sensible  that  they  were  not  able  to  effect  any  thing  against 
Howel  ap  Grono  in  open  field,  after  their  accustomed  man- 
ner, began  to  put  that  in  execution  by  treachery  which  they 
could  not  compass  by  force  of  arms ;  and  that  they  might 
make  Howel  a  sacrifice  for  those  Normans  he  had  lately 
slain,  they  could  find  no  safer  way  than  by  corrupting  one 
Gwgan  ap  Meyric,  a  man  in  great  favour  and  esteem  with 
Howel,  upon  the  account  chiefly  that  one  of  his  children 
was  nursed  by  Gwgan's  wife.     This  ungrateful  villain,  to 
carry  on  his  wicked  intrigue  the'  more  unsuspected,  gave 
Howel  a  very  earnest  invitation  to  his  house  to  a  merriment, 
where,  without  any  suspicion  of  treachery,  being  come,  he 
was  welcomed  with  all  the  seeming  affection  and  kindness 
imaginable:   but  no  sooner  was  he  arrived,   than   Gwgan 
gave  notice  thereof  to  the  Norman  garrisons ;  and  by  break 
pf  day  they  entered  the  town,  and  coming  about  the  house 

xvhere 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  121 

where  Howel  lay  in  bed,  they  presently  gave  a  great  shout. 
Howel  hearing  the  noise,  suspected  something  of  mischief, 
and  therefore  leaping  in  all  haste  out  of  bed,  he  made  to  his 
weapons,  but  could  not  find  them,  by  reason  that  Gwgan 
had  conveyed  them  away  whilst  he  was  asleep;  and 'now 
being  assured  of  treachery  in  the  case,  and  finding  that  his 
men  had  fled  for  their  lives,  he  endeavoured  all  he  could  to 
make  his  escape,  but  Gwgan  and  his  company  were  too 
quick  for  him,  and  so  being  secured  they  strangled  him, 
and  delivered  his  body  to  the  Normans,  who  having  cut  off 
his  head  conveyed  it  to  the  castle  of  Rydcors.  This  most 
villainous  murder,  so  barbarously  committed  upon  the  king's 
lieutenant,  was  not  in  the  least  taken  notice  of;  for  King 
Henry  was  so  unreasonably  prejudiced  in  favour  of  the 
Normans,  that  whatever  misdemeanor,  be  it  of  never  so 
high  a  nature,  was  by  them  committed,  it  was  presently 
winked  at  and  let  pass  without  notice;  whereas,  if  the 
Welsh  trespassed  but  against  the  least  injunction  of  the 
king's  laws,  they  were  most  severely  punished,  which  was 
the  cause  that  they  afterwards  stood  up  against  the  king  in 
their  own  defence,  being  by  experience  assured  that  he 
intended,  if  possible,  their  utter  destruction. 

About  this  time  Anselm,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  con- 
vened a  synod  at  London,  wherein,  among  other  injunctions 
then  decreed,  the  celibacy  of  the  clergy  was  enjoined ;  mar- 
riage being  at  all  times  previously  allowed  in  Britain  to 
those  in  holy  orders.  This  new  injunction  created  a  great 
deal  of  heat  and  animosity  among  the  clergy,  some  approving 
of  it  as  reasonable  and  orthodox,  others  condemning  it  as 
an  innovation  and  contrary  to  the  plain  letter  of  scripture. 
During  these  disputes  between  the  clergy,  King  Henry, 
being  now  in  the  fifth  year  of  his  reign,  sailed  over  with  a 
great  army  into  Normandy,  where  his  brother  Robert,  to- 
gether with  Robert  de  Belesmo,  Arnulph,  and  William 
Earl  of  Mortaign,  gave  him  battle ;  but  the  king  having 
obtained  the  victory,  took  the  duke  his  brother,  with 
William  of  Mortaign,  prisoners,  and  carrying  them  into 
England,  he  caused  first  his  brother  Robert's  eyes  to  be 
plucked  out,  and  then  condemned  them  both  to  perpetual 
imprisonment  in  the  castle  of  CardyfF.  About  the  same  A,  D.  1104. 
time,  Meyric  and  GrufFydh,  the  sons  of  Trahaern  ap 
Caradoc,  were  both  slain  by  the  means  of  Owen  ap  Cadogan 
ap  Blethyn,  whose  uncle  Meredith  ap  Blethyn,  who  had 
been  prisoner  for  a  long  time  in  England,  now  broke  open 
the  prison,  wherein  he  was  very  narrowly  confined,  and 
returning  to  his  own  country,  had  his  estate  restored,  which 
afterwards  he  quietly  enjoyed. 

The 


122  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

A.  D.l  105.  The  next  year  a  very  dismal  and  calamitous  accident 
happening  in  the  Low  Countries,  proved  very  incommodious 
and  prejudicial  to  the  Welsh ;  for  a  great  part  of  Flanders 
being  drowned  by  the  overflowing  of  the  sea,  the  inhabit- 
ants were  compelled  to  seek  for  some  other  country  to 
dwell  in,  their  own  being  now  covered  with  water;  and 
therefore  a  great  many  being  come  over  to  England,  they 
requested  King  Henry  to  assign  them  some  part  of  his 
kingdom  which  was  waste  and  void  of  inhabitants,  where 
they  might  settle  and  plant  themselves.  The  king  taking 
advantage  of  this  charitable  opportunity,  and  being  in  a 
manner  assured  that  these  Flemings  would  be  a  considerable 
thorn  in  the  side  of  the  Welsh,  bestowed  upon  them  very 
liberally  what  was  not  justly  in  his  power  to  give,  and 
appointed  them  the  country  of  Rhos,  in  Dyfed  or  West 
Wales,  where  they  continue  to  this  day:  but  Gerald,  the 
king's  lieutenant  in  those  parts,  was  resolved  to  be  afore- 
hand  with  them,  and  rebuilt  the  castle  of  Pembroke,  in  a 
place  called  Congarth  Fechan;  whither  he  removed  his 
1106.  family  and  all  his  goods.  Here  a  very  unfortunate  accident 
happened  to  him ;  for  Cadwgan  ap  Blethyn  having  prepared 
a  sumptuous  feast  in  the  Christmas,  invited  all  the  lords  to 
his  country  house  in  Dyfed,  and  among  the  rest  his  son 
Owen,  who  lived  in  Powys.  This  youug  gentleman  being 
at  his  father's  house,  and  hearing  Nest  the  wife  of  Gerald 
universally  praised  for  her  incomparable  beauty,  was  so 
smitten  with  the  rumour  that  went  abroad  of  her,  that  by  all 
means  he  must  see  the  lady  who  was  by  all  so  much  ad- 
mired:* and  forasmuch  as  Gwladys,  wife  to  Rhys  ap 
Theodore,  and  mother  to  Nest,  was  the  daughter  of  Ry wal- 
hon  ap  Confyn,  cousin-german  to  Cadwgan  his  father, 
under  pretence  of  friendship  and  relation  he  made  bold 
to  pay  her  a  visit.  Finding  the  truth  far  to  surpass  the 
fame  that  went  of  her,  he  returned  home  so  inflamed  with 
her  charms,  that,  not  being  able  to  keep  the  mastery  over 
himself,  he  went  back  again  the  same  night,  and  being  at- 
tended by  a  company  of  wild,  head -strong  youths,  they 
privily  entered  the  castle,  and  encompassing  the  chamber 
where  Gerald  and  his  wife  lay,  they  set  the  house  on  fire. 
Gerald  hearing  a  noise,  would  fain  go  out  to  know  the 
meaning  of  such  unseasonable  disturbance;  but  his  wife, 

fearing 

*  Nest  was  the  sister  of  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys,  had  been  the  mistress  of  Henry  the  First, 
and  brought  him  his  son,  Robert  of  Gloucester,  who  was  very  eminent  as  a  soldier,  a 
statesman,  and  scholar.  He  was  the  instrument  of  restoring  his  nephew,  Henry,  to  the 
throne  of  England,  although  that  event  took  place  after  Gloucester's  death.  Geoffrey 
of  Monmouth  dedicates  to  him  his  latin  translation  of  Tysilio.  Robert  was  a  friend 
of  learning  and  learned  men  in  that  early  age  of  English  literature  :  William  of  Malmes- 
bury,  the  poet  and  historian,  was  patronised  by  him. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  123 

fearing  some  treachery,  persuaded  him  to  make  as  private 
an  escape  as  he  could,  and  then,  pulling  up  a  board  in  the 
privy,  let  him  go  that  way ;  then  returning  to  her  chamber, 
she  assured  those  audacious  youths  that  there  was  no  body 
besides  herself  and  children  there;    but  this  not    being 
satisfactory,  they  forcibly  broke  in,  and  having  searched 
every  the  most  private  corner  and  not  finding  Gerald,  they 
took  his  wife  and  two  sons,  with  a  son  and  a  daughter  born 
by  a  concubine,  and  carried  them  away  to  Powys,  having 
first  set  fire  to  the  castle,  and  destroyed  the  country  as  they 
went  along.     Cadwgan,  Owen's  father,  hearing  of  the  out- 
rageous crime  his   son  had  committed,  was  exceedingly 
concerned  and  sorry,  and  chiefly  because  hereby  he  was 
likely  to  incur  King  Henry's  great  displeasure ;  and  there- 
fore he  went  with  all  speed  to  Powys,  and  intreated  his  son 
to  send  home  to  Gerald  his  wife  and  children,  with  what- 
ever else  he  had  taken  away  from  him :  but  Owen  was  so 
amorously  inexorable  with  respect  to  the  woman,  that  he 
would  by  no  means  part  with  her;    however,   upon  her 
request,  he  was  willing  to  restore  Gerald  his  children  again, 
which  forthwith  he  performed.*     When  Richard,  Bishop  of 
London,   whom  King  Henry  had  constituted  Warden  of 
the  Marches,  and  who  was  now  at  Shrewsbury,  heard  of 
this,  he  sent  for  Ithel  and  Madoc,  the  sons  of  Ryryd  ap 
Blethyn,  persons  of  great  power  and  interest  in  Wales, 
promising  them  very  considerable  rewards,    besides    the 
government  of  the  whole  country,  in  case  they  could  bring 
Owen  and  his  father  Cadwgan,  either  dead  or  alive,  to  him, 
that  he  might  revenge  that  heinous  affront  which  they  had 
done  to  the  King  of  England.     With  them  he  joined  Lhy- 
warch  the  son  of  Trahaern  ap  Caradoc,  whose  two  brethren 
Owen  had  slain,  and  Uchtryd,  the  son  of  Edwyn ;   which 
four  undertook  to  answer  effectually  the  bishop's  proposal 
to  them :  but  when  they  had  united  their  forces,  and  began 
in  an  hostile  manner  to  destroy  the  country  as  they  passed 
along,  Uchtryd  sent  private  notice  before  him,  requiring  all 
who  were  any  way  desirous  of  their  own  safety  to  come  to 
him,  because  no  quarter  was  to  be  given  to  any  that  were 
found  in  the  country.     The  people  being  thus  so  oppor- 
tunely forewarned,  began  to  bethink  with  themselves  how 
they  might  best  avoid  so  imminent  a  danger,  and  thereupon 
some  fled  to  Arustly,  others  to  Melienyth,  some  to  Strad- 
tywy,  and  some  to  Dyfed ;  but  in  this  latter  place  they  met 
with  cold  welcome,  for  Gerald,  who  was  then  very  busy  in 
exercising  revenge  upon  that  country,  falling  in  among  them, 
put   off  a  considerable  number  of  them.      The  like  fate 

befel 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  164, 


124  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

befel  those  who  escaped  to  Arustly  and  Melienyth;  for 
Walter  Bishop  of  Hereford  having  raised  an  army  in  defence 
of  the  town  of  Caermyrdhyn,  before  he  could  come  thither, 
accidentally  met  with  these  straggling  fugitives,  and  know- 
ing to  what  country  they  belonged,  without  any  further 
ceremony,  he  fell  upon  them  and  put  most  of  them  to  the 
sword.  They  who  fled  to  Stradtywy  were  kindly  received 
by  Meredith  ap  Rytherch ;  and  such  as  resorted  to  Uchtryd 
were  as  kindly  entertained  by  him;  and  so  he  marched 
with  the  rest  of  his  confederates  to  Rydcors  castle,  it  being 
the  general  opinion  that  it  was  best  to  enter  the  country 
by  night,  and  to  take  Cadwgan  and  Owen  his  son  by 
surprise :  but  Uchtryd  reflecting  upon  the  difficulty  of  the 
country,  and  how  easily  they  might  be  entrapped  by  an 
ambuscade,  dissuaded  them  from  any  such  nocturnal  under- 
takings, and  told  them  that  it  was  far  more  advisable  to 
enter  the  country  in  good  order,  when  the  light  gave  the 
soldiers  opportunity  to  keep  and  observe  their  ranks. 
Whilst  they  were  thus  considering  of  the  most  effectual 
way  to  carry  on  their  purpose,  Owen  got  a  ship  at  Aber- 
dyfi,  bound  for  Ireland,  and  escaping  thither,  avoided  the 
narrow  search  that  was  the  following  day  made  for  them. 
When,  therefore,  father  nor  son  could  be  found,  all  the 
fault  was  laid  upon  Uchtryd,  who  had  dissuaded  them  from 
falling  upon  the  castle  unexpectedly;  and,  therefore,  all 
that  his  companions  could  do,  since  their  escape,  was  to 
burn  and  destroy  the  country,  which  they  did  effectually, 
excepting  the  two  sanctuaries  of  Lhanpadarn  and  Lhandewi 
Brefi ;  out  of  which,  however,  they  took  several  persons 
who  had  escaped  thither,  and  carried  them  away  prisoners 
to  their  several  countries :  but  Owen,  with  those  who  were 
accessary  to  the  burning  of  Rydcors  castle,  being  fled  to 
Ireland,  desired  the  favour  and  protection  of  King  Murcart, 
who  received  him  very  gladly,  upon  the  account  of  their 
former  acquaintance ;  for  Owen,  during  the  war  betwixt  the 
Earls  of  Arundel  and  Chester  and  the  Welsh,  had  fled  to 
King  Murcart,  and  brought  him  very  rich  presents  from 
Wales.  Cadwgan  all  this  while  lay  privately  in  Powys; 
but  thinking  it  impossible  to  continue  there  long  undis- 
covered, he  adjudged  it  his  wiser  way  to  send  to  King 
Henry,  and  to  declare  his  innocency  and  abhorrence  of  the 
crime  which  his  son  had  committed.  The  King  was  easily 
persuaded  that  the  old  man  was  guiltless  and  wholly  inno- 
cent of  his  son's  offence ;  and  therefore  he  gave  him  permis- 
sion to  remain  in  the  country,  and  to  enjoy  the  town  and 
lands  he  received  by  his  wife,  who  was  the  daughter  of  a 

Norman 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  125 

Norman  lord,  called  Pygot  de  Say  :  but  his  lands  in  Powys 
were  otherwise  distributed;  for  his  nephews,  Madoc  and 
Ithel,  finding  what  circumstances  their  uncle  Cadwgan  lay 
under  upon  the  account  of  his  son  Owen,  divided  betwixt 
themselves  such  lands  as  he  and  his  son  possessed  in  Powys, 
though  afterwards  they  could  never  agree  about  the  equal  dis- 
tribution of  them.  To  counterbalance  this,  Cadwgan  made 
such  successful  application  to  the  King  of  England,  that, 
upon  paying  the  fine  of  £100,  he  had  a  grant  of  all  his  lands 
in  Cardigan,  and  a  power  to  recall  all  the  inhabitants  who 
had  fled  away  upon  the  publication  of  the  king's  late  order, 
that  no  Welshman  or  Norman  should  dwell  in  Cardigan. 
Upon  information  of  this  grant  to  Cadwgan,  several  of  them 
that  retired  to  Ireland  returned  again  privately  to  Wales, 
and  lurkingly  remained  with  their  friends ;  but  Owen  durst 
not  appear  in  Cardigan,  by  reason  that  his  father  had 
received  that  country  from  King  Henry,  upon  condition 
that  he  would  never  entertain  nor  receive  his  son,  nor  by 
any  means  succour  him  either  with  men  or  money.  Never- 
theless, Owen  came  to  Powys,  and  would  fain  be  reconciled 
to  the  king,  and  make  an  atonement  for  his  late  misde- 
meanor, but  he  could  find  nobody  that  would  venture  to 
speak  in  his  behalf,  nor  make  the  king  acquainted  with  his 
desire  and  willingness  to  submit :  and  thus  being  hopeless 
and  full  of  despair,  he  could  not  possibly  divine  which  way 
to  turn  himself,  till  at  last  a  very  unexpected  opportunity 
offered  him  means  and  occasion  to  oppose  the  English. 
The  matter  was  this,  there  happened  a  difference  betwixt 
•Madoc  ap  Ryryd*  and  the  Bishop  of  London,  Lieutenant  of 
the  Marches  of  Wales,  about  certain  English  felons  whom 
(being  under  the  protection  of  Madoc)  he  would  not  restore 
at  the  bishop's  request.  The  bishop  being  much  offended 
at  Madoc's  denial,  threatened  him  very  severely;  and 
therefore  to  make  all  possible  preparations  against  an 
ensuing  storm,  Madoc  sent  to  Owen,  who  heretofore  was 
his  greatest  enemy,  desiring  his  help  against  the  bishop ; 
and  by  this  means  being  reconciled,  they  took  their  mutual 
oaths  not  to  betray  each  other,  and  that  neither  should  make 
a  separate  agreement  with  the  English  without  the  know- 
ledge and  approbation  of  the  other;  and  so  uniting  their 
power,  they  spoiled  and  ravaged  all  the  country  about  them, 
destroying  whatever  they  could  meet  with  which  belonged 
to  those  they  had  no  kindness  or  affection  for,  without  the 
least  distinction  of  English  or  Welsh. 

lorwerth  ap  Blethyn  had  been  very  unjustly  detained  in  A.  D.  1107. 

prison 
*  Ap  Bleddyn  ap  Cyuvyn. 


126  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

prison  all  this  time ;  and  now  King  Henry  calling  to  mind 
what  hardship  he  laboured  under,  and  that  he  committed 
him  to  custody  without  any  reasonable  pretence,  sent  to 
know  of  him  what  he  was  willing  to  pay  for  his  liberty, 
lorwerth  being  now  almost  ready  to  sink  under  the  fatigue 
of  such  a  long  imprisonment,  was  glad  to  give  any  thing  he 
was  able  to  obtain  that  which  he  had  so  long  in  vain  hoped 
for ;  and  therefore  he  promised  either  £300  in  specie,  or  to 
the  value  of  it  in  cattle  and  horses,  for  the  payment  of 
which  lorwerth  and  Ithel,  the  sons  of  his  brother  Ryryd, 
were  delivered  for  pledges.*  Then  the  king  released  him 
out  of  prison,  and  restored  him  all  his  lands  which  were 
taken  from  him ;  and  of  the  due  for  his  liberty,  the  king 
bestowed  £10  upon  Henry,  Cadwgan's  son  by  the  daughter 
of  Pygot  de  Say,  the  Norman.  Owen  and  Madawc  all  this 
while  committed  all  the  waste  and  destruction  possible,  and 
cruelly  annoyed  both  the  English  and  Normans,  and  always 
withdrew  and  retired  to  lorwerth's  estate,  which  so  troubled 
him,  by  reason  of  the  king's  strict  orders  not  to  permit 
Owen  to  come  to  his  or  Cadwgan's  territories,  that  at  length 
he  sent  to  them  this  positive  and  peremptory  rebuke : — 
f '  Since  it  hath  pleased  God  to  place  us  in  the  midst  of  our 
enemies,  and  to  deliver  us  into  their  hands ;  and  hath  so 
far  weakened  us,  as  that  we  are  not  able  to  do  any  thing  of 
our  own  strength;  and  your  father  Cadwgan  and  myself 
are  particularly  commanded,  under  penalty  of  forfeiting 
our  lands  and  estates,  not  to  afford  you  any  succour  or 
refuge  during  these  your  rebellious  practices ;  therefore,  as 
a  friend  I  entreat  you,  command  you  as  a  lord,  and  desire 
you  as  a  kinsman,  that  you  come  no  more  to  mine  or  your 
father  Cadwgan's  territories." 

Owen  and  Madawc  receiving  such  a  peremptory  message, 
were  the  more  enraged,  and  by  way  of  malignant  retribution, 
did  more  frequently  than  heretofore  shelter  themselves  in 
lorwerth's  country ;  insomuch,  that  at  last,  since  that  they 
would  neither  by  threats  nor  intreaties  desist  from  their 
wonted  courses,  he  was  forced  to  gather  his  power  and 
drive  them  out  by  force  of  arms.  Being  chased  out  hence, 
they  made  inroads  into  Uchtryd's  country  in  Merioneth- 
shire ;  but  Uchtryd's  sons  being  then  in  Cyveilioc,  and 
hearing  of  it,  they  sent  to  the  people  of  the  country,  with 
positive  orders  to  oppose  and  resist  any  offer  they  might 
make  to  enter  the  country.  The  people,  though  wanting  a 
skilful  commander,  were  resolved  to  do  as  much  as  lay  in 
their  power ;  and  so  meeting  with  them  by  the  way,  they 

set 

*  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  165, 166,.  107,  168. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  127 

set  upon  them  so  furiously,  that  Owen  and  Madawc,  after  a 
brave  defence,  were  forced  to  retreat  and  take  to  their 
heels;  Owen  fled  to  Cardigan  to  his  father  Cadwgan,  and 
Madawc  to  Powys.  Yet  all  these  misfortunes  could  not 
suppress  the  restless  spirit  of  Owen;  for  as  soon  as  he 
could  rally  together  his  scattered  troops,  he  made  divers 
inroads  into  Dyfed,  and  carrying  away  several  persons  to 
the  ships  that  he  had  brought  with  him  from  Ireland,  he 
first  took  a  ransom  of  them,  and  then  listing  them  under 
his  own  command,  made  such  addition  to  his  army,  that  he 
ventured  to  set  upon  a  town  in  Dyfed,  belonging  to  the 
Flemings,  and  having  rased  it  to  the  ground,  he  returned  to 
Cardigan,  having  no  regard  as  to  what  inconvenience  might 
befal  his  father  from  the  king  of  England  upon  this  account, 
which  a  little  afterwards  fell  out :  for  it  happened  that  some 
of  Owen's  men  having  had  intelligence,  that  a  certain  bishop 
called  William  de  Brabant  was  upon  his  journey  through 
that  country  to  the  court  of  England,  they  laid  wait  for  his 
coming,  who,  without  any  apprehension  of  treachery,  passing 
through  the  country,  was  unexpectedly  slain,  he  and  all  his 
retinue.*  lorwerth  and  Cadwgan  were  then  at  court  to 
speak  with  King  Henry  concerning  certain  business  of  their 
own  :f  but  whilst  they  discoursed  with  the  king,  in  came  a 
Fleming,  who  was  a  brother  to  the  deceased  bishop,  and 
with  a  very  loud  exclamation,  complained  how  that  Owen, 
Cadwgan's  son,  had  slain  his  brother  and  the  rest  of  his 
company;  and  that  he  was  succoured  and  entertained  in 
Cadwgan's  country.  King  Henry  hearing  this,  was  wrath- 
fully  displeased  at  such  outrageous  barbarity,  and  that  a 
person  of  such  quality  and  profession  should  be  so  treacher- 
ously murdered ;  and  therefore  he  asked  Cadwgan  what  he 
could  say  to  the  matter,  who  answered,  that  what  had  so 
unhappily  fell  out  was  done  without  the  least  knowledge  or 
approbation  on  his  part,  and  therefore  desired  his  Majesty 
to  impute  all  the  blame  and  guilt  of  that  unfortunate  trans- 
action to  his  son  Owen.  King  Henry  was  so  far  from  being 
satisfied  with  this  reply,  that  he  told  Cadwgan  in  a  violent 
passion,  that  since  he  could  not  prevent  his  son  being  aided 
and  entertained  in  his  country,  he  would  bestow  it  upon 
another  person,  who  was  better  able  and  more  willing  to 
keep  him  out;  and  would  allow  him  a  maintenance  upon 
his  own  proper  charges,  upon  these  conditions,  that  he 
•should  not  enter  Wales  any  more  without  his  further  orders ; 
and  so  granting  him  twenty  days  for  the  ordering  his  affairs, 
he  gave  him  liberty  to  retire  to  any  part  of  his  dominions 

except 
*  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  166, 167, 168.  t  IbicL 


128  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

except  Wales.     When  Owen   and  Madawc  were  informed 
how  Cadwgan  was  treated  by  the  king  of  England,  and  that 
Cardigan,   which  was   their  chief  place  of  refuge,  was  to 
be  given  to  another  person,  they  thought  that  their  condi- 
tion by  this  time  was  desperate,  and  that  they  had  better 
not  stay  any  longer   in  Britain;    and  therefore  with    all 
speed  they  took  shipping  for  Ireland,  where  they  were  sure 
to  be  honourably  entertained  by  King  Murkart.      Then 
King  Henry  sent  for  Gilbert  Strongbow  Earl  of  Strygill,  a 
person  of  noted  worth  and  valour,  and  one  who  had  often 
sued  to  the  king  to  grant  him  some  lands  in  Wales,  and 
bestowed  upon  him  all  the  lands  and  inheritance  of  Cadwgan 
ap  Blethyn,  in  case  he  could  conquer  and  bring  the  country 
under.     Gilbert  very  thankfully  accepted  the  proposal,  and 
having  drawn  together  all  the  forces  he  was  able  to  raise, 
he  passed  to  Wales,  and  being  come  to  Cardigan  without 
the  least  trouble  or  opposition,  he  reduced  the  whole  coun- 
try to  his  subjection.     The  first  thing  he  did  was  the  best 
he  could  to  secure  himself  in  this  new  purchased  inherit- 
ance ;  in  order  to  which  he  erected  two  castles,  one  upon 
the  frontiers  of  North  Wales,  upon  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Ystwyth,  a  mile  distant  from  Llanbadarn;   the  other  to- 
wards Dyfed,    upon    the  river  Teifi,    at  a  place  called 
Dyngeraint,  where,  as  some  think,  Roger  Montgomery  had 
some  time  before  laid  the  foundation  of  Cilgarran  castle.* 

Owen  and  Madawc  were  all  this  while  in  Ireland ;  but 
the  latter  being  at  length  tired  of  the  country,  and  not 
willing  to  endure  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Irish, 
came  over  to  Wales,  and  passed  to  the  country  of  his  uncle 
lorwerth.  lorwerth  being  acquainted  with  his  arrival,  was 
fearful  lest  he  should  suffer  the  same  fate  as  his  brother 
Cadwgan,  if  he  permitted  his  being  there ;  and,  therefore, 
without  any  regard  to  relation  or  consanguinity,  he  pre- 
sently issued  a  proclamation,  forbidding  any  of  his  subjects, 
under  a  great  penalty,  to  receive  him,  but  that  they  should 
account  him  an  open  enemy  to  their  country,  and  endeavour 
all  they  could  to  secure  Madawc  and  to  bring  him  prisoner 
before  him.  When  Madawc  understood  this,  and  that  his 
person  was  in  continual  danger  whilst  he  remained  there, 
having  drawn  to  him  all  the  outlaws  and  villains  in  the 
country,  he  kept  in  the  rocks  and  mountains,  devising  all 
the  ways  and  means  he  could  to  be  revenged  upon  lorwerth ; 
and  so  made  a  private  league  and  agreement  with  Lhywarch 
ap  Trahaern,  who  for  a  long  time  had  been  a  mortal  enemy 
of  lorwerth.  These  two  associates,  having  intelligence 

that 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  169. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  129 

that  lorwerth  lay  one  night  at  Caereineon,*  gathered  all 
their  strength,  and  came  and  encompassed  the  house  at 
midnight,  which  when  lorwerth's  servants  perceived,  they 
arose  and  defended  the  house  with  all  the  might  they 
could ;  but  the  assailants  at  last  putting  the  house  on  fire, 
they  were  glad,  as  many  as  could,  to  escape  through  the 
flames,  the  greatest  part  being  forced  to  yield,  either  to  the 
enemy's  sword  or  the  more  conquering  fire.  lorwerth  seeing 
no  remedy,  but  that  he  must  undergo  the  same  fate  as  his 
men  had  done,  chose  rather  to  die  in  the  presence  of  his 
enemies  with  his  sword  in  his  hand,  than  cowardly  to  com- 
mit his  life  to  the  flames ;  and  therefore  rushing  out  with 
great  violence,  he  was  received  upon  the  points  of  the 
enemies'  spears,  and  being  by  them  tossed  into  the  flames, 
he  miserably  perished  by  a  double  death.  As  soon  as  King 
Henry  heard  of  his  death,  he  sent  for  Cadwgan  to  him,  and 
gave  him  all  his  brother's  estate,  being  Powys-land;  and 
promising  his  son  Owen  his  pardon,  upon  condition  that  he 
would  demean  himself  quiety  and  loyally  hereafter,  willed 
him  to  send  for  him  back  from  Ireland,  f  King  Henry  also 
about  this  time  married  his  natural  son  Robert  to  Mabil, 
daughter  and  sole  heir  to  Robert  Fitz-hamon,  Lord  of  Gla- 
morgan, in  whose  right  this  Robert  became  Lord  of  Glamor- 
gan, being  before  by  the  king  created  Earl  of  Gloucester, 
by  whom  the  castle  of  Cardiff  was  built. 

But  Madawc  finding  the  matter  nothing  mended,  and  that 
his  other  uncle  Cadwgan,  who  lay  under  the  same  obliga- 
tion to  the  King  of  England,  ruled  the  country,  hid  himself 
in  the  most  private  and  inaccessible  places,  watching  only  an 
opportunity  to  commit  the  like  crime  upon  Cadwgan,  and 
to  murder  him  by  one  treacherous  way  or  another.  And 
this  he  effected  in  a  little  time ;  for  Cadwgan  having  reduced 
the  country  to  some  sort  of  settlement  and  quietness,  and 
restored  the  courts  of  judicature,  where  he  sat  in  person  to 
administer  justice,  came  with  the  rest  of  the  elders  of  the 
country  to  Trallwng,  now  Pool,J  and  having  begun  to  A.  D.  1109. 
build  a  castle,  he  thought  to  make  that  the  constant  seat 
of  his  habitation.  Madawc  understanding  his  design,  laid 
in  ambush  for  him  in  his  way  to  Trallwng,  and  as  Cadwgan 
unconcernedly  passed  by  without  the  least  suspicion  of 
treachery,  he  suddenly  set  upon  him,  and  slew  him,  without 

allowing 


*  Castle  Caereinion.  f  Welsh  Chron.  170, 171. 

I  Welsh  Pool,  in  Montgomeryshire. 


130  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

allowing  him  any  time  either  to  fight  or  escape.*     Then  he 
sent  presently  a  message  to  Shrewsbury,  to  the  Bishop  of 
London,  the  king's  lieutenant  in  the  marches,  to  put  him  in 
mind  of  his  former  promises  to  him,  when  he  chased  Owen 
out  of  the  country ;    because  that  the  bishop,  bearing  an 
inveterate   enmity   towards  Cadwgan  and  his   son   Owen, 
granted  Madawc  such  lands  as  his  brother  Ithel  was  pos- 
sessed of.     But  Meredith  ap  Blethyn,  being  informed  of  the 
death  of  both  his  brothers,  went  in  all  haste  to  the  king, 
desiring  of  him  the  lands  of  lorwerth  in  Powys,  which  he 
had  lately   bestowed    upon   Cadwgan;     which    the    king 
granted  him,  until  such  time  as  Owen  should  return  from 
Ireland.     Owen  was  not  long  before  he  came  over,  and  then 
going  to  King  Henry,  he  was  honourably  received,  and  had 
all  his  father's  estate  restored  to  him ;  whereupon,  in  grati- 
tude for  this  signal  favour,  he  voluntarily  promised  to  pay 
the  king  a  considerable  fine,f  for  the  due  payment  of  which 
he  gave  very  responsible  pledges.     Madawc,  finding  himself 
left  alone  in  the  lurch,  and  that  he  had  no  seeming  power  to 
bear  head  against  the  king,  thought  it  also  his  wisest  way  to 
make  what  reconciliation  he  could ;  and  therefore  he  offered 
the  king  a  very  great  fine  if  he  should  peaceably  enjoy  his 
former  estate,  promising  withal  never  to  molest  or  disturb 
any  one  that  was  subject  to  the  crown  of  England.     King 
Henry,  willing  to  bring  all  matters  to  a  settled  condition, 
readily  granted  his  request,  and  conferred  upon  him  all  he 
could  reasonably  ask  for ;  only  with  this  proviso,  that,  upon 
his  peril,  he  should  provide  for  the  relations  of  those  whom 
he  had  so  basely  murdered. 

A.  D.  1109.  And  thus  all  matters  being  brought  to  a  peaceable  con- 
clusion in  Wales,  the  next  year  Robert  de  Belesmo,  who 
had  been  one  of  the  chief  instruments  in  these  Welsh 
disturbances,  in  that  great  rebellion  which  himself,  with 
Roger  de  Montgomery  Earl  of  Salop,  and  his  brother, 
Arnulph  Earl  of  Pembroke,  had  raised  against  the  king, 
was  taken  prisoner  by  King  Henry  in  Normandy,  and 
committed  to  perpetual  imprisonment  in  Warham  Castle. 
1110.  The  year  following,  Meredith  ap  Blethyn  detached  a  consi- 
derable party  of  his  men  to  make  incursions  into  the  country 
of  Lhy warch  ap  Trahaern  ap  Gwyn,  who  was  an  inveterate 
enemy  of  himself  and  Owen ;  because  by  his  aid  and  insti- 
gation Madawc  was  encouraged  to  kill  his  uncles  lorwerth 

and 

*  Thus  died,  after  a  variety  of  misfortunes,  Cadwgan,  the  son  of  Bleddyn  ap  Cynvyn, 
dignified  by  Camden  with  the  title  of  the  renowned  Briton  ;  a  prince  whose  valour,  sense 
of  justice,  and  other  milder  virtues,  might,  in  any  age  but  this,  have  exempted  him  from 
?v  death  so  cruel  and  so  unworthy  of  his  character. 

f  Welsh  Chron.  p.  170,171. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  131 

and  Cadwgan.  These  men,  as  they  passed  through  Ma- 
dawc's  country,  met  a  person  in  the  night-time  who  belonged 
to  Madawc,  who  being  asked  where  his  master  was,  after 
some  pretence  of  ignorance,  at  last  through  fear  confessed 
that  he  was  not  far  from  that  place  ;  therefore,  lying  quietly 
there  all  night,  by  break  of  day  they  arose  to  look  out  their 
game ;  and  unexpectedly  surprising  Madawc,  they  slew  a 
great  number  of  his  men,  and  took  himself  prisoner  ;  and  so 
carrying  him  to  their  Lord,  they  delivered  him  up,  as  the 
greatest  honour  of  their  expedition.  Meredith  was  not  a 
little  proud  of  his  prisoner,  and  therefore,  to  ingratiate 
himself  the  more  with  his  nephew  Owen,  he  committed 
him  to  safe  custody,  till  he  was  sent  for  ;  who  coming 
thither  immediately,  Meredith  delivered  Madawc  up  to 
him.  Owen,  though  he  had  the  greatest  reason  for  the 
most  cruel  revenge,  because  both  his  father  and  uncle  were 
basely  murdered  by  this  Madawc,  would  not  put  him  to 
death,  remembering  the  intimate  friendship  and  oaths  which 
had  passed  betwixt  them ;  but  to  prevent  him  from  doing 
any  future  mischief,  he  pulled  out  his  eyes,  and  then  set  him 
at  liberty.*  Lest,  however,  he  should  be  capable  of  any 
revenge  by  reason  of  his  estate  and  strength  in  the  country, 
Meredith  and  Owen  thought  fit  to  divide  his  lands  betwixt 
them;  which  were  Carnarvon,  Aber-rhiw,  with  the  third 
part  of  Deuthwfyr. 

These  home-bred  disturbances  being  pretty  well  abated,  A.D.  nil. 
a  greater  storm  arose  from  abroad ;  for  the  next  year  King 
Henry  prepared  a  mighty  army  to  enter  into  Wales,  being 
provoked  thereto  by  the  request  of  those  who  enjoyed  a 

treat  part  of  the  Welshmen's  lands,  but  would  not  be  satis- 
ed  till  they  got  all.  For  Gilbert  Strongbow,  Earl  of 
Strygill,  upon  whom  the  king  had  bestowed  Cardigan, 
made  great  complaints  of  Owen  ap  Cadwgan,  declaring  that 
he  received  and  entertained  such  persons  as  spoiled  and 
robbed  in  his  country,  and  Hugh  Earl  of  Chester  made  the 
like  of  Gruflfydh  ap  Conan,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  that  his 
subjects  and  the  men  of  Grono  ap  Owen  ap  Edwyn,  Lord 
of  Tegengl,  unreproved,  wasted  and  burnt  the  country  of 
Cheshire ;  and  to  aggravate  the  matter,  he  added  further, 
that  Gruffydh  neither  did  any  service,  nor  paid  any  tribute 
to  the  king.  Upon  these  complaints,  King  Henry  was  so 
much  enraged  that  he  swore  he  would  not  leave  one  living 
creature  remaining  in  North  Wales  and  Powys-land,  but 
that  he  would  utterly  extirpate  the  present  race  of  people, 

K  2  and 

*  Welsh  Chron.  172. — Incidents  like  these,  arising  from  the  collision  of  contending 
•parties,  present,  in  sanguinary  tints,  a  lively  picture  of  barbarism. 


132  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

and  would  plant  a  colony  of  new  inhabitants.  Then,  divid- 
ing his  army  into  three  parts,  he  delivered  one  to  the  conduct 
of  the  Earl  of  Strygill,  to  go  against  South  Wales,  which 
comprehended  the  whole  power  of  the  fourth  part  of  Eng- 
land and  Cornwall ;  the  next  division  was  designed  against 
North  Wales,  in  which  was  all  the  strength  of  Scotland  and 
the  North,  and  was  commanded  by  Alexander  King  of  the 
Scots  and  Hugh  Earl  of  Chester ;  the  third  the  king  led 
himself  against  Powys,  and  in  this  was  contained  the  whole 
strength  of  the  middle  part  of  England.  Meredith  ap 
Blethyn  hearing  of  these  mighty  preparations,  and  being 
informed  that  this  vast  army  was  designed  against  Wales, 
was  apprehensive  that  the  Welsh  were  not  able  to  make  any 
great  defence,  and  therefore  thought  it  his  safest  way  to 
provide  for  himself  beforehand,  and  so  coming  to  the  king, 
yielded  himself  up  to  his  mercy.  But  Owen,  fearing  to 
commit  himself  to  those  whom  he  knew  so  greedily  coveted 
his  estate,  and  whom  he  was  assured  were  far  more  desirous 
to  dispossess  the  Welsh  of  their  lands  than  in  any  other  way 
to  punish  them  for  former  crimes  and  miscarriages,  fled  to 
Gruffydh  ap  Conan  in  North  Wales.  Upon  that  King 
Henry  converted  his  whole  force  that  way,  and  came  himself 
as  far  as  Murcastelh,  and  the  Scotch  king  to  Pennant 
Bachwy,  but  the  people  flying  to  the  mountains  carried 
with  them  all  the  cattle  and  provision  they  had,  so  that  the 
English  could  not  follow  them,  and  as  many  as  attempted  to 
come  at  them  were  either  slain  or  wounded  in  the  streights. 
Alexander  King  of  the  Scots  finding  that  nothing  could 
possibly  be  effected  against  the  Welsh  as  long  as  they  kept 
to  the  rocks  and  mountains,  sent  to  Prince  Gruffydh,  ad- 
vising him  to  submit  himself  to  the  king,  promising  him  all 
his  interest  to  obtain  an  honourable  peace :  but  the  prince 
was  too  well  acquainted  with  English  promises,  and  there- 
fore refused  his  proposals ;  and  so  King  Henry,  being  very 
unwilling  to  return  without  doing  something  in  this  expe- 
dition, sent  to  Owen  to  forsake  the  prince,  who  was  not 
able  to  defend  himself,  but  was  ready  to  strike  a  peace 
with  the  Scottish  king  and  the  Earl  of  Chester.  This 
cunning  insinuation,  however,  did  not  take  effect,  for  Owen 
was  as  distrustful  of  King  Henry  as  Prince  GrufFydh,  and 
therefore  he  would  hearken  to  no  intreaties  to  revolt  from 
him  who  had  so  long  afforded  him  refuge ;  till  at  length  his 
uncle  Meredith,  an  old  insinuating  politician,  persuaded 
him,  with  much  ado,  not  to  neglect  the  king  of  England's 
proposals,  who  offered  him  all  his  lands  without  tribute,  in 
case  he  would  come  to  his  side ;  and  Meredith  advised  him 

instantly 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  133 

instantly  to  accept  of  his  offer,  before  Prince  Gruffydh  made 
a  peace  with  the  king,  which  if  it  was  once  done,  he  would 
be   glad  upon   any  score  to  purchase   the   king's  mercy. 
Owen  being  prevailed  upon  by  such  arguments,  came  to  the 
king,  who  received  him  very  graciously,  and  told  him,  that 
because  he  believed  his  promise,  he  would  not  only  perform 
that,  but  likewise  exalt  him  above  any  of  his  kindred,  and 
grant  him  his  lands  free  from  any   payment  of   tribute. 
Prince  Gruffydh  perceiving  that  Owen   submitted  to  the 
king,  thought  it  also  his  wisest  way  to  sue  for  peace ;  and  so 
promising  the  king  a  great  sum  of  money,  a  peace  was  then 
actually  agreed  upon  and  confirmed,  which  the  king  of  Eng- 
land was  the  more  ready  to  consent  to,  because  he  found  it 
impossible  to  do  him  any  hurt  whilst  he  continued  encamped 
in  that  place.      Some  affirm  that  the  submission,  as  well  of 
Prince  Gruffydh  as  of  Owen,  was  procured  by  the  policy  of 
Meredith  ap  Blethyn  and  the  Earl  of  Chester;   this  last 
working  with  Gruffydh,  and  assuring  him  that  Owen  had 
made  his  peace  with  the  king  before  any  such  thing  was  in 
agitation,  so  that  the  prince  yielding  somewhat  to  the  earl's 
request,  if  Owen  had  gone  contrary  to  the  oath  which  they 
had  mutually  taken,  not  to  make  any  peace  with  the  English 
without  one  another's  knowledge,  seemed  to  incline  to  a 
peace.     On  the  other  hand,  Meredith  going  to  his  nephew 
Owen,  affirmed  for  truth  that  the  prince  and  the  Earl  of 
Chester  were   actually  agreed,  and  the  prince  was  on  his 
journey  to  the  king  to  make  his  submission.     In  the  mean- 
while Meredith   took    especial  care    that    all   messengers 
betwixt  the  prince  and  Owen  should  be  intercepted,  and  by 
that  means  Owen  submitted  himself  to  the  king. 

King  Henry  having  thus  completed  all  his  business  in 
Wales,  called  Owen  to  him,  and  told  him  that  in  case  he 
would  go  over  with  him  to  Normandy,  and  there  be  faithful 
to  him,  he  would  upon  his  return  confirm  all  his  promises 
upon  him.  Owen  accepted  the  king's  offer,  and  went  with 
him  to  Normandy,  where  he  behaved  himself  so  gallantly, 
that  he  was  made  a  knight ;  and  after  his  return  the  year 
following,  he  had  all  his  lands  and  estate  confirmed  unto 
him.  About  the  same  time  Griffri  bishop  of  St.  David's  A.  D.  11 12. 
died,  and  King  Henry  appointed  to  succeed  him  one  Bar- 
nard a  Norman,  much  against  the  good-will  and  inclination 
of  the  Welsh,  who  before  this  time  were  ever  used  to  elect 
their  own  bishop.  This  year  the  rumour  of  Gruffydh,  son 
to  Rhys  ap  Theodore,  was  spread  throughout  South  Wales, 
who,  as  the  report  went,  for  fear  of  the  king,  had  been  from 
a  child  brought  up  in  Ireland,  and  having  come  over  about 

two 


134  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

two  years  before,  passed  his  time  privately  among  his  re- 
lations, particularly  with  Gerald,  Steward  of  Pembroke,  his 
brother-in-law.     The  noise  of  a  new  prince  being  spread 
abroad,  it  came  at  last  to  the  ears  of  the  King  of  England, 
that  a  certain  person  had  appeared  in  Wales,  who  pretended 
to  be  the  son  of  Rhys  ap  Theodore,  late  Prince  of  South 
Wales,  and  laid  claim  to  that  principality,  which  was  now  in 
the  king's  hands.     King  Henry  being  somewhat  concerned 
with  such  a  report,  and  fearing  lest  this  new  rival  should 
create  him  some  greater  trouble,  he  thought  to  nip  him  in 
the  bud,  and  sent  down  orders  to  apprehend  him :    but 
Gruffydh  ap  Rhys  being  aware  of  the  traps  laid  against  him, 
sent  to  Gruffydh  ap  Gonan,  Prince  of  South  Wales,  desiring 
his  assistance,  and  that  he  might  have  liberty  to  remain  safe 
in  his  country,   which  Gruffydh,  for  his  father's  account, 
readily  granted,  and  treated  him  honourably.     A  little  after, 
his  brother  Howel,  who  was  imprisoned  by  Arnulph  Earl 
of  Pembroke  in  the  castle  of  Montgomery,  where  he  had 
remained  for  a  long  time,  made  his  escape  and  fled  to  his 
brother,  then  with  Gruffydh  ap  Conan  in  North  Wales  ; 
but  King  Henry  being  informed  that  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys  and 
his  brother  Howel  were  entertained  by  the  Prince  of  North 
Wales,  sent  very  smooth  letters  to  Gruffydh   ap  Conan, 
desiring  to  speak  with  him,  who  being  come,  he  received 
him  with  all  the  tokens   of   honour  and  friendship,  and 
bestowed  upon  him  very  rich  presents,  as  was  the  Norman 
policy,  who  usually  made  very  much  of  those  whom  they 
designed  afterwards  to  be  serviceable  to  them.     After  some 
general  discourse,  King  Henry  came  at  length  to  the  main 
point,  and  promised  the  prince  immense  sums  if  he  would 
send  Gruffydh   ap  Rhys  or  his  head  to  him,   which  the 
prince,  overcome  by  such  fair  words  and  large  promises, 
engaged  to  perform,   and  so  returned  joyfully  home,   big 
with  the  expectation  of  his  future  reward.*     Some  persons, 
however,  who  wished  better  to  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys  and  his 
brother  Howel,  suspected  the  occasion  of  the  king's  message, 
and  therefore  they  advised  them  to  withdraw  themselves 
privately  for  some  time,  till  Prince  Gruffydh's  mind  should 
be  better  understood,  and  till  it  should  be  known  whether 
he  had  made  any  agreement  with  the  king  of  England  to 
betray  them  to  him.     As  soon  as  the  prince  was  returned  to 
his  palace  at  Aberffraw,  he  enquired  for  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys, 
and  learning  in  a  little  time  where  he  was,  he  sent  a  troop  of 
horse  to  recall  him  to  his  court,  but  Gruffydh  hearing  of 
their  approach,  with  all  speed  made  his  escape  to  the 

church 
*  Welsh  Chron.  176. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  135 

church  of  Aberdaron,  and  took  sanctuary  there.*  But  the 
Prince  was  so  determined  to  make  his  promise  good  to  the 
King  of  England,  that  without  any  respect  to  the  religious 
place  Gruffydd  ap  Rhys  had  escaped  to,  he  commanded  the 
same  messengers  to  return,  and  to  bring  him  away  by  force, 
which  the  clergy  of  the  country  unanimously  withstood, 
protesting  that  they  would  not  see  the  liberties  of  the  church 
in  the  least  infringed.  Whilst  the  clergy  and  the  prince's 
officers  were  thus  at  debate,  some  who  had  compassion  upon 
the  young  prince,  seeing  how  greedily  his  life  was  thirsted 
for,  conveyed  him  out  of  North  Wales  to  Straty wy  in  South 
Wales  ;  and  thus  being  delivered  from  the  treacherous  arid 
more  dishonourable  practices  of  the  Prince  of  North  Wales, 
he  was  forced  for  the  protection  of  his  own  life  to  bid  open 
defiance  to  the  King  of  England,  and  thereupon  having 
raised  all  the  forces  which  the  shortness  of  the  opportunity 
would  permit,  he  made  war  upon  the  Flemings  and  Nor- 
mans.f 

The  next  year  he  laid  siege  to  the  castle  which  stood  over  A.  D.  1113. 
against  Arberth,  and  winning  the  same,  levelled  it  with  the 
ground,  and  from  thence  marched  to  Lhanymdhyfry  castle, 
belonging  to  Richard  de  Pwns,  upon  whom  the  King  had 
bestowed  Cantref  Byehan,  but  the  garrison  commanded  by 
Meredith  ap  Rhytherch  ap  Caradoc  so  manfully  defended  it, 
that  Gruffydh  after  killing  only  some  few  of  the  besieged, 
and  burning  the  outworks,  was  forced  to  remove  with  no 
small  loss  of  his  own  men.  Finding  this  place  impregnable, 
he  came  before  Abertawy  castle,  which  was  built  by  Henry 
Beaumont,  Earl  of  Warwick,  but  this  proving  too  strong  to 
be  quickly  surrendered,  after  he  had  burnt  some  of  the  out- 
ward buildings,  he  returned  to  Stratywy,  burning  and 
destroying  all  the  country  as  he  went  along.  His  fame 
being  now  spread  abroad  throughout  .the  country,  all 
the  wild  and  head-strong  youths,  and  all  those  persons 
whose  fortunes  were  desperate,  resorted  unto  him  from  all 
parts,  by  which  means  his  forces  becoming  strong  and 
numerous,  he  made  inroads  into  Rhos  and  Dyfed,  spoiling 
and  destroying  the  country  before  him.  The  Normans  and 
Flemings  were  greatly  enraged  with  these  continual  depre- 
dations, but  how  to  remedy  this  mischief  was  not  easily 
determined;  after  along  consultation,  however,  they  thought 
it  the  best  way  to  call  together  such  Welsh  lords  .as  were 
friends  to  the  king  of  England,  as  Owen  ap  Rhytherch,  and 
Rhytherch  ap  Theodore,  with  his  sons  Meredith  and  Owen, 

whose 

*  A  privileged  place  in  the  present  county  of  Carnarvon.— Welsh  Chron-  176. 

f  Ibid. 


136  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

whose  mother  was  Heynyth  the  daughter  of  Blethyn  ap 
Confyn,  and  Owen  ap  Caradoc  the  son  of  Gwenlhian, 
another  daughter  of  Blethyn,  and  Meredith  ap  Rhytherch. 
These  declaring  their  loyalty  and  fidelity  to  King  Henry, 
were  desired  to  defend  the  king's  castle  of  Carmardhyn,  and 
that  by  turns;  Owen  ap  Caradoc  the  first  fortnight,  and 
then  by  succession  by  Rhytherch  ap  Theodore  and  Mere- 
dith ap  Rhytherch.  Owen  undertook  the  defence  of  Car- 
mardhyn  castle  for  the  time  required  of  him,  and  Blethyn  ap 
Cadifor  had  committed  to  him  the  government  of  Abercomyn 
or  Abercorran  castle,  which  appertained  to  Robert  Court- 
main  ;  but  for  all  these  preparations,  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys  had 
a  wishful  eye  upon  Carmardhyn,  and  therefore  he  sent  out 
some  spies  to  learn  the  strength  and  condition  of  the  town, 
who  bringing  him  a  very  flattering  account,  he  marched  by 
night,  and  rushing  suddenly  into  the  town,  ordered  his  men 
to  make  a  great  shout,  thereby  to  strike  a  terror  into  those 
within.  Owen  ap  Caradoc  the  governor,  being  surprised  by 
such  an  unexpected  uproar,  made  all  possible  haste  to  the 
place  where  he  had  heard  the  shouting,  and  thinking  that 
his  men  were  at  his  heels,  fell  in  among  the  enemy;  but 
having  none  to  support  him,  his  men  being  all  fled,  he  was 
after  a  manful  defence  cut  in  pieces ;  and  so  the  town  being 
taken,  Gruffydh  burnt  every  thing  to  the  ground,  excepting 
the  castle,  which  was  also  much  defaced ;  and  then  return- 
ing with  a  great  deal  of  spoil  and  booty  to  his  usual  residence 
Stratywy,  his  forces  were  considerably  increased  by  the 
accession  of  many  young  men,  who  came  to  him  from  all 
quarters,  and  thought  that  fortune  so  prospered  his  arms, 
that  no  body  was  able  to  stand  before  him.  After  this  he 
marched  to  Gwyr,  but  William  de  Londres  thinking  it  im- 
possible to  contend  with  him,  forsook  the  castle  with  all  his 
men  in  all  haste,  so  that  when  Gruflfydh  was  come  thither, 
he  found  a  great  deal  of  cattle  and  spoil,  and  none  to  own 
them,  and  therefore  he  burnt  down  the  castle,  and  carried 
away  every  thing  of  value  in  the  country.  When  the  Car- 
diganshire men  heard  how  fortunately  he  succeeded  in  all 
his  attempts,  and  being  extremely  fearful  lest  his  next  ex- 
pedition should  be  against  them,  they  sent  to  him,  desiring 
him,  as  being  their  near  relation  and  countryman,  to  take 
upon  him  the  rule  and  government  over  them.  GrufFydh 
willingly  accepted  of  their  offer,  and  coming  thither,  wras 
joyfully  received  by  the  chief  men  in  the  country,  who  were 
Cadifor  ap  Grono,  Howel  ap  Dinerth,  and  Trahaern  ap 
Ithel,  which  three  persons  had  forsaken  Dyfed,  by  reason 
that  it  was  so  much  burdened  with  Normans,  Flemings,  and 

Englishmen. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  137 

Englishmen.  Nor  was  Cardigan  free  from  strangers,  who 
pretended  to  rule  the  country,  but  the  people  bearing  in 
mind  the  continual  wrong  and  oppression  they  received  from 
them,  imbibed  an  inveterate  hatred  to  them,  and  were  very 
glad  to  be  delivered  from  their  insolent  and  imperious 
oppressors:  for  King  Henry,  either  by  force  and  banish- 
ment of  those  that  stood  up  for  their  liberty,  or  by  corrupt- 
ing those  that  were  wavering,  had  brought  all  that  country 
to  his  subjection,  and  bestowed  what  lands  he  thought  fit 
upon  his  English  or  Norman  favourites.  Notwithstanding 
the  strength  of  the  English  in  this  country,  Gruffydh  was 
not  in  the  least  cast  down,  but  boldly  coming  on  to  Cardigan 
Iscoed,  he  laid  siege  to  a  fort  that  Earl  Gilbert  and  the 
Flemings  had  built  at  a  place  called  Blaen  Forth  Gwythan. 
After  divers  assaults,  and  the  killing  of  several  of  the 
besieged,  with  the  loss  only  of  one  of  his  men,  Gruffydh 
took  the' place,  and  razing  it  to  the  ground,  brought  all  the 
country  thereabouts  to  subjection.  This  action  proved 
very  fatal  to  the  English  ;  for  immediately  upon  this,  they 
began  to  forsake  their  houses  and  habitations,  thinking  it 
dangerous  for  them  to  stay  any  longer  in  the  country  ;  and 
so  the  Welsh  burnt  or  otherwise  destroyed  as  far  as  Pen- 
wedic  all  the  houses  of  those  strangers  whom  Earl  Gilbert 
had  brought  with  him.  Then  Gruffydh  besieged  the  castle 
of  Stradpeithyll,  which  belonged  to  Ralph,  Earl  Gilbert's 
steward,  and  having  made  himself  master  of  it,  he  put  all 
the  garrison  to  the  sword.  Removing  from  thence,  he  en- 
camped at  Glasgryg,  a  mile  from  Lhanbadarn,  purposing  to 
besiege  Aberystwith  castle  next  morning,  but  for  want  of 
provision  necessary  for  his  army,  he  deemed  it  expedient  to 
take  some  cattle  which  grazed  within  the  limits  of  the  sanc- 
tuary.* Here  it  may  be  observed,  that  not  only  men 
enjoyed  the  privilege  of  these  sanctuaries,  but  also  cattle 
and  horses,  and  whatever  else  lived  within  the  liberties  of 
them.  The  day  following,  Gruffydh  marched  in  a  dis- 
orderly manner  towards  the  castle,  not  being  apprehensive 
of  any  material  opposition,  because  he  was  ignorant  of  the 
number  of  the  garrison ;  and  encamping  upon  an  opposite 
hill,  which  was  divided  from  the  castle  by  a  river,  with  a 
bridge  over  it,  he  called  a  council  to  determine  with  what 
engines  they  might  with  best  success  play  against  it,  and  so 
make  a  general  assault.  The  Normans  observing  their  dis-r 
order,  very  cunningly  sent  out  some  of  their  archers  to 
skirmish  with  them,  and  so  by  degrees  entice  them  to  the 
bridge,  where  some  of  the  best  armed  horsemen  were  ready 

to 
*  Wekh  Chron.  p.  179. 


138  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

to  issue  out  upon  them.  The  Welsh  not  thinking  the  garri- 
son so  strong,  approached  near  the  bridge,  still  skirmishing 
with  the  Normans,  who  pretended  to  give  way ;  but  when 
they  came  very  near,  out  sallied  one  on  horseback,  who 
would  fain  pass  the  bridge;  but  being  received  upon  the 
points  of  their  spears,  he  began  to  flag,  and  as  he  en- 
deavoured to  return,  he  fell  off  his  horse,  and  so  the  Welsh 
pursued  him  over  the  bridge.  The  Englishmen  seeing  this, 
fled  towards  the  castle,  and  the  Welsh  with  all  speed  fol- 
lowed them  to  the  top  of  the  hill ;  but  whilst  they  thought 
that  the  day  was  their  own,  a  party  of  horse  which  lay  in 
ambuscade  under  the  hill  rose  up,  and  standing  betwixt  the 
Welsh  and  the  bridge,  prevented  any  succour  coming  to 
them ;  and  the  Welsh  being  thus  hemmed  in  betwixt  both 
parties,  the  former  recoiling  with  greater  strength,  were  so 
unmercifully  cut  off,  that  scarce  one  man  was  left  living. 
When  the  rest  of  the  Welsh  army,  that  staid  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river,  saw  what  number  the  garrison  contained, 
and  that  they  were  strong  beyond  their  expectation,  they 
presently  decamped,  and  with  all  speed  departed  out  of  the 
country.* 

When  King  Henry  was  informed  of  all  the  mischief  and 
cruelties  that  Gruflfydh  ap  Rhys  had  committed  among  his 
subjects  in  Wales,  he  sent  for  Owen  ap  Cadwgan,  desiring 
him  and  Lhywarch  ap  Trahaern  to  use  all  effectual  methods 
to  take  or  kill  the  arch-rebel  Gruffydh,  promising  to  send 
his  son  Robert  immediately  with  an  army  to  Wales  for  that 
purpose.  Owen  being  very  proud  that  the  king  put  such 
confidence  in  him,  encouraged  his  men  to  be  now  as  in- 
dustrious to  merit  the  king's  favour,  as  they  had  been 
formerly  to  deserve  his  displeasure;  and  so  joining  his 
forces  with  Lhywarch,  they  both  marched  to  meet  Prince 
Robertf  at  Stratywy,  where  they  supposed  Gruffydh  ap 
Rhys  had  hid  himself  in  the  woods.  When  they  were  come 
to  the  frontiers  of  the  country,  they  made  a  vow,  that  they 
would  let  neither  man,  woman,  nor  child  escape  alive ; 
which  so  affrighted  the  people  of  the  country,  that  all  made 
what  haste  they  could  to  save  their  lives,  some  by  fleeing 
to  the  woods  and  mountains,  and  some  by  getting  into  the 
king's  castles,  from  whence  they  had  come  but  a  little 
before.  Then  Owen  and  Lhywarch  separated  with  distinct 
parties  to  scour  the  woods,  which  about  Stratywy  were  very 
thick  and  secluded.  Owen  having  entered  with  an  hundred 
men,  discovered  the  track  of  men  and  cattle,  and  followed 

their 

*  Welsh  Chron.  180. 
t  Earl  of  Gloucester,  the  natural  son  of  Henry,  by  Nest,  his  late  concubine. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  139 

their  footsteps  so  close,  that  within  a  little  while  he  overtook 
them ;  and  having  slain  a  great  many  of  them,  and  put  the 
rest  to  flight,  he  carried  away  all  their  cattle  back  to  his 
army. 

But  whilst  Owen  was  busy  in  searching  the  woods, 
Gerald,  Steward  of  Pembroke  Castle,  who  with  a  great 
number  of  Flemings  was  upon  his  march  to  join  the  king's 
son,  met  with  them  who  fled  from  Owen;  who  desiring 
help  of  Gerald,  declared  how  Owen  had  forcibly  drove 
them  out,  slain  a  great  many  of  their  companions,  and  spoiled 
them  of  all  their  goods.  Gerald  and  his  Flemings  under- 
standing that  Owen  was  so  nigh  with  such  a  small  number 
of  men,  thought  he  had  now  very  convenient  opportunity  to 
be  revenged  of  him  upon  the  account  of  his  wife;  and, 
therefore,  to  make  sure  work  with  him,  he  pursued  him 
close  into  the  woods.  Owen  being  forewarned  by  his  men 
that  a  great  number  followed  him,  and  advised  to  make  all 
speed  to  get  away,  was  deaf  to  all  such  counsels,  as  thinking 
that  they  of  whom  his  men  were  so  much  afraid  of,  were  the 
king's  friends,  and  therefore  their  integrity  need  not  be 
questioned,  since  they  had  all  respect  to  one  common  cause : 
but  he  found  that  a  private  quarrel  is  sometimes  more 
regarded  than  the  public  good ;  and,  therefore,  when 
Gerald  was  advanced  within  bowshot,  he  greeted  him  with  a 
volley  of  arrows,  to  shew  how  great  a  friend  he  was ;  but 
Owen,  though  persuaded  to  flee,  was  so  little  terrified  at 
such  an  unwelcome  salutation,  that,  notwithstanding  the 
enemy  were  seven  to  one,  yet  he  told  them,  that  they  were 
but  Flemings,  and  such  as  always  trembled  at  the  hearing 
of  his  name.  Then  falling  on  with  a  great  deal  of  courage, 
he  was  at  the  first  onset  struck  with  an  arrow  into  the  heart, 
of  which  wound  he  presently  died ;  which  when  his  men 
saw  they  all  fled,  and  brought  word  to  Lhywarch  and  the 
rest  of  their  fellows  of  what  had  happened ;  and  so  suspect- 
ing the  king's  army,  seeing  they  could  not  be  trusted  in 
their  service,  they  all  returned  to  their  respective  coun- 
tries.* 

Owen  being  in  this  manner  unhappily  slain,  his  brethren 
divided  his  lands  betwixt  them ;  excepting  Caereineon, 
which  properly  belonged  to  Madawc  ap  Ryryd  ap  Blethyn : 
and  which  he  had  forcibly  taken  away  from  his  uncle 
Meredith.  His  father  Cadwgan  had  several  children  by 
different  women ;  and,  besides  Owen,  he  had  issue  Madawc, 
by  Gwenlhian,  the  daughter  of  Gruflfydh  ap  Conan;  Eineon, 

by 

*  Welsh  Chron.  182.— «  In  this  manner,"  says  Warrington,  «  died,  suitable  to  thf 
tenor  of  his  life,  this  bold  and  profligate  chieftain." 


140  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

by  Sanna,  the  daughter  of  Dyfnwal ;  Morgan,  by  Efelhiw 
or  Elhiw,  the  daughter  of  Cadifor  ap  Colhoyn,  Lord  of 
Dyfed ;  Henry  and  GrufFydh  were  by  the  daughter  of  the 
Lord  Pigot,  his  wedded  wife  ;  Meredith,  by  Euroron 
Hoodliw ;  and  Owen,  by  Inerth,  the  daughter  of  Edwyn. 
Some  time  afterwards,  Eineon  ap  Cadwgan  and  Gruffydh 
ap  Meredith  ap  Blethyn,  besieged  the  castle  of  Cymmer,  in 
Merionethshire,  which  was  lately  built  by  Uchtryd  ap 
Edwyn;  for  Cadwgan  had  bestowed  upon  Uchtryd,  his 
cousin-german,  Merioneth  and  Cyfeilioc,  upon  condition, 
that  in  all  cases  he  should  appear  his  friend,  and  his  sons 
after  him  ;  contrary  to  which  promise  he  bore  no  manner  of 
regard  to  Cadwgan's  children  after  Owen's  death ;  but  to 
strengthen  himself  the  better,  he  erected  this  castle  of 
Cymmer,  which  very  much  displeased  many  of  Cadwgan's 
sons ;  and  therefore  Eineon  and  GrufFydh,  to  make  Uchtryd 
sensible  of  his  error  in  despising  them,  attacked  Cymmer 
Castle,  and  having  slain  divers  of  the  garrison,  the  rest 
surrendered  themselves ;  and  so  taking  the  possession  of  it, 
they  divided  the  country  betwixt  them:  Mowdhwy,  Cy- 
feilioc, and  half  Penlhyn  to  GrufFydh  ap  Meredith ;  and 
the  other  half  of  Penlhyn,  with  all  Merioneth,  to  Eineon. 

The  next  year  King  Henry  sailed  with  a  great  army  into 
Normandy,  against  the  French  king,  who  with  the  Earl  of 
Flanders  and  others  attempted  to  make  William,  the  son  of 
Robert  Curthoise,  Duke  of  Normandy  ;  but  at  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  King  of  England,  they  all  dispersed  and 
laid  aside  their  intended  design.  About  the  same  time 
Gilbert  Strongbow,  Earl  of  Strygill,  to  whom  King  Henry 
had  given  all  Cardigan,  departed  this  life,  after  being  long 
ill  of  a  consumption,  much  to  the  joy  and  satisfaction  of  the 
Welsh,  who  were  much  displeased  that  they  should  be 
deprived  of  their  own  natural  Lord  Cadwgan,  from  whom 
this  country  was  taken,  and  be  forced  to  serve  a  stranger, 
whose  kindness  they  had  no  reason  to  expect.  The  year 
A.  D.  1115.  following,  an  irreconcileable  quarrel  happened  betwixt 
Howel  ap  Ithel,  Lord  of  Ros  and  Ryfonioc,  now  Denbigh- 
land,  and  Riryd  and  Lhywarch  the  sons  of  Owen  ap 
Edwyn ;  and  when  they  could  not  otherwise  agree,  they 
broke  out  into  an  open  war.  Thereupon  Howel  sent  to 
Meredith  ap  Blethyn,  and  to  Eineon  and  Madawc, 
Cadwgan's  sons,  who  came  down  from  Merioneth  with  a 
party  of  four  hundred  well-disciplined  men,  and  encamped 
in  DyfFryn  Clwyd.  Riryd  and  Lhywarch,  on  the  other 
hand,  desired  the  assistance  of  their  cousins,  the  sons  of 
Uchtryd  ;  and  both  armies  meeting  in  the  Vale  of  Clwyd, 

they 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  141 

they  attacked  each  other  with  much  spirit  and  alacrity,  and 
after  a  tedious  and  a  bloody  fight,  Lhywarch,  Owen  ap 
Edwyn's  son,  was  slain,  and  with  him  lorwerth,  the  son  of 
Nudh,  a  noble  and  a  valorous  person;  and  Riryd  was 
forced  to  make  his  escape  by  flight :  but  though  Howel 
obtained  the  victory,  yet  he  did  not  long  survive  his  fallen 
enemies;  for  having  received  a  desperate  wound  in  the 
action,  he  died  of  it  within  forty  days ;  and  then  Meredith 
ap  Blethyn,  and  the  sons  of  Cadwgan,  finding  it  dangerous 
to  stay  longer  there,  for  fear  of  some  French,  who  lay  gar- 
risoned in  Chester,  returned  home  with  all  speed. 

King  Henry  was  still  in  Normandy;  and  about  this  A.  D.  1116. 
time,  a  very  great  battle  was  fought  betwixt  him  and  the 
French  king,  who  was  completely  vanquished  and  over- 
thrown, and  had  a  great  number  of  his  nobles  taken 
prisoners :  but  as  King  Henry  returned  the  following  1117t 
year  for  England,  one  of  the  ships  happened,  by  the 
negligence  of  the  pilot,  to  be  cast  away,  wherein  perished 
the  king's  two  sons,  William,  who  was  legitimate  and  heir 
apparent  to  the  crown,  and  Richard,  his  base  son,  together 
with  his  daughter  and  niece,  and  several  others  of  his 
nobility,  to  the  number  in  all  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
persons.  This  unparalleled  loss  of  so  many  kindred  and 
friends  did  not  perplex  his  mind  so  long,  but  that  within  a 
short  time,  he  began  to  solace  and  raise  his  drooping 
spirits  with  the  thoughts  of  a  new  wife ;  and,  having  mar- 
ried Adelice,  the  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Lovain,  he  ills. 
purposed  to  go  against  Wales ;  and  having  prepared  his 
forces,  he  led  them  in  person  to  Powys-land. 

When  Meredith  ap  Blethyn,  and  Eineon,  Madawc,  and 
Morgan,  the  sons  of  Cadwgan,  and  lords  of  the  country, 
heard  of  it,  they  sent  to  Gruffydh  ap  Conan,  Prince  of 
North  Wales,  desiring  some  help  at  his  hands ;  who  flatly 
refused,  assuring  them,  that  because  he  was  at  peace  with 
the  King  of  England,  he  could  neither  with  honour  nor 
safety  send  them  any  succour,  nor  permit  them  to  come 
within  his  dominions.  The  lords  of  Powys  receiving  this 
unwelcome  answer,  and  having  no  hope  of  any  aid,  were 
resolved  to  defend  themselves  as  well  as  they  could  ;  and, 
therefore,  they  thought  the  most  effectual  means  to  annoy 
the  enemy,  and  to  keep  them  from  entering  into  the  country, 
was  to  watch  and  defend  the  straits  by  which  the  enemy 
must  of  necessity  pass.  Nor  were  they  wrong  in  their 
policy ;  for  it  happened  that  the  king  himself,  with  a  small 
number,  advanced  to  one  of  these  narrow  passages,  the  rest 
of  the  army,  by  reason  of  their  carriages  having  taken  some 

compass 


142  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

compass  about ;  which  the  Welsh  perceiving,  presently 
poured  a  shower  of  arrows  upon  them,  and  the  advantage  of 
the  ground  giving  help  to  their  execution,  they  slew  and 
wounded  a  great  many  of  the  English.  The  king  himself 
was  struck  in  the  breast,  but  the  arrow  did  not  hurt  him,  by 
reason  of  his  armour,*  yet  he  was  so  terrified  with  this  un- 
expected conflict,  and  considering  with  himself,  that  he 
must  receive  several  such  brushes  before  he  could  advance 
to  the  plain  country  :  and  what  was  above  all,  being  sensible 
that  by  such  a  rash  misfortune  he  might  lose  all  the  honour 
and  fame  which  he  had  before  obtained,  sent  a  message  to 
parley  with  them  who  kept  the  passage,  and  with  all  as- 
surance of  safety,  to  desire  them  to  come  to  the  king.  The 
Welsh  being  come,  and  questioned  how  they  had  such 
confidence  to  oppose  the  king,  and  to  put  his  life  in  so 
much  danger,  made  answer,  that  they  belonged  to  Meredith 
ap  Blethyn,  and  according  to  their  master's  orders  they 
were  resolved  to  keep  the  passage,  or  to  die  upon  the  spot. 
The  king  finding  them  so  resolute,  desired  them  to  go  to 
Meredith  and  propose  to  him  an  agreement  of  peace,  which 
he  and  his  cousins,  the  sons  of  Cadwgan,  accepted  of;  and 
promised  to  pay  the  king  10,000  head  of  cattle,  in  retri- 
bution for  former  offences.  And  so  King  Henry  leaving  all 
things  in  a  peaceable  and  quiet  posture  in  Wales,  and  ap- 
pointing the  Lord  Fitz-Warren  warden  or  lieutenant  of  the 
Marches,  returned  to  England. f 

A.D.  1120.  When  a  foreign  enemy  was  removed  out  of  the  country, 
the  Welsh  could  never  forbear  quarrelling  with  each  other ; 
and  now  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys  ap  Theodore,  who  had  been  for 
some  time  quiet,  fell  upon  Gruffydh  ap  Sulhaern,  and  for 
some  reason  not  discovered,  treacherously  slew  him.  The 
1121.  next  year  there  happened  another  occasion  of  disturbances 
and  falling  out  among  the  Welsh ;  for  Eineon,  the  son  of 
Cadwgan  dying,  left  all  his  share  of  Powys  and  Merioneth 
to  his  brother  Meredith.  But  his  uncle  Meredith  ap 
Blethyn,  thinking  that  these  lands  more  properly  belonged 
to  him,  ejected  his  nephew  Meredith,  to  whom  his  brother 
Eineon  had  left  them,  and  took  possession  of  them  himself. 
To  augment  these  differences,  King  Henry  set  now  at  liberty 
Ithel  ap  Riryd  ap  Blethyn,  Meredith's  nephew,  who  had 
been  for  a  long  time  detained  in  prison  ;  and,  who  coming 
to  his  own  country,  was  in  expectation  to  enjoy  his  estate, 

which, 

*  Stowe's  Chron.  p.  140.— Welsh  Chron.  p.  185. 

It  was  uncertain  from  whence  this  stroke  proceeded  ;  but  Henry,  the  instant  he  felt  it, 
swore  "  by  the  death  of  our  Lord,"  his  usual  oath,  that  the  arrow  came  not  from  a  Welsh 
but  an  English  bow. — William  Malmsbury,  p.  158,  Frankfort  edit. ;  Baker's  Chron.  p.  40. 
t  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  185, 186, 187.— Wm.  Malmsbury,  p.  159. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  143 

which,  upon  his  being  put  in   custody,  his  relations  had 
divided  betwixt  them ;    of  which,  the  greatest  share  fell  to 
his  uncle  Meredith  :    but  when   GrufFydh   ap   Conan  was 
informed  that  Meredith  ap  Blethyn,  contrary  to  all  justice, 
had  taken  away  by  force  the  lands  of  his  nephew  Meredith 
ap  Cadwgan,  he  sent  his  sons  Cadwalhon  and  Owen  with  an 
army  into  Merioneth,   who  conquering   and  bringing    to 
subjection  all  the  country,  carried  away  the  chief  of  the 
people  and  all  the  cattle  to  Lhyn :  and  at  the  same  time  the 
sons  of  Cadwgan  entered  into  the  lands  of  Lhywarch  ap 
Trahaern,  and  cruelly  wasted  and  destroyed  it,  because  he 
had  countenanced  the  doings  of  their  uncle  Meredith  ap 
Blethyn.     These  inward  clashings  and  animosities  concern- 
ing estates  and  titles,  were  seconded  by  most  unnatural 
bloodshed    and  unparalleled  cruelties  ;    for  Meredith    ap 
Blethyn,   when   he  found  that  his  nephew  Meredith   ap 
Cadwgan  was  assisted  by  the  Prince  of  North  Wales,  and 
that  it  was  impracticable  to  keep  Merioneth  from  him,  he 
was  resolved  to  practise  that  upon  his  nephew,  which  he 
had  failed  to  effect  upon  another:   and,  therefore,  lest  his  A.  D.  1122. 
other  nephew  Ithel  ap  Riryd  should  meet  with  the  like  help 
and  encouragement  to  recover  those  lands,  which  during  his 
imprisonment  were  taken  from  him,  and  of  which  his  uncle 
actually  enjoyed  a  considerable  share  ;  Meredith  thought 
he  would  prevent  all  disputes,  by  sending  Ithel  out  of  the 
world,  which,  upon  mature  deliberation,  he  treacherously 
effected.     Nor  was  this  the  only  murder  committed  at  this 
time;  for  Cadwalhon,  the  son  of  GrufFydh  ap  Conan,  ex- 
ceeded him  far  for  guilt,  and  slew  his  three  uncles,  Grono, 
Ryryd,  and  Meilyr,  the  sons  of  Owen  ap  Edwyn  ;  and,  what 
was  most  unnatural  of  all,  Morgan  ap  Cadwgan  with  his 
own  hands  killed  his  brother  Meredith,  a  crime  most  exe- 
crable, though  he  did  afterwards  repent  of  it. 

Not  long  after  this,  GrufFydh  ap  Rhys,  by  the  false  and  1124. 
invidious  accusations  of  the  Normans,  was  dispossessed  of 
all  the  lands  which  King  Henry  had  formerly  granted  him, 
and  which  he  had  for  a  considerable  time  peaceably  enjoyed.* 
Towards  the  end  of  the  same  year  died  Daniel  ap  Sulgien, 
Bishop  of  St.  David's,  and  Archdeacon  of  Powys,  a  man  of 
extraordinary  piety  and  learning,  and  one  who  made  it  his 
continual  employment  to  endeavour  to  work  a  reconciliation 
betwixt  North  Wales  and  Powys,  which  in  his  time  were 
continually  at  variance  and  enmity  with  one  another.  The 
next  year  died  GrufFydh,  the  son  of  Meredith  ap  Blethyn  ;f  U25. 

and 

*  Welsh  Chron.  187. 

,    f  Welsh  Chron.  188. — Having  forsaken  the  interests  of  his  native  country,  had  long 
become  a  subject  of  the  King  of  England  — Ibid. 


144  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

and  about  the  same  time  Owen  ap  Cadwgan,  having  got 
into  his  hands  Meredith  ap  Llywarch,  delivered  him  to 
Pain  Fitz-John,  to  be  kept  safe  prisoner  in  the  castle  of 
Bridgnorth.  The  reason  of  this  was,  because  Meredith  had 
slain  Meyric,  his  cousin-german,  and  very  barbarously  had 
pulled  out  the  eyes  of  two  more  of  his  cousins,  the  sons  of 
Griffri.  This  cruel  and  inhuman  custom  of  plucking  out 
the  eyes  of  such  as  they  hated  or  feared  was  too  frequent ly 
A.D.  1126.  practised  in  Wales;  for  the  following  year  levaf  the  son  of 
Owen  served  two  of  his  brethren  after  this  unnatural  man- 
ner, and  thinking  that  too  little,  passed  a  sentence  of  perpe- 
tual banishment  upon  them.  A  little  after,  his  brother 
Lhewelyn  ap  Owen  slew  lorwerth  ap  Lhywarch ;  but  all 
this  mischief  practised  by  these  two  brothers  levaf  and 
Lhewelyn,  recoiled  at  last  upon  themselves ;  for  their  uncle 
Meredith  ap  Blethyn,  being  apprehensive  that  his  two 
nephews  were  much  in  his  way,  and  that  if  they  were  put 
aside,  all  their  estate  would  of  right  fall  to  him,  he  slew 
levaf  outright,  and  having  plucked  out  Lhewelyn's  eyes, 
castrated  him,  for  fear  he  should  beget  any  children  to 
inherit  his  lands  after  him.  These,  no  doubt,  were  bar- 
barous times,  when  for  the  least  offence,  nay  sometimes 
suspicion,  murder  was  so  openly  and  incorrigibly  commit- 
ted ;  which  must  of  necessity  be  attributed  to  this  one  evil, 
That  so  many  petty  states  having  equal  power  and  authority 
in  their  own  territories,  and  being  subject  to  none  but  the 
king  of  England,  still  endeavoured  to  outvie  and  overtop 
each  other  :  hence  nearness  of  relation  giving  way  to  ambi- 
tion, they  never  regarded  those  of  the  same  blood,  so  that 
themselves  might  add  to  their  strength,  and  increase  their 
estate  by  their  fall ;  and  for  this  reason  Meyric  slew  Lhy- 
warch, and  his  son  Madawc  his  own  cousins,  but  before  he 
could  make  any  advantage  by  their  death,  he  was  himself 
served  after  the  same  manner.  The  only  person  who  after- 
wards repented  of  such  a  foul  crime,  was  Morgan  ap 
Cadwgan,  who  being  severely  troubled  in  mind  for  the 
murder  he  had  lately  committed  upon  his  brother  Meredith, 
took  a  journey  to  Jerusalem  to  expiate  his  crime,  and  in  his 
return  from  thence  died  in  the  island  of  Cyprus.  This 
treacherous  way  of  privately  murdering  those  by  whom  they 
1129.  were  offended,  was  prevalent  among  the  Welsh ;  for  Eineon 
the  son  of  Owen  ap  Edwyn,  remembering  that  Cadwalhon 
the  son  of  Gruffydh  ap  Conan  had  basely  slain  three  of  his 
brothers,  and  taking  the  opportunity  of  his  being  at  Nan- 
hewdwy,  he,  assisted  by  Cadwgan  ap  Grono  ap  Edwyn,  set 
upon  him  and  slew  him.  About  the  same  time,  that  great 

usurper 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  145 

usurper  Meredith  a])  Bletbyn  ap  Confyn,  who,  by  the  most 
unnatural  and  horrid  practices,  had  got  the  lands  of  all  liJs 
brothers  and  nephews,  and  by  that  means  was  become  a 
man  of  the  greatest  strength  and  sway  in  Powys,  died  of  a 
fit  of  sickness,  which  had  reduced  him  to  such  an  appre- 
hension of  the  consequences  of  his  former  misdeeds,  that  he 
did  penance  as  an  expiation  of  his  guilt. 

In  the  year  1 134,  till  which  time  nothing  of  moment  was  A.D.  1134. 
transacted  in  Wales,  Henry,  the  first  of  that  name,  King  of 
England,  died  in  Normandy  in  the  month  of  October ;  after 
whom  Stephen  Earl  of  Buloign,  son  to  the  Earl  of  Blois, 
his  sister's  son,  by  the  means  of  Hugh  Bygod,  was  crowned 
king  by  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  all  the  nobility  of 
England  consenting  thereto;  though  contrary  to  a  former 
oath  they  had  taken  to  Maud  the  Empress.  The  first 
thing  that  employed  his  thoughts  after  his  accession  to  the 
government,  was  against  David  King  of  the  Scots ;  who 
taking  advantage  of  this  new  revolution  in  England,  by 
some  treacherous  means  or  other,  got  the  towns  of  Carlisle 
and  Newcastle  into  his  hands :  but  King  Stephen,  though 
scarcely  settled  in  his  throne,  presently  marched  towards 
the  North;  of  whose  coming  David  being  assured,  and 
fearing  to  meet  him,  voluntarily  restored  Newcastle,  and  com- 
pounded for  Carlisle ;  but  would  not  swear  to  him  by  reason 
of  his  oath  to  Maud ;  which,  however,  his  son  did  not  scruple 
to  do ;  and  thereupon  was  by  King  Stephen  created  Earl  of 
Huntingdon.  This  alteration  of  affairs  in  England  made  1135. 
also  the  Welsh  bestir  themselves ;  for  Morgan  ap  Owen,  a 
man  of  considerable  quality  and  estate  in  Wales,  remember- 
ing the  wrong  and  injury  he  had  received  at  the  hands  of 
Richard  Fitz-Gilbert,  slew  him,  together  with  his  son 
Gilbert.  And  shortly  after  this,  Cadwalader  and  Owen 
Gwyneth,  the  sons  of  Gruflfydh  ap  Conan  Prince  of  North 
Wales,  having  raised  a  mighty  army,  marched  against  the 
Normans  and  Flemings,  and,  coming  to  Cardigan,*  com- 
mitted very  considerable  waste  ami  havock  in  the  country, 
and  took  two  of  the  strongest  places,  one  belonging  to 
Walter  Espec,f  and  the  castle  of  Aberystwyth.  In  this 
last  place  they  were  joined  by  Howel  ap  Meredith  and 
Rhys  ap  Madawc  ap  Ednerth;  who,  marching  forward, 
took  the  castle  of  Richard  de  la  Mare,  together  with  those 
of  Dinerth  and  Caerwedros,  and  then  returned  with  very 

valuable 


*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  189. 

f  He  built  the  castle  called  Catted  Gwalter,  in  the  parish  of  Llanfihangel  Genau 
Glyn.     It  was  destroyed  in  (he  year  1135,  by  Cadwaladyr  and  Owain  Gwynedd. 


146  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

valuable  booty.  Having  succeeded  so  well  in  this  expedi- 
tion, they  could  not  rest  satisfied  till  they  had  delivered  the 
whole  country  from  the  intolerable  pride  and  oppression  of 
the  Normans  and  Flemings ;  and,  therefore,  returning  the 
same  year  to  Cardigan  with  6000  foot  and  2000  horse, 
well  disciplined  and  experienced  soldiers ;  and  being  joined 
by  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys  and  Howel  ap  Meredith  of  Brecknock 
with  his  sons,  and  Madawc  ap  Ednerth,  they  over-ran  the 
country  as  far  as  Aberteifi,  restoring  all  the  former  inhabit- 
ants to  their  proper  inheritances,  and  discarding  all  such 
strangers  as  the  late  Earl  of  Strygil  had  placed  in  the 
country.  But  when  Stephen,  who  was  governor  of  Aber- 
teifi, saw  that,  he  called  to  him  Robert  Fitz-Martyn,  the 
sons  of  Gerald,  and  William  Fitz- John,  with  all  the  strength 
of  the  Normans,  Flemings,  and  English  in  Wales  or  the 
Marches,  and,  meeting  with  the  Welsh  betwixt  Aber  Nedd 
and  Aber  Dyfi,  gave  them  battle.  After  a  very  fierce  and 
bloody  encounter,  the  English  began  to  give  ground,  and, 
according  to  their  usual  manner,  trusting  too  much  to  the 
strength  of  their  towns  and  fortifications,  began  to  look  how 
to  save  themselves  that  way ;  but  the  Welsh  pressed  upon 
them  so  hard,  that  they  killed  above  3000  men,  besides 
several  that  were  drowned,  and  many  were  taken  prisoners. 
This  victory  being  obtained,  Cadwalader  and  Owen  over- 
ran the  whole  country,  forcing  all  the  Normans  and 
Flemings  to  depart  the  country  with  all  speed,  and  placing 
in  their  room  those  miserable  Welsh  who  had  been  so  long 
deprived  and  kept  from  their  own  estates;  and  after  they 
had  thus  cleared  the  country  of  their  insatiable  invaders, 
they  returned  to  North  Wales,  laden  with  very  rich  spoils 
and  acceptable  plunder.*  The  king  of  England  was  not  in 
a  condition  to  take  cognizance  of  the  extremities  his  sub- 
jects were  reduced  to  in  Wales,  because  his  own  nobles 
of  England  were  risen  in  arms  against  him ;  the  reason  of 
which  tumult  among  the  nobility  was  occasioned  by  a  falla- 
cious report  that  had  been  spread  of  the  king's  death,  who 
then  lay  sick  of  a  lethargy.  They  that  bore  him  no  good- 
will spread  the  rumour  as  much  as  they  could,  and  stirred 
up  the  common  people  in  behalf  of  the  Empress ;  whereas 
on  the  other  hand  the  king's  friends  betook  themselves  to 
castles  and  strongholds  for  fear  of  the  Empress,  and  among 
others  Hugh  Bygod  secured  the  castle  of  Norwich,  and 
after  he  was  assured  that  the  king  was  well  again,  he  was 
loth  to  deliver  the  same  out  of  his  possession,  unless  it  were 
A.  D.  1137.  to  the  king's  own  hands.  During  these  commotions  and 

troubles 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  189. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  147 

troubles  in  England,  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys,  son  to  Rhys  ap 
Theodore,  the  right  heir  to  the  principality  of  South  Wales, 
died,  leaving  issue  a  son  called  Rhys,  commonly  known  by 
the  name  of  Lord  Rhys,  by  Gwenlhian  the  daughter  of 
Gruffydh  ap  Conan,  who  by  some  is  said  to  have  poisoned 
her  husband.*  Towards  the  end  of  the  same  year  died 
likewise  Gruffydh  ap  Conan,  Prince  of  North  Wales,f  after 
he  had  reigned  57  years  :  his  death  was  much  lamented  by 
all  his  subjects,  because  he  was  a  prince  of  incomparable 
qualities,  and  one  who,  after  divers  victories  obtained  over 
the  English,  had  thoroughly  purged  North  Wales  from  all 
foreigners.  He  had  issue  by  Angharad,  the  daughter  of 
Owen  ap  Edwyn,J  three  sons, — namely,  Owen,  Cadwalader, 
and  Cadwalhon,§  and  five  daughters, — Marret,  Susanna, 
Ranulht,  Agnes,  and  Gwenlhian;  and  by  a  concubine 
lago,  Ascain,  Edwal  (Abbot  of  Penmon),  Dolhing,  and 
Elen,  who  was  married  to  Hova  ap  Ithel  Felyn  of  Yal. 
There  were  several  excellent  laws  enacted  in  his  time ;  and 
among  the  rest,  he  reformed  the  great  disorders  of  the 
Welsh  minstrels,  which  wrere  then  grown  to  great  abuse. 
Of  these  there  were  three  sorts  in  Wales ;  the  first  were 
called  Beirdh,  who  composed  several  songs  and  odes  of 
various  measures,  wherein  the  poet's  skill  was  not  only 
required,  but  also  a  natural  endowment,  or  a  vein  which  the 
Latins  term  furor  poeticus.  These  likewise  kept  the 
records  of  all  gentlemen's  arms  and  pedigrees,  and  were 
principally  esteemed  among  all  the  degrees  of  the  Welsh 
poets.  The  next  were  such  as  played  upon  musical  instru- 
ments, chiefly  the  harp  and  the  crowd  or  crwth;  which 
musick  Gruffydh ||  ap  Conan  first  brought  over  into  WTales; 

who 
L2 

*  Gwenlhian,  desirous  of  aiding  the  designs  of  her  husband,  took  the  field  in  person 
at  the  head  of  her  own  forces,  attended  by  her  two  sons ;  but  her  army  was  defeated 
by  Maurice  de  Londres.  Morgan,  one  of  her  sons,  was  slain  in  the  action,  and  her  other 
son,  Maelgwyn,  was  taken  prisoner  ;  and  the  princess  herself,  it  is  said,  was  beheaded  by 
the  orders  of  her  brutal  enemy. — Girald.  Cambr.  Uin.  An  action  so  savage,  without 
precedent  even  in  these  times,  called  loudly  for  vengeance  on  the  spirit  of  ihe  injured 
princess.  This  circumstance  clearly  contradicts  the  assertion  of  Morentius  Monk  of 
Westminster,  that  Gwenlhian,  wife  to  Gryffydh  ap  Rhys,  by  deceitful  practices,  had  been 
the  cause  of  his  death.— Girald.  Cambr.  I  tin.  lib.  i.  c.  iv.  See  Welsh  Chron.  p.  190. 

f  He  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two  years,  and  was  buried  on  the  south  side 
of  the  great  altar  in  the  church  of  Bangor.- — Vita  Griff,  fil.  Conani. 

J  Lord  of  Englefield. 
§  He  was  slain  before  the  death  of  his  father. — Welsh  Chron.  p.  191. 

||  An  elegy  on  Gruffydh  was  sung  by  Meilyr  Brydydd,  which  piece  is  preserved  in  the 
Welsh  Archaiology,  and  concludes  thus, — 

"  O,  may  the  son  of  Cynan,  of  enlarge.!  mind,  be  with  Christ  in  the  pure  adoration  of 
the  region  of  glory  !  Since  the  chief  of  men  obtains  the  social  confidence  of  angels,  as  to 
my  life  I  have  not  a  longing  wish  :  he  is,  through  the  meritorious  rrediation  of  One  of 
the  Unity  of  Trinity,  in  a  purely  splendid  home  of  the  celestial  world." 


148  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

who  being  born  in  Ireland,  and  descended  by  his  mother's 
side  of  Irish  parents,  brought  with  him  from  thence  several 
skilful  musicians,  that  invented  almost  all  the  instruments 
which  were  afterwards  played  upon  in  Wales.  The  last 
sort  were  called  Atcaneaid,  whose  business  it  was  to  sing  to 
the  instruments  played-  upon  by  another.  Each  of  these, 
by  the  same  statute,  had  their  several  reward  and  encou- 
ragement allotted  to  them ;  their  life  and  behaviour  was  to 
be  spotless  and  unblameable,  otherwise  their  punishment 
was  very  severe  and  rigid,  every  one  having  authority  to 
punish  and  correct  them,  even  to  the  deprivation  of  all  they 
had.  They  were  also  interdicted  and  forbidden  to  enter 
any  man's  house,  or  to  compose  any  song  of  any  one, 
without  the  special  leave  and  warrant  of  the  party  concerned ; 
with  many  other  ordinances  relating  to  the  like  purpose. 


OWEN  GWYNEDH. 

A.D.  1137.  AFTER  the  death  of  Gruffydh  ap  Conan,  his  eldest  son 
Owen,  surnamed  Gwynedh,  succeeded  in  the  principality 
of  North  Wales;  who  had  no  sooner  entered  upon  the 
government  than,  together  with  the  rest  of  his  brethren, 
he  made  an  expedition  into  South  Wales,  and  having 
demolished  and  overthrown  the  castles  of  Stradmeyric, 
Stephan,  and  Humflfrey,  and  laid  in  ashes  the  town  of 
Caermardhyn,*  he  returned  home  with  no  less  honour  than 
booty  and  plunder.  About  the  same  time,  John,  Arch- 
deacon of  Lhanbadarn,  departed  this  life,  a  man  of  singular 
piety  and  strictness  of  life,  who,  for  his  rigid  zeal  in  religion 
and  virtue,  was  thought  worthy  to  be  canonized,  and  to  be 
counted  among  the  number  of  the  saints.  This  year  like- 
wise King  Stephen  passed  over  to  Normandy,  and  having 
concluded  a  peace  with  the  French  king  and  the  Duke  of 
Anjou,  returned  back  to  England  without  any  further 
delay:  but  the  following  spring  gave  opportunity  for 
greater  undertakings;  David  king  of  Scots,  upon  the  king 
of  England's  going  to  France  last  summer,  had  entered  the 
borders  of  England,  and  continued  to  make  considerable 
waste  and  havock  in  that  part  of  the  country.  Whereupon 
King  Stephen,  to  rid  his  country  and  his  subjects  from  so 
dangerous  an  enemy,  marched  with  an  army  towards  the 
North,  whose  coming  the  king  of  Scots  hearing  of,  he  relin- 
quished 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  193.— He  retained  in  his  possession  all  Caerdigan,  compelled 
the  inhabitants  of  Pembroke  to  pay  him  tribute,  and  returned  to  his  own  dominions  in 
high  reputation,— Brit  Ant,  Rev.  by  Vaughan  of  Hengwrt,  p.  23. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  149 

quished  the  borders  of  England,   and  retired  to  his  own 
country.      But  that  did  not  satisfy  King  Stephen,   who 
desired  to  be  further  revenged  for  the  unpardonable  hostili- 
ties committed  by  the  Scots  in  his  dominions ;  and  therefore 
pursuing  them  to  their  own  country,  he  harassed  and  laid 
waste  all  the  south  part  of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland.     The 
king's  absence,  however,  animated  several  of  the  English 
nobility  to  rebel;    for  which  purpose  they  fortified  every 
one  of    their  castles   and  strongholds;    William  Earl   of 
Gloucester  those    of   Leeds   and  Bristol;    Ralph   Lunel, 
Cari;  William  Fitz-Alan,  Shrewsbury;  Paganellus,  Lud- 
low;    William  de  Moyun,   Dunester;    Robert  de  Nichol, 
Warham;     Eustace    Fitz-John,    Merton;    and    Walklyn, 
Dover.      Notwithstanding   all  these  mighty   preparations, 
the  king  in  a  short  time  became  master  of  them  all ;  some 
he  won  by  assault,  others  upon  fair  promises  and  advan- 
tageous conditions  were  surrendered,  and  some  he  got  by 
treacherous  under-hand  contrivances.     The  Scots  thought 
to  take  advantage  of  these  commotions  in  England ;    and 
thereupon,  as  soon  as  they  heard  that  some  of  the  nobility 
were  in  actual  rebellion  against  the  king,  they  entered  into 
the  borders,  and  began,  as  they  thought  without  any  appre- 
hension of  opposition,  to  ravage  and  lay  waste  the  country 
before  them:    but  William  Earl   of  Albemarle,   William 
Pyppell  Earl  of  Nottingham,  Walter  Espec,  and  Gilbert 
Lacy,  gathered  together  all  the  forces  they  could  raise  in 
the  North;    and  being  animated  and  encouraged  by  the 
eloquent  and  pressing  oration  of  Ralph  Bishop  of  Orkneys, 
which  he  delivered  in  the  audience  of  the  whole  army,  they 
set  upon  the  Scots  at  Almerton  with  such   courage  that, 
after  a  very  great  slaughter  of  his  men,  King  David  was 
glad  to  escape  with  his  life  by  flight.      After  this,  King 
Stephen  seized  to  his  own  use  the  castles  of  Ludlow  and 
Leeds,  and  pressed  the  bishops  of  Salisbury  and  Lincoln  so 
hard,  that  to  prevent  their  perishing  by  famine,  they  were 
constrained  to  surrender ;    the  former  the  castles  of  Vises 
and  Shirburn,  the  latter  those  of  Newark-upon-Trent  and 
Sleeford.      This    greatly  augmented    the   king's   strength 
against  the  ensuing  storm;   for  in  the  summer  this  year, 
Maud  the  Empress,  daughter  and  heir  to  King  Henry,  to 
whom  King  Stephen  and  all  the  nobility  of  England  had 
sworn    allegiance,  landed  at  Arundel,    with  her  brother 
Robert  Earl  of  Gloucester,  and  was  there  honourably  re- 
ceived, by  William  de  Albineto,  who  was  lately  married 
to   Queen  Adeliz,  King  Henry's  widow,   with  whom   he 
received  the  Earldom  of  Arundel  in  dowry.     As  soon  as 

King 


150  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

King  Stephen  heard  of  her  landing,  he  marched  with  all 
possible  speed  to  Arundel,  and  laid  siege  to  the  castle; 
but  finding  it  impregnable,  he  raised  the  siege,  and  by  that 
means  suffered  the  Empress  and  her  brother  to  escape  to 
Bristol. 

A. D.  1138.  The  next  year  an  unlucky  accident  fell  out  in  Wales; 
Cynric/  one  of  Prince  Owen's  sons,  having  by  some  means 
or  other  disgusted  Madawc  ap  Meredith  ap  Blethyn  ap 
Confyn,  a  person  of  considerable  esteem  and  estate  in  the 
country,  was  by  his  connivance  set  upon  and  slain  by  his 
men.  The  affairs  of  England  this  year  afforded  greater 
rarity  of  action ;  King  Stephen  with  a  formidable  army  laid 
siege  to  the  city  of  Lincoln,  to  the  relief  of  which,  Ranulph 
Earl  of  Chester,  and  Robert  Earl  of  Gloucester,  marched 
with  their  forces :  but  before  they  could  arrive,  the  town 
was  taken ;  whereupon  they  drew  up  their  forces  in  order 
to  give  the  king  battle,  who  on  the  other  side  was  ready  to 
receive  them.  King  Stephen  drew  up  his  forces  in  three 
divisions,  the  first  being  led  by  the  Earls  of  Britain,  Mellent, 
Norfolk,  Hampton,  and  Warren ;  the  second  by  the  Earl  of 
Albemarle,  and  William  of  Ypres ;  and  the  third  by  the 
king  himself,  assisted  by  Baldwyn  Fitz-Gilbert,  with  several 
others  of  his  nobility.  Of  the  enemy's  side,  the  disinherited 
barons  had  the  first  place  ;  the  Earl  of  Chester,  with  a  con- 
siderable party  of  Welshmen,  far  better  couraged  than 
armed,  led  the  second ;  and  the  Earl  of  Gloucester  the 
third  division.  After  an  obstinate  battle  on  both  sides,  the 
victory  at  length  favoured  the  barons,  King  Stephen  being 
first  taken  prisoner,  and  a  little  after  the  queen,  together 
with  William  of  Ypres  and  Bryan  Fitz-Count ;  but  within 
a  while  after,  William  Martell  and  Geoffrey  de  Mandeville 
gathered  together  some  fresh  forces,  and  fought  the  Empress 
and  her  brother  at  Winchester,  and  having  put  the  Empress 
to  flight,  took  Earl  Robert  prisoner,  for  exchange  of  whom, 

1139.  the  king  was  set  at  liberty.     The  next  year  King  Stephen 
adventured  another  battle,  and  received  a  second  overthrow 
at  Wilton ;    which,  however,  did  not  so  much  discourage 
him,  but  that  he  laid  so  close  a  siege  to  the  Empress  and 
her  forces  at  Oxford,  that  she  was  glad  to  make  her  escape 
to  Wallingford.     The  same  year  died  Madawc  ap  Ednerth, 
a  person  of  great  quality  and  note  in  Wales  ;  and  Meredith 
ap  Howel,  a  man  in  considerable  esteem,  was  slain  by  the 
sons  of  Blethyn  ap  Gwyn. 

1140.  For  the  two  succeeding  years  nothing  remarkable  passed 
in  Wales ;  excepting  that  this  year  Howel  ap  Meredith  ap 
Rhytherch  of  Cantref  Bychan,  and  Rhys  ap  Howel  were 

slain 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  151 

slain  in  a  cowardly  manner  by  the  treachery  and  perfidious 
practices  of  the  Flemings;  and  the  next  year  Howel  ap^.D.  1141. 
Meredith  ap  Blethyn  was  basely  murdered  by  his  own  men ; 
at  which  time,  Howel  and  Cadwgan  the  sons  of  Madawc  ap 
Ednerth,  upon  some  unhappy  quarrel,  killed  each  other. 
Shortly  after  this,  an  irreconcileable  difference  fell  out  1142. 
betwixt  Ariarawd  son  to  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys,  Prince  of  South 
Wales,  and  his  father-in-law  Cadwalader  the  son  of  Gruftydh 
ap  Conan,  and  brother  to  Prince  Owen  Gwynedh  ;  which 
from  words  quickly  proceeded  to  blows.  In  this  dispute 
Anarawd  was  unhappily  slain ;  which  so  exasperated  Prince 
Owen  against  his  brother  Cadwalader,  that,  together  with 
his  son  Howel,  he  marched  with  an  army  into  his  brother's 
country,  and  after  a  considerable  waste  and  destruction, 
burnt  to  the  ground  the  castle  of  Aberystwyth.  Cadwalader, 
upon  hearing  the  news  of  Prince  Owen's  approach,  withdrew 
himself  and  fled  to  Ireland ;  where  having  hired  a  great 
number  of  Irish  and  Scots  for  two  thousand  marks,  under 
the  command  of  Octer,  and  the  sons  of  Turkel  and  Cherulf, 
he  sailed  for  Wales,  and  landed  at  Abermeny,*  in  Carnar- 
vonshire. The  Prince  marched  instantly  to  prevent  their 
farther  progress  into  the  country ;  and  both  armies  being 
come  in  view  of  each  other,  a  peace  was  happily  concluded 
betwixt  the  two  brothers.  The  Irish  understanding  this, 
and  that  their  coming  over  was  likely  to  prove  but  a  fool's 
errand  to  them,  they  surprised  and  secured  Cadwalader,  till 
their  wages  and  arrears  were  paid ;  who,  .to  obtain  hip 
liberty,  delivered  to  them  two  thousand  head  of  cattle, 
besides  many  prisoners,  and  other  booty,  which  they  had 
taken  in  the  country :  but  as  soon  as  the  prince  was  informed 
that  his  brother  Cadwalader  was  set  free,  he  fell  upon  the 
Irish,  and  having  slain  a  very  considerable  number  of  them, 
recovered  all  the  booty  they  purposed  to  ship  off,  and  forced 
as  many  as  could  escape  to  return  with  great  Joss,  and  a 
greater  shame,  back  to  Ireland,  f 

The  Normans,  however,  had  far  better  success  in  Wales ; 
Hugh  son  to  Radulph  Earl  of  Chester,  having  fortified  his 
castle  of  Cymaron,  entered  and  won  the  country  of  Melienyth 
a  second  time;  and  the  castle  of  Clun  being  fortified  by 
another  lord,  all  Elvel  became  subject  to  the  Normans.  At 
the  same  time  King  Stephen  took  Geoffrey  Mandeville 
prisoner  at  St.  Albans,  where  the  Earl  of  Arundel,  by  the 
fall  of  his  horse,  had  nearly  been  drowned  in  the  river :  but 
the  Earl  of  Mandeville,  to  obtain  his  liberty,  delivered  up 
to  the  king  the  tower  of  London,  with  the  castles  of  Walden 

and 

*  Abermenai.  f  Welsh  Chron.  p.  197. 


152  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

and  Plassey,  which  reduced  him  to  such  a  condition,  that  he 
was  forced  to  live  upon  the  plunder  and  spoil  of  abbies  and 
other  religious  houses,  till  at  length  he  was  slain  in  a  skir- 
mish against  the  king,  and  his  son  was  banished. 
A.  D.  1144.  The  next  year  a  skirmish  happened  betwixt  Hugh  de 
Mortimer  and  Rhys  ap  Howel,  wherein  the  latter  was  taken 
prisoner,  with  many  others  of  his  accomplices,  who  were  all 
committed  to  prison  by  the  English :  but  it  fared  much 
better  with  Howel*  and  Conan,  the  sons  of  Prince  Owen, 
who  having  raised  an  army  against  the  Flemings  and  Nor- 
mans, gained  a  considerable  victory  at  Aberteifi,f  and 
having  placed  a  garrison  in  the  town,  returned  home  with 
great  honour  and  much  booty. 

About  the  same  time,  Sulien  ap  Rhythmarch,  one  of  the 
college  of  Lhanbadarn,  and  a  person  of  great  reading  and 
extensive  learning,  departed  this  life.  Shortly  after,  Gilbert 
Earl  of  Clare  came  with  a  great  number  of  forces  to  Dyfed, 
and  built  the  castle  of  Caermardhyn,  and  the  castle  of  the 
1145.  sons  of  Uchtryd.J  Hugh  Mortimer  likewise  slew  Meyric 
ap  Madawc  ap  Riryd  ap  Bleddin,  and  Meredith  ap  Madawc 
ap  Ednerth.  Thus  far  it  went  of  the  side  of  the  English ; 
but  now  the  Welsh  began  to  gain  ground  :  Cadelh  the  son 
of  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys,  Prince  of  South  Wales,  laid  siege  to 
the  castle  of  Dynefawr,§  belonging  to  Earl  Gilbert,  which 
being  surrendered,  Cadelh,  assisted  by  his  brethren  Meredith 
and  Rhys,  brought  his  army  before  the  castle  of  Caermard- 
hyn, which  after  a  short  siege  yielded  in  a  like  manner,  on 
condition,  however,  that  the  garrison  should  not  be  put  to 
the  sword.  || 

From  thence  he  marched  to  Lhanstephan,1[and  encamped 
before  the  castle ;  to  the  relief  of  which  the  Normans  and 
Flemings  coming  with  their  forces,  were  completely  van- 


quished, and  the  castle  was  speedily  delivered  up  to  the 
Welsh.  The  Normans  were  so  much  incensed  at  this,  that 
they  mustered  all  the  forces  they  could  draw  together  out 
of  the  neighbouring  countries,  and  unexpectedly  surrounded 
the  castle,  intending  by  all  possible  means  to  recover  the 
same :  but  the  governor,  Meredith  ap  Gruffydh,  a  man  of 
great  years,  and  no  less  experience,  so  animated  and  en- 
couraged the  besieged,  that  when  the  Normans  and  Flemings 
ventured  to  scale  the  walls,  they  were  beat  back  with  such 

vigour, 

*  Besides  being  a  gallant  warrior,  Prince  Howel  was  a  bard  of  some  eminence :  he 
wrote  an  account  of  his  battles  in  verse,  and  some  love  verses,  in  a  most  elegant  manner  j 
several  of  which  appear  in  the  Welsh  Archaiology. 

f  Welsh  Chron.p.198.  J  Ibid. 

§  Dinas  Faur,  or  the  Great  Palace.  |]  Welsh  Chron.  p.  198. 

Ofl  Llan  Stephan,  situate  on  the  mouth  of  the  river  Towi,  in  the  county  of  Caermarthen. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  153 

vigour,  and  loss  on  their  side,  that  at  length  they  were  com- 
pelled to  raise  the  siege,  and  leave  the  Welsh  in  possession 
of  the  castle.* 

Shortly  after  this,  Run,f  the  son  of  Prince  Owen  of  North 
Wales,  a  youth  of  great  promise  and  incomparable  qualifi- 
cations, died,  whose  death  his  father  took  so  much  to  heart, 
that  for  some  time  he  seemed  to  be  past  all  comfort,  being 
fallen  into  such  a  melancholy  disposition,  that  he  was  satis- 
fied with  nothing  but  retirement :  but  an  accident  fell  out, 
which  roused  him  out  of  this  lethargical  fit  of  sorrow  and 
discontent :  the  castle  of  Mold  was  so  very  strong  and  well 
garrisoned  by  the  English,  that  it  greatly  annoyed  the 
country  thereabouts,  and  had  been  frequently  besieged,  but 
could  never  be  taken.  Prince  Owen  at  this  time  levied  an 
army,  and  laid  close  siege  to  it ;  and  the  garrison  throughout 
several  assaults  behaved  itself  so  manfully,  that  the  place 
seemed  impregnable  :  but  the  presence  and  example  of 
Prince  Owen  so  encouraged  his  men>  that  they  renewed  the 
attack  with  all  possible  vigour  and  might,  and  at  last  forced 
their  entrance  into  the  castle.  Having  put  a  great  number 
of  the  garrison  to  the  sword,  and  taken  the  rest  prisoners, 
the  castle  was  razed  to  the  ground;  and  this  fortunate 
attempt  so  pleased  the  prince,  that  he  forgot  all  sorrow  for 
his  son,  and  returned  to  his  usual  temper  and  accustomed 
merriments.  At  the  same  time,  King  Stephen  of  England 
obtained  a  remarkable  victory  over  his  enemies  at  Faren- 
don ;  and  although  the  ensuing  year  Randal  Earl  of  Chester 
and  he  were  reconciled,  yet  he  thought  it  more  adviseable 
to  detain  him  prisoner,  though  contrary  to  his  promise^ 
until  such  time  as  the  Earl  would  deliver  up  the  castle  of 
Lincoln,  with  all  the  forts  and  places  of  strength  in  his 
custody. 

The  next  year,  Cadelh,  Meredith,  and  Rhys,  the  sons  of  A.D.  1146. 
Gruffydh  ap  Rhys  ap  Theodore  brought  an  army  before  the 
castle  of  Gwys ;  but  finding  themselves  too  weak  to  master 
it,  they  desired  Howel,  son  to  Prince  Owen  Gwynedh,  a 
person  famous  for  martial  endowments,  to  come  to  their 
assistance.  Howel,  who  was  very  desirous  of  signalizing 
himself,  and  of  evidencing  his  valour  to  the  world,  readily 
consented  to  their  request;  and  having  drawn  his  forces 
together,  marched  directly  towards  Gwys,  where  being 
arrived,  he  was  joyfully  received,  and  honourably  entertained 
by  such  lords  as  desired  his  help.  Having  viewed  the 
strength  and  fortification  of  the  castle,  he  found  it  was  im- 
practicable 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  198. 
t  A  favourite,  though  an  illegitimate  son. — Welsh  Chron.  p.  226. 


154  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

practicable  to  take  the  place,  without  the  walls  could  be 
destroyed  •  and  therefore  he  gave  orders  that  certain  batter- 
ing engines  should  be  provided,  whilst  the  rest  should 
harass  and  molest  the  besieged,  by  throwing  great  stones 
into  the  castle.*  The  enemies  perceiving  what  irresistible 
preparations  the  besiegers  contrived,  thought  it  to  no  pur- 
pose to  withstand  their  fury ;  and  therefore  to  do  that  volun- 
tarily which  must  be  done  by  compulsion,  they  presently 
yielded  up  the  castle.  Shortly  after  this  a  great  difference 
happened  betwixt  the  sons  of  Prince  Owen,  Howel  and 
Conan,  and  their  uncle  Cadwalader ;  whereupon  the  former 
entered  with  an  army  into  the  country  of  Merioneth,  and 
committed  great  wastes  and  hostilities  there,  insomuch  that 
the  inhabitants  flocked  into  sanctuaries  to  save  their  lives : 
but  the  young  lords  finding  what  a  fearful  and  unsettled 
condition  the  people  were  in,  and  the  better  to  draw  them 
to  their  side,  issued  a  proclamation,  assuring  them  that  all 
who  would  favour  their  country,  should  not  only  enjoy  their 
lives,  but  their  former  liberty  and  accustomed  privileges ; 
upon  the  publication  of  which  edict,  the  people  returned  to 
their  own  habitations.  Having  by  this  stratagem  brought 
all  the  country  under  their  own  pleasure  and  good  will,  they 
led  their  army  before  the  castle  of  Cynvael,  belonging  to 
Cadwalader,  which  he  had  built  and  strongly  fortified. 
The  government  of  this  castle  Cadwalader  had  committed 
to  Merfyn,  abbot  of  Tygwyn,  or  the  White  House;  who 
being  summoned  to  surrender,  by  the  brothers  Howel  and 
Conan,  did  not  only  refuse,  but  defied  their  utmost  efforts 
upon  the  place.  The  lords  finding  they  could  do  no.  good 
by  threats  and  menaces,  judged  it  more  convenient  to  make 
use  of  the  other  extreme ;  and  therefore  promised  the  abbot 
a  very  high  reward,  if  he  would  deliver  the  castle  into  their 
hands :  but  all  proved  of  no  effect,  the  abbot  being  a  person 
of  more  honesty  and  greater  honour  than  to  be  corrupted  to 
betray  his  trust,  told  them  flatly  that  he  would  not  deceive 
his  master's  expectation,  and  therefore  would  choose  rather 
to  die  with  honour,  than  to  live  with  shame.  The  lords 
finding  him  inexorable,  and  withal  being  vexed  that  a 
churchman  should  put  such  a  stop  to  their  fortunate  pro- 
ceedings, made  such  a  vigorous  assault  upon  the  castle,  that 
after  they  had  pulled  down  some  part  of  the  walls,  they 
entered  in  by  force,  and  ravaged  so  furiously,  that  they 
killed  and  wounded  the  whole  garrison,  the  abbot  only 
escaping,  who,  by  the  help  of  some  of  his  friends  in  Howel's 
army,  got  away  safe.f  Towards  the  close  of  this  year, 

several 

«  Welsh  Chron.  p.  200.  f  Welsh  Chron.  p.  201. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  155 

several  persons  of  note  departed  this  life,  among  whom  were 
Robert  Earl  of  Gloucester,  and  Gilbert  Earl  of  Clare,  as 
also  Uchthryd  bishop  of  Llandaff,  a  man  of  great  piety  and 
learning,  in  whose  see  succeeded  Nicholas  ab  Gurgant. 

The  following  year  also   died  Bernard   bishop   of    St.  A.  D.  1147. 
David's,  and  was    succeeded  by   David   Fitzgerald,   then 
archdeacon  of  Cardigan.       Sometime  after,  Prince  Owen  1148. 
Gwynedh  built  a  castle  in  Yale,  called  Castelh  y  Rodwyth ; 
and  his  brother  Cadwalader  built  another  at  Lhanrystid, 
and  bestowed  his  part  of  Cardigan  upon  his  son  Cadwgan. 
Also  Madoc  the  son  of  Meredith  ap  Blethyn  founded  the 
castle  of  Oswestry,  and  gave  his  nephews  Owen  and  Meyric, 
the  sons  of  Gruffydh  ap  Meredith,  his  share  of  Cyfeilioc. 

The  next  year  Conan  son  to  Prince  Owen  Gwynedh,  for  1149. 
certain  faults  and  miscarriages  committed  against  his  father, 
though  the  particulars  are  not  discovered,  was  put  in  prison, 
where  for  some  time  he  continued  in  custody.  But  it  fared 
better  with  his  brother  Howel,  who  having  made  his  uncle 
Cadwalader  his  prisoner,  reduced  all  his  country,  together 
with  his  castle,  subject  to  himself.  In  South  Wales,  some 
business  of  moment  happened  this  year ;  Cadelh  the  son  of 
Gruffydh  ap  Rhys  having  fortified  the  castle  of  Carmardhyn, 
marched  with  his  army  towards  Cydwely,  wasted  and  de- 
stroyed the  whole  country,  and  being  returned  home,  joined 
his  army  with  his  brothers  Meredith  and  Rhys,  who  entering 
into  the  country  of  Cardigan,  won  that  part  called  Is  Aeron. 
This  was  succeeded  by  an  action  of  greater  importance  in 
North  Wales;  some  irreconcileable  difference  arising  be- 
twixt Prince  Owen  and  Randal  Earl  of  Chester,  it  quickly 
broke  out  into  open  war.  The  Earl  made  all  the  prepara- 
tions the  time  would  permit,  and  drew  together  a  consider- 
able army  from  all  parts  of  England,  and  what  strengthened 
and  encouraged  him  the  more,  he  was  joined  by  Madoc  ap 
Meredith  Prince  of  Powys,  who  disdaining  to  hold  his  lands 
of  Prince  Owen  Gwynedh,  chose  rather  to  side  with  and 
abet  his  enemies.  The  prince,  on  the  other  hand,  was  not 
backward  in  his  preparations,  and  perceiving  the  enemy  to 
come  upon  him,  thought  it  adviseable  not  to  suffer  him  to 
advance  too  far  into  the  country,  but  to  stop  and  prevent  his 
career  before  he  should  take  too  firm  a  footing  in  his  do- 
minions. To  this  end  he  marched  with  his  whole  power  as 
far  as  Consyllt  in  Flintshire,  with  full  resolution  to  give  the 
Earl  of  Chester  battle,  which  the  English  were  glad  of,  as 
thinking  themselves  far  more  numerous,  and  much  better 
armed  and  disciplined  than  the  Welsh :  but  both  armies 
having  joined  battle,  the  English  quickly  faltered  in  their 
expectation  of  success,  and  finding  the  Welsh  to  press 

irresistibly 


156  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

irresistibly  upon  them,  they  thought  it  wiser  to  retire,  and 
endeavour  to  save  themselves  by  flight:  the  Welsh,  how- 
ever, pursued  them  so  hard  that  few  escaped  being  either 
slain  or  taken  prisoners,  and  they  some  of  the  chief  com- 
manders, who  through  the  fleetness  of  their  horses  avoided 
the  fury  of  their  pursuers.* 

A.  D.  1150.  The  next  year  the  scene  of  action  removed  to  South 
Wales ;  Cadelh,  Meredith,  and  Rhys,  the  sons  of  Gruffydh 
ap  Rh}'s,  Prince  of  South  Wales,  being  entered  with  an 
army  into  Cardigan,  won  all  the  country  from  the  son  of 
Howel  Prince  of  North  Wales,  excepting  the  castle  of 
Lhanfihangel  in  Pengwern.  The  siege  of  Lhanrystyd  castle 
proved  so  difficult,  that  the  young  lords  of  South  Wales  lost 
a  great  part  of  their  bravest  soldiers  before  it,  which  so 
enraged  them,  that  when  they  got  possession  of  the  castle, 
they  put  all  the  garrison  to  the  sword.  From  thence  they 
marched  to  Ystradmeyric  castle,  which  after  they  had  won, 
manned,  and  re-fortified,  they  disbanded  their  forces,  and 
returned  home.  But  Cadelh,  the  eldest  of  the  brothers, 
was  upon  the  point  of  receiving  that  blow  by  treachery  at 
home,  which  he  had  escaped  from  the  enemies  abroad ;  for 
some  of  the  inhabitants  of  Tenby  in  Pembrokeshire,  having 
conceived  a  displeasure  and  hatred  against  Cadelh,  were 
resolved  to  revenge  themselves,  and  to  lay  a  trap  for  his  life; 
and  having  observed  that  he  took  great  pleasure  in  hunting, 
were  resolved  to  execute  their  plot,  whilst  he  was  hot  and 
eager  at  his  sport.  Observing,  therefore,  one  day  that  he 
went  a  hunting  with  only  a  few  companions,  they  placed  them- 
selves in  ambuscade,  and  when  the  game  came  that  way,  they 
unexpectedly  set  upon  the  unarmed  sportsmen,  and  having 
easily  made  all  the  rest  fly  away,  they  wounded  Cadelh  so 
cruelly,  that  he  narrowly  escaped  their  hands  alive;  he 
made  shift,  however,  to  get  home,  lay  for  a  long  time  dan- 
gerously ill,  and  with  great  difficulty  at  length  recovered  his 
life.  Upon  this,  his  brothers  Meredith  and  Rhys  passed 
with  an  army  into  Gwyr,  and  having  burnt  and  destroyed 
the  country  thereabouts,  they  besieged  and  took  the  castle  of 
Aberlhychwr,  but  finding  they  could  not  keep  it,  they  razed 
it  to  the  ground,  and  after  that  returned  home  with  great 
booty  to  Dynevawr,  and  repaired  the  fortifications  of  the 
castle  there.f  About  the  same  time  also,  Howel,  Prince 
Owen  Gwynedh's  son,  fortified  Humphry's  castle  in  the 
valley  of  Caletwr. 

1151.      But  the  following  year  Prince  Owen  did  a  very  barbarous 
action  to  Cunetha,  his  brother  Cadwalhon's  son ;  for,  being 

apprehensive 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  202.— Hist.  Gwedir  Family,  p.  4. 
f  The  ancient  palace  of  their  ancestors. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  157 

apprehensive  lest  this  young  man  should  lay  claim  to  any 
part  of  his  estate  as  his  father's  right,  he  first  pulled  out  his 
eyes,  and  afterwards  castrated  him,  that  he  should  not  beget 
any  children  to  renew  a  claim  to  Cadwalhon's  estate.*  This 
inhuman  severity  was  succeeded  by  another  of  no  small 
remark;  Lhewelyn,  son  to  Madoc  ap  Meredith,  having 
watched  a  convenient  opportunity,  set  upon  and  slew  Stephen 
the  son  of  Baldwin  :  but  Cadwalader,  Prince  Owen's 
brother,  after  a  tedious  imprisonment  which  he  had  sus- 
tained through  the  malice  and  rancour  of  his  nephew  Howel, 
at  length  made  his  escape,  and  flying  to  the  Isle  of  Angle- 
sey, brought  a  considerable  part  of  that  island  under  his 
subjection.  Prince  Owen  hearing  that  his  brother  had 
escaped  from  custody,  and  that  he  was  in  actual  possession 
of  a  great  part  of  Anglesey,  immediately  dispatched  an  army 
over,  which  proving  too  formidable  to  Cadwalader's  party, 
he  was  constrained  to  escape  to  England,  and  to  desire 
succour  from  the  relations  of  his  wife,  who  was  the  daughter 
of  Gilbert  Earl  of  Clare.f  This  year  Galfrede  Arthur, 
commonly  called  Geoffrey  of  Monmouth,  was  made  bishop 
of  St.  Asaph,  and  at  the  same  time  Simon  Archdeacon  of 
Cyfeilioc,  a  man  of  great  worth  and  esteem  in  his  country, 
died. 

The  year  following,  Meredith  and  Rhys,  the  sons  of At  D- 1152' 
Gruffydh  ap  Rhys  Prince  of  South  Wales,  laid  siege  to 
Penwedic  castle,  which  belonged  to  Howel,  Prince  Owen's 
son,  and  after  great  pains  and  considerable  loss  of  men  on 
their  side,  at  last  made  themselves  masters  of  it.  From 
thence  they  marched  by  night  to  Tenby,  and  unexpectedly 
falling  upon  the  castle,  of  which  one  Fitzgerald  was 
governor,  they  scaled  the  walls  before  the  garrison  were 
aware  of  any  danger,  and  so  possessing  themselves  of  the 
castle,  they  fell  upon  the  garrison,  in  revenge  of  the  mis- 
chief they  had  done  and  further  designed  to  their  brother 
Cadelh  :  for  Cadelh  at  this  time  was  gone  upon  a  pilgrimage, 
and  during  his  absence  had  committed  his  whole  inheritance 
and  all  other  concerns  in  Wales  to  the  care  of  his  brethren, 
Meredith  and  Rhys.  After  the  taking  of  Tenby  castle, 
they  divided  their  army  into  two  parties,  with  one  of  which 
Rh}7s  marched  to  Ystratcongen;  and  after  great  havock  and 
waste  committed  there,  he  passed  to  Cyfeilioc,  which  fared 
in  like  manner  with  Ystratcongen.  Meredith,  with  the 
other  party,  encamped  before  Aberavan  castle,  and  after  a 
short  siege  won  and  got  possession  of  it,  and  then  returned 

home 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  203. 
t  Memoirs  of  Gwedir  Family,  p.  5.— Welsh  Chron.  203. 


158  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

home  with  very  considerable  booty  and  many  rich  spoils. 
About  the  same  time,  Randal  Earl  of  Chester,  who  had 
lived  in  continual  enmity  and  frequent  hostility  with  Prince 
Owen  of  North  Wales,  departed  this  life,  leaving  his  son 
Hugh  to  enjoy  both  his  titles  and  estate  in  England,  and  to 
prosecute  the  feuds  and  hostilities  against  the  Welsh. 
A. p.  1153.  Shortly  after  died  Meredith,  son  to  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys, 
Prince  of  South  Wales,  who  was  Lord  of  Cardigan,  Ystrat- 
ywy,  and  Dyfed,  being  not  passed  the  twenty-fifth  year  of 
his  age;  a  person  of  incomparable  valour  and  enterprize, 
and  in  all  his  attempts  and  achievements  very  fortunate. 
He  was  presently  followed  by  Geoffrey  Bishop  of  Llandaff, 
a  man  as  famous  for  learning  and  a  good  life  as  the  other 
was  for  masculine  bravery  and  martial  prowess.  In  Eng- 
land the  face  of  things  looked  very  lowering ;  Henry,  sur- 
named  Shortmantle,  the  empress's  son,  landed  in  England, 
and  in  his  progress  through  the  country  took  several  castles, 
among  which  were  Malmesbury,  Wallingford,  and  Shrews- 
bury :  but  his  fury  was  quickly  appeased  by  the  death  of 
Eustace,  King  Stephen's  son,  so  that  the  sole  obstacle  to 
his  succeeding  to  the  throne  being  now  removed,  he  wil- 
lingly concluded  a  peace  with  King  Stephen,  permitting 
him  to  enjoy  the  crown  peaceably  for  his  life,  upon  condi- 

1154.  tion  that  he   should    be  declared    his   successor.      King 
Stephen  did  not  long  survive  this  treaty ;  and  then  Henry 
Plantagenet,  the  Empress's  son,  was  crowned  in  his  stead. 

1155.  Towards  the  beginning  of  King  Henry's  reign,   Rhys 
Gruffydh  ap  Rhys,  King  of  South  Wales,  upon  apprehen- 
sion that   Owen  Gwynedh  had  raised  an    army   for    the 
conquest  of  South  Wales,  drew  together  all  his  strength, 
and  marched  to  Aberdyfi  to  face  the  enemy  upon  their  own 
borders :  but  finding  the  rumour  to  be  false,  and  that  the 
prince  of  North  Wales  had  no  such  design  in  hand,  having 
built  a  castle  at  Aberdyfi,  which  might  defend  the  frontiers 
from  any  future  attempt  on  his  country,  he  returned  back 
without  attempting  any  thing  farther.     At  the  same  time, 
Madoc  ap  Meredith  built  a  castle  at  Caereneon  near  Cymer, 
and  then  Eglwys  Fair*  in  Meivod  was  founded.      About 
this    time    also,    Meyric,    nephew  to  Prince  Madoc    ap 
Meredith,  made  his  escape  out  of  prison,  wherein  he  had 
been  detained  by  his  uncle  for  a  considerable  time. 

The  same  year,  King  Henry,  being  displeased  with  the 
Flemings,  whom  his  predecessor  King  Stephen  had  brought 
over  into  England,  issued  a  proclamation,  charging  the 
greatest  part  of  them  to  depart  his  dominions,  and  to  retire 

to 

*  For  Mair— Saint  Mary's  Church. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  159 

to  their  countrymen  in  West  Wales,  where  his  grandfather, 
Henry  the  First,  the  bastard's  son,  had  planted  them  :*  and 
thus  that  part  of  Wales  called  Pembrokeshire  was  over-run 
with  these  strangers,  who,  being  more  befriended  by  the 
kings  of  England  than  the  Welsh  could  expect  to  be,  made 
sure  footing  in  that  country,  where  they  have  ever  since 
continued  firm.  It  was  the  English  policy  of  those  times  to 
accept  any  opportunity  to  curb  and  keep  under  the  Welsh, 
whom  they  found  by  experience  to  be  unsafe  neighbours, 
and  therefore  the  kings  of  England  granted  various  lands 
and  privileges  in  Wales  to  any  that  would  receive  them, 
which  lands  and  privileges  they  had  of  right  no  power  to 
bestow. 

This,  however,  was  not  detrimental  enough  to  the  Welsh ;  A- D- 1156> 
for  the  year  following  King  Henry  raised  a  very  great 
army,  which  he  gathered  from  all  parts  of  England,  for  the 
purpose  of  subduing  all  North  Wales,f  being  principally 
moved  hereto  by  the  instigation  of  Cadwalader  the  prince's 
brother,  whom  Owen  Gwynedh,  for  reasons  not  known, 
deprived  of  his  estate,  and  banished  the  country.  Madoc 
ap  Meredith  Prince  of  Powys  (who  maligned  the  liberty 
and  privilege  of  the  princes  of  North  Wales,  who  owned 
subjection  to  no  other  than  the  king  of  England,  whereas 
those  of  Powys  were  obliged  to  do  homage  to  the  prince  of 
North  Wales)  also  jointly  consented  to  this  invitation. 
The  king  of  England  accepted  their  proposals,  led  his 
army  to  West-Chester,  and  encamped  upon  the  marsh 
called  Saltney,  which  borders  on  the  river  Dee,  in  Welsh 
Morfa-Caer-Lleon.  Prince  Owen,  all  this  while,  was  not 
ignorant  of  the  intended  invasion ;  and  therefore  having 
made  all  possible  preparations  to  confront  the  enemy,  he 
marched  his  army  to  the  frontiers  of  England,  and,  encamp- 
injg  at  Basingwerk,J  resolved  to  give  the  English  battle. 
King  Henry  being  informed  of  the  prince's  resolution, 
detached  some  of  the  best  troops  out  of  the  main  body, 
under  the  command  of  several  earls  and  other  noblemen, 
and  sent  them  towards  the  prince's  camp :  but  after  they 
had  advanced  some  little  way,  and  were  passing  through  a 
wood  called  Coed-Eulo,§  David  and  Conan,  Prince  Owen's 

sons, 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  205. 

f  Such  were  the  mighty  preparations  which  this  prince  made  for  the  conquest  of 
Wales,  that  he  compelled  every  two  of  his  military  vassals  throughout  England  to  find  a 
soldier  to  reinforce  his  army,  and  to  enable  him  with  greater  vigour  to  prosecute  the  war. 
— Matth.  Paris,  p.  81.  There  were  sixty  thousand  knights'  fees  created  by  the  Con- 
queror, which  must  make  the  levy  of  Henry  raised  at  this  time  30,000  men.— Hume's 
Hist.  Eng.  vol.  ii.  p  2.  Appendix,  p.  141. 

I  Near  Holywell,  in  the  county  of  Flint.  §  Near  Hawarden. 


160  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

sons,  unexpectedly  set  upon  them,  and  by  the  advantage  of 
the  ground  and  the  suddenness  of  the  action,  the  English 
were  repulsed  with  great  slaughter,  and  those  who  survived 
narrowly  escaped  to  the  king's  camp.*     This  was  a  very 
unwelcome  beginning  to  King  Henry ;  but  in  order  that  he 
might  succeed  better  hereafter,  he  thought  it  advisable  to 
depart  from  Saltney  and  to  arrange  his  troops  along  the  sea- 
coast,   thinking  thereby  to  get  betwixt  Prince  Owen  and 
his  country,  which  if  he  could  effect,  he  thought  he  was 
sure  to  place  the  Welsh  in  a  state  of  very  great  inconveni- 
ence :  but  the  prince,  foreseeing  the  danger  of  this,  retired 
with  his  army  to  a  place  called  Cil  Owen,  that  is,  Owen's 
Retreat,  which  when  King  Henry  perceived,    he  relin- 
Lib.  2.  quished  his  design,  and  proceeded  to  Ruthlan.     W.  Parnus 
cap.  5.  writes,  that  in  this  expedition  against  the  Welsh,  King 
Henry  was  in  great  danger  of  his  life,  in  passing  through  a 
strait  at  Counsyllt  near  Flint,  where  Henry  Earl  of  Essex, 
who  by  inheritance  enjoyed  the  office  of  bearing  the  stand- 
ard of  England,  being  attacked  by  the  enemy,  cast  down 
the  same  and  fled.f     This  accident  encouraged  the  Welsh, 
and  they  bore  down  so  violently,   that  the  king  himself 
narrowly  escaped,  having  of  his  party  Eustace  Fitz-John 
and  Robert  Curcie,  two  valiant    knights,   together    with 
several  others  of  his  nobility  and  gentry,  slain  in  the  action.^ 
After  this,  Prince  Owen  decamped  from  Cil  Owen,  and 
intrenched  himself  upon  Bryn  y  Pin,§  where  little  of  moment 
passed  between  the  two  armies,  but  some  slight  skirmishes 
happened  frequently.     King  Henry  in  the  mean  time  forti- 
fied the  castle  of  Ruthlan,  and  during  his  stay  there,  Madoc 
ap  Meredith,  Prince  of  Powys,  sailed  with  the  English  fleet 
to  Anglesey,  and  having  put  some  men  on  shore,  they  burnt 
two  churches,  and  ravaged  part  of  the  country  about :  but 
they  paid  very  dear  for  it,  for  all  the  strength  of  the  island 
being  met  together,  they  fell  upon  them  in  their  return  to 
their  ships,  and  cut  them  off,  so  that  not  one  remained  to 
bring  tidings  to  the  fleet  of  what  had  befel  him.     They  on 
board,  however,  quickly  perceived  what  had  happened,  and 
therefore  thought  it  not  very  safe  to  continue  on  that  coast, 

but 

*  Welsh  Chron  p.  206. 

•f-  The  year  following,  Essex  was  accused  of  high  treason  by  Roger  de  Montford  5  and 
being  vanquished  by  him  in  a  single  combat,  which  happened  in  consequence,  he  was 
condemned  to  death  by  King  Henry,  though  the  severity  of  the  sentence  was  after- 
wards mitigated  by  that  prince :  his  estate,  however,  was  confiscated,  and,  after  being 
shorn  like  a  monk,  he  was  confined  during  his  life  in  a  convent. — Lord  Lyttelton's  History 
of  Henry  II. 

J  Holinshead's  Chron.  p.  67—  Chronica  Gervasii  p.  1380. 

§  A  stronger  post,  situate  three  miles  west  of  St.  Asaph. — Stowe's  Chron.  p.  109:  a 
manuscript  copy  in  Welsh,  by  Caradoc  of  Llancarvan. 


MlSTORY  OF  WALES.  161 

but  judging  it  more  adviseable  to  weigh  anchor,  they  set  sail 
for  Chester;*  when  they  were  arrived  thither,  they  found 
that  a  peace  was  actually  concluded  betwixt  King  Henry 
and  Prince  Owen,  upon  condition  that  Cadwalader  should 
have  all  his  lands  restored  to  him  and  be  received  to  the 
favour  and  friendship  of  his  brother.  Then  King  Henry, 
leaving  the  castles  of  Ruthlan  and  Basin gwerk  well  manned 
and  fortified,  and  having  near  the  latter  founded  a  public 
structure  for  the  order  of  Knights  Templars,  returned  to 
England:  but  the  troubles  of  Wales  did  not  end  with  his 
expedition,  for  lorwerdh  Goch  ap  Meredith,  who  had  taken 
part  with  the  king  of  England  during  this  war,  laid  siege  to 
the  castle  of  Yale,  which  was  built  by  Prince  Owen^  and, 
making  himself  master  of  it,  rased  it  to  the  ground. 

The  next  year  commenced  with  a  very  unfortunate  action :  A- D- 1157* 
Ifor  ap  Meyric  having  long  before  cast  a  very  wishful  eye 
upon  the  land  and  estate  of  Morgan  ap   Owen,   was  now 
resolved  to  put  in  execution  what  he  had  before  contrived, 
and,  as  covetousness  seldom  bears  any  regard  to  virtue  or 
honour,  he  treacherously  attacked  him  and  slew  him ;  and 
with  him  fell  Gurgan  ap  Rhys,  the  most  famous  British 
poet  of  his  time.     Morgan's  estate  Ifor  bestowed  upon  his 
brother  lorwerth,  who  about  the  same  time  got  also  posses- 
sion of  the  town  of  Caer-Lheon.     These  home-bred  dis- 
turbances were  mitigated  by  a  general  peace,   which  was 
shortly  after  this  time  concluded  betwixt  the  king  of  Eng- 
land  and   all  the  princes  and   lords   of  Wales,   Rhys  ap 
Gruffydh  ap  Rhys  Prince  of  South  Wales  only  excepted  :f 
for  this  Prince  Rhys,  who  probably  would  not  rely  impli- 
citly upon  the  king  of  England's  fidelity,  refused  to  consent 
to  a  peace ;  but  to  secure  himself  as  well  as  he  could  from 
the  English,  whom  he  had  too  much  reason  to  fear,  he 
thought  it  most  prudent  to  issue  orders,  commanding  his 
subjects  to   remove  their  cattle  and  other  effects  to   the 
wilderness  of  Tywy,  where  they   were    likely  to    remain 
secure  from  the  eyes  and  reach  of  the  enemy.     He  had  not, 
however,  continued  there  Ions;,  when  he  received  a  more 
positive  and  express  order  from  King  Henry,  commanding 
him  to  appear  forthwith  at  court,  and  to  accept  the  pro- 
posals of  peace,   before  the  joint  forces  of  England  and 
Wales  were  sent  to  fetch  him.      Prince  Rhys  having  re- 
ceived 

M 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  207.— Giraldus  Cambr.  Itin.  lib.  ii.  cap.  7.  William  Newburgh, 
lib.  ii.  cap.  5.  Brompton's  Chron.  p.  1048. 

t  Rhys  was  the  eldest  of  six  towardly  sons,  which  his  father  Gruffydd  had  by 
Gwenllian,  the  fair  daughter  of  Gruffydd  ap  Conan  Prince  of  North  Wales,  and, 
surviving  them  all,  obtained  the  dominion  of  South  Wales.— Pantou  Papers. 


162  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

ceived  such  a  threatening  message,  thought  fit  to  relinquish 
the  design  that  he  had  before  so  rashly  resolved  upon,  and 
therefore,  after  long  consultation,  he  accepted  the  king's 
proposal  and  appeared  at  court.  It  was  there  agreed,  that 
Khys,  whose  lands  heretofore  lay  scattered  about  and  were 
intermixed  with  other  persons'  estates,  should  enjoy  Cantref 
Mawr,  and  any  other  Cantref  which  the  king  should  be 
pleased  to  bestow  upon  him :  but  contrary  to  this  article, 
the  king  assigned  him  several  lordships  and  other  lands  far 
remote  from  each  other,  and  particularly  intermixed  them 
with  the  estates  of  Englishmen,  who  he  was  sure  would  be  a 
watch  and  a  curb  to  all  the  motions  of  Prince  Rhys.  This 
was  indeed  a  very  politick  contrivance  of  King  Henry  to 
keep  the  high  and  restless  spirit  of  Rhys  in  subjection ;  but 
the  justice  of  the  transaction  does  not  so  evidently  appear 
in  thus  breaking  one  of  the  chief  articles  of  the  peace,  and 
dismembering  and  bestowing  that  which  was  not  justly  in 
his  power  to  give :  it  is,  however,  manifestly  apparent  that 
the  English  of  these  times  were  mainly  determined  right  or 
wrong  to  oppress  and  keep  under  the  Welsh,  whose  mortal 
dislike  to  subjection  they  had  so  frequently  and  so  cruelly 
experienced.  Prince  Rh}-s  was  not  ignorant  of  these 
wrongful  and  deceitful  dealings  of  King  Henry,  but  know- 
ing himself  to  be  unable  to  redress  these  grievances,  he 
thought  it  more  advisable  for  a  time  to  live  in  peace  with  a 
little  than  rashly  to  hazard  all.  In  a  short  time,  however, 
he  had  opportunity  either  of  demanding  redress  from  the 
king  or  of  endeavouring  to  obtain  it  himself  by  force  of 
arms :  for  as  soon  as  Roger  Earl  of  Clare  was  informed  of 
the  distribution  which  the  king  of  England  had  granted  to 
Prince  Rhys,  he  came  to  King  Henry,  requesting  his 
majesty  to  grant  him  such  lands  in  Wales  as  he  could  win 
by  force  of  arms.  The  king  readily  complied  with  his 
request,  being  always  willing  to  grant  any  thing  which 
tended  to  curb  and  incommode  the  Welsh ;  and  therefore 
the  Earl  of  Clare  marched  with  a  great  army  into  Cardigan, 
and  having  fortified  the  castles  of  Ystrad-Meyric,  Humphrey, 
Dyfi,  Dynerth,  and  Lhanrhystyd,  he  made  several  incur- 
sions into  the  country.  In  the  same  manner,  Walter 
Clifford,  who  was  governor  of  Lhanymdhyfri  castle,  made 
inroads  into  the  territories  of  Prince  Khys,  and  after  he  had 
slain  several  of  the  Welsh,  and  made  great  waste  in  the 
country,  returned  with  considerable  booty. 

Prince  Rhys,  as  he  was  unable  to  bear  these  outrages, 
was  resolved  either  to  have  immediate  redress  or  else  to 
proclaim  open  war  against  the  English;  and  therefore  he 

sent 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  163 

sent  an  express  to  King  Henry,  complaining  of  the  hostilities 
which  his  subjects  (the  Earl  of  Clare  and  Walter  Clifford) 
had  committed  in  his  country;  but  finding  that  the  king 
put  him  still  off  with  only  smooth  words  and  fair  promises, 
and  that  he  always  winked  at  the  faults  of  the  English  and 
Normans,  he,  without  any  farther  consultation  about  the 
matter,  laid  siege  to  the  castle  of  Lhanymdhyfri,  and  in  a 
short  time  made  himself  master  of  it.  Also  Eineon,  the 
son  of  Anarawd,  Rhys's  brother's  son,  and  a  person  of  great 
valour,  being  desirous  to  free  his  country  from  the  miserable 
servitude  they  now  groaned  under,  and  judging  withal  that 
his  uncle  was  now  discharged  from  the  oath  he  had  lately 
sworn  to  the  king  of  England,  attacked  the  castle  of 
Humphrey,  and  having  forcibly  made  his  entrance  into  it, 
he  put  all  the  garrison  to  the  sword,  where  he  found  a  great 
number  of  horses,  and  armour  wherewith  to  equip  a  consi- 
derable body  of  men.  Whilst  Eineon  was  thus  engaged  at 
Humphrey's  castle,  Prince  Rhys,  perceiving  that  he  could 
not  enjoy  any  part  of  his  inheritance  but  what  he  obtained 
by  the  sword,  drew  all  his  power  together  and  entered 
Cardigan,  where,  like  a  violent  torrent,  he  over-ran  the 
country,  so  that  he  left  not  one  castle  standing  of  those 
which  'his  enemies  had  fortified,  and  thus  brought  all  the 
country  to  his  subjection.  King  Henry  being  much  of- 
fended at  the  progress  which  Prince  Rhys  so  suddenly  made 
against  him,  returned  with  a  great  army  into  South  Wales,, 
but  finding  it  to  no  purpose  to  attempt  any  thing  against 
the  Prince,  he  thought  it  more  advisable  to  permit  him  to 
retain  all  that  he  had  won,  and  only  to  take  hostages*  for 
his  keeping  peace  during  his  absence  out  of  the  kingdom, 
which  Prince  Rhys  promising  to  do,  lie  forthwith  returned 
to  England,  and  soon  after  went  to  Normandy,  where  he 
concluded  a  peace  with  the  French  king. 

The  year  following,  Prince  Rhys  of  South  Wales,  with-  A.  D.  1158. 
out  any  regard  to  his  promise  made  to  King  Henry  the 
preceding  year,  led  his  forces  to  Dyfed,  destroyed  all 
the  castles  that  the  Normans  had  fortified  in  that  country, 
and  then  laid  siege  to  Caermardhyn ;  but  Reynold  Earl  of 
Bristol,  the  king's  illegitimate  son,  being  informed  of  it, 
called  together  the  Earl  of  Clare,  his  brother-in-law  Cad- 
walader,  Prince  Owen  of  North  Wales's  brother,  Howel 
and  Conan  (Owen's  sons),  with  two  Earls  more,  who  with 
their  joint  forces  marched  to  raise  the  siege.  Prince  Rhys 
was  too  prudent  to  abide  their  coming,  and  therefore,  upon 

the 

JVI  2 

*  He  was  obliged  to  deliver  up  his  iwo  sons  as  pledges  for  his  future  obedience.— 
Lord  Lyttelton's  Henry  II.  vol.  ii.  p.  79. 


164  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

the  first  intimation  of  such  an  opposition,  he  retired  to  the 
mountains  called  Cefn  Rester  and  there  encamped,  being 
sufficiently  secure  from  any  enemy  by  the  natural  fortifica- 
tion of  the  place.  The  confederate  army  lay  at  Dynwylhir, 
and  there  built  a  castle ;  but  hearing  no  tidings  of  Prince 
Rhys,  they  returned  home  without  effecting  any  thing  of 
note.*  King  Henry  was  still  in  Normandy,  and  there  made 
war  against  the  Earl  of  St.  Giles  for  the  city  and  earldom 
of  Tholouse. 

A.D.  1160.  Towards  the  beginning  of  this  year,  Madoc  ap  Meredith 
ap  Blethyn,  Prince  of  Powys,  died  at  Winchester,  whence 
his  body  was  honourably  conveyed  to  Powys  and  buried  at 
Meivod.f  He  was  a  Prince  very  much  affected  to  piety 
and  religion,  very  charitable  to  the  necessitous,  and  benevo- 
lent to  the  distressed;  but  his  great  fault  was,  that  he 
strove  too  hard  for  the  interest  of  the  English,  and  was 
always  in  confederacy  with  King  Henry  against  the  good 
success  of  his  native  country.  He  had  issue  by  his  wife 
Susanna,  the  daughter  of  Gruffydh  ap  Conan,  Prince  of 
North  Wales,  three  sons,  Gruftydh  Maylor,  Owen,  and 
Elis,  and  a  daughter  named  Marred.  He  had  also  three 
natural  sons,  Owen  Brogynton,  Cynwric  Efelh,  and  Eineon 
Efelh,  who  though  base  born,  yet  according  to  the  custom 
of  Wales,  co-inherited  with  their  brethren  who  were 
legitimate. 

And  here  it  will  not  be  amiss  to  give  a  particular  account 
of  that  portion  of  the  principality,  afterwards  known  as  the 
Lordships  of  Powys,  how  it  came  to  be  divided  into  many 
shares,  and  by  that  means  became  so  irrecoverably  broken 
and  weakened,  that  it  was  made  subject  to  the  Normans 
before  the  rest  of  Wales  ;  for  Powys  before  King  Offa's 
time  reached  eastwards  to  the  rivers  Severn  and  Dee,  in  a 
right  line  from  the  end  of  Broxton  hills  to  Salop,  and  com- 
prehended all  the  country  between  the  Wye  and  Severn, 
which  was  anciently  the  estate  of  Brochwel  Yscithroc,  of 
whom  mention  has  been  made  in  this  work :  but  after  the 
making  of  Offa's  dike,  Powys  was  contracted  into  a  narrower 
compass,  the  plain  country  towards  Salop  being  inhabited 
by  Saxons  and  Normans,  so  that  the  length  of  it  com- 
mencing north-east  from  Pulford  bridge  extended  to 
LlangiricJ  parish  on  the  confines  of  Cardiganshire  to  the 
south-west,  and  the  breadth  from  the  farthest  part  of 
Cyfeilioc  westward,  to  Ellesmere  on  the  east-side.  This 

principality 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  210. 

f  Meivod  in  Montgomeryshire,  the  usual  burying-place  of  his  family. — From  this  period 
the  descendants  of  the  princes  of  South  Wales  possessed  no  sovereign  authority. 

J  Llangerig. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  165 

principality,  Roderic  the  Great  gave  to  his  youngest  son 
Merfyn,  in  whose  posterity  it  remained  entire,  till  the  death 
of  Blethyn  ap  Confyn,  who  divided  it  betwixt  his  sons 
Meredith  and  Cadwgan;  yet  it  came  again  whole  and 
entire  to  the  possession  of  Meredith  ap  Blethyn,  but  he 
again  broke  the  union,  and  left  it  between  his  two  sons 
Madawc  and  Gruflfydh ;  the  first  of  whom  was  married  to 
Susanna,  the  daughter  of  Gruffydh  ap  Conan,  Prince  of 
North  Wales,  and  had  with  her  that  part,  afterwards  called 
by  his  name — Powys  Fadoc.  After  his  death  this  lordship 
was  divided  also  betwixt  his  sons  Gruflfydh  Maelor,  Owen 
ap  Madawc,  and  Owen  Brogynton,  which  last,  though  base 
born,  had,  for  his  incomparable  valour  and  courage,  a  share 
of  his  father's  estate,  namely,  Edeyrneon  and  Dinmael, 
which  he  left  to  his  sons  Gruffydh,  Blethyn,  and  lorwerth. 
Owen  ap  Madawc  had  to  his  portion  Mechain-is-Coed,  and 
had  issue  Lhewelyn  and  Owen  Fychan.  Gruffydh  Maelor, 
the  eldest  son,  Lord  of  Bromfield,  had  to  his  part,  both  the 
Maelors  with  Mochnant-is-Raydar,  and  married  Angharad, 
the  daughter  of  Owen  Gwynedh,  Prince  of  North  Wales, 
by  whom  he  had  issue  one  son  named  Madawc,  who  held 
his  father's  inheritance  entirely,  and  left  it  so  to  his  only  son 
Gruffydh,  who  was  called  Lord  of  Dinas  Bran,  because  he 
lived  in  that  castle:  he  married  Emma,  the  daughter  of 
James  Lord  Audley,  by  whom  "he  had  issue  Madawc, 
Lhewelyn,  Gruffydh,  and  Owen.  This  Gruffydh  ap 
Madawc  took  part  with  King  Henry  the  Third  and 
Edward  the  First  against  the  Prince  of  North  Wales ;  and, 
therefore,  for  fear  of  the  said  prince,  he  was  forced  to  keep 
himself  secure  within  his  castle  of  Dinas  Bran,  which  being 
situated  upon  the  summit  of  a  very  steep  hill,  seemed 
impregnable  to  all  efforts  that  could  be  used  against  it. 
After  his  death,  Edward  the  First  dealt  very  unkindly  with 
his  children,  who  were  of  age  to  manage  their  own 
concerns  ;  and  it  nas  been  said  that  he  caused  two  of  them 
to  be  privately  made  away.  He  bestowed  the  wardship  of 
Madoc,  the  eldest  son,  who  had  by  his  father's  will  the 
Lordships  of  Bromfield  and  Yale,  with  the  reversion  of 
Maelor  Saesnec,  Hopesdale,  and  Mouldsdale,  his  mother's 
jointure,  on  John  Earl  Warren  ;  and  the  wardship  of 
Lhewelyn,  to  whose  share  fell  the  Lordships  of  Chirk  e  and 
Nanheudwy,  he  gave  to  Roger  Mortimer,  third  son  to 
Roger  Mortimer  the  son  of  Ralph  Mortimer,  Lord  Mor- 
timer of  Wigmor :  but  Emma,  Gruffydh's  wife,  having  in 
her  possession,  for  her  dowry,  Maelor  Saesnec,  Hopesdale, 
and  Mouldsdale,  with  the  presentation  of  Bangor  rectory, 

and 


166  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

and  seeing  two  of  her  sons  disinherited  and  put  away,  and 
the  fourth  dead  without  issue,  and  doubting  lest  Gruffydh 
her  only  surviving  child  should  not  long  continue,  she 
conveyed  her  estate  to  the  Audleys,  her  own  kindred,  who 
getting  possession  of  it,  took  the  same  from  the  king,  and 
from  them  it  came  to  the  house  of  Derby,  where  it  continued 
for  a  long  time-  till  at  length  it  was  sold  to  Sir  John 
Glynne,  serjeant-at-law,  in  whose  family  it  still  remaineth. 
Earl  Warren  and  Roger  Mortimer  forgetting  wrhat  signal 
service  Gruffydh  ap  Madoc  had  performed  for  the  king, 
guarded  their  new  possessions  with  such  caution  and  strict- 
ness, that  they  took  especial  care  they  should  never  return 
to  any  of  the  posterity  of  the  legal  proprietor  ;  and,  there- 
fore, having  obtained  the  king's  patent,  they  began  to 
secure  themselves  in  the  said  lordships.  John  Earl  War- 
ren commenced  building  Holt  castle,  which  was  finished  by 
his  son  William,  and  so  the  Lordships  of  Bromfield  and 
Yale  continued  in  the  name  of  the  Earls  of  Warren  for 
three  descents,  viz.  John,  William,  and  John,  who  dying 
without  issue,  the  said  lordships,  together  with  the  Earl- 
dom of  Warren,  descended  to  Alice,  sister  and  heir  to  the 
last  John  Earl  Warren,  who  was  married  to  Edmond  Fitz 
Alan,  Earl  of  Arundel,  in  whose  house  they  further 
remained  for  three  descents,  namely,  Edmund,  Richard, 
Richard  his  son,  and  Thomas  Earl  of  Arundel;  but  for 
want  of  issue  to  this  last,  Thomas  Earl  of  Arundel  and 
Warren,  the  said  lordships  fell  to  two  of  his  sisters, 
whereof  one  named  Elizabeth,  was  married  to  Thomas 
Mowbray,  Duke  of  Norfolk,  and  the  other  called  Joan, 
to  William  Beauchamp,  Lord  of  Abergavenny  :  and 
subsequently  they  came  to  the  hands  of  Sir  William  Stan- 
ley, Knight,  who  being  attainted  of  high  treason,  they 
devolved  by  forfeiture  to  the  crown,  and  now  are  annexed  to 
the  principality  of  Wales.  Roger  Mortimer,  the  other 
sharer  in  the  lands  of  Gruffydh  ap  Madoc,  was  made 
Justice  of  North  Wales,  built  the  castle  of  Chirk,  and 
married  Lucia,  the  daughter  and  heir  of  Sir  Robert  de 
Wafre,  Knight,  by  whom  he  had  issue  Roger  Mortimer, 
who  was  married  to  Joan  Tubervill,  by  whom  he  had  John 
Mortimer,  Lord  of  Chirk.  This  John  sold  the  Lordship 
of  Chirk  to  Richard  Fitz  Alan,  Earl  of  Arundel,  Edmund's 
son,  and  so  it  was  again  annexed  to  Bromfield  and  Yale. 

The  third  son  of  Gruffydh  Lord  of  Dinas  Br&n,  named 
also  Gruffydh,  had  for  his  part  Glyndwrdwy,  which 
Gruffydh  ap  Gruffydh  had  issue  Madoc  Crupl,  who  was  the 
father  of  Madoc  Fychan,  the  father  of  Gruffydh,  the  father 

of 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  167 

of  Gruffydh  Fychan,  who  was  the  father  of  Owen  Glyndwr, 
who  rebelling  in  the  days  of  Henry  the  Fourth,  Glyndwrdwy 
by  confiscation  came  to  the  King,  of  whom  it  was  afterwards 
purchased  by  Robert  Salisbury  of  Rug,  to  whose  descend- 
ants it  still  remaineth,  having  passed,  through  heirs  female, 
into  the  family  of  Vaughan  of  Nannau.  Owen,  the  fourth 
son  of  Gruffydh  Lord  of  Dinas  Bran,  had  for  his  share 
Cynlhaeth,  with  the  rights  and  privileges  thereunto  belong- 
ing. The  other  part  of  Powys,  comprehending  the  coun- 
tries of  Arustly,  Cyfeilioc,  Lhannerch-hudol,  Caereineon, 
Mochnant-uwch-Rhayadr,  Mechain-uwch-Coed,  Moudhwy, 
Deudhwr,  Ystrad  Marchelch,  and  Teir-Tref  or  the  Three 
Towns,  rightfully  descended  to  Gruffydh  ap  Meredith  ap 
Blethyn,  by  Henry  the  First  created  Lord  Powys,  who 
married  Gweyrvyl  or  Weyrvyl  the  daughter  of  Urgene  ap 
Howel  ap  lefaf  ap  Cadogan  ap  Athelstan  Glodryth,  by 
whom  he  had  issue  Owen  surnamed  Cyfeilioc.  This  Owen 
enjoyed  his  father's  estate  entire,  and  married  Gwenlhian 
the  daughter  of  Owen  Gwynedh  Prince  of  North  Wales, 
who  bore  him  one  son,  named  Gwenwynwyn  or  Wenwyn- 
wyn,  from  whom  that  part  of  Powys  was  afterwards  called 
Powys  Wenwynwyn.  He  had  also  an  illegitimate  brother 
called  Caswalhon,  upon  whom  was  bestowed  the  lands  of 
Swydh  Lhannerch-hudol,  and  Broniarth.  Gwenwynwyn 
succeeded  his  father  in  all  his  estate,  excepting  the  portion 
given  to  Caswalhon,  and  married  Margaret  the  daughter 
of  Rhys  ap  Theodore  Prince  of  South  Wales,  by  whom  lie 
had  Gruffydh  ap  Gwenwynwyn,  who  succeeding  his  father 
in  all  his  possessions,  had  issue  six  sons,  by  Margaret  the 
daughter  of  Robert  Corbet,  brother  to  Thomas  Lord  Corbet 
of  Cause ;  and  so  the  entire  estate  of  Gruffydh  ap  Meredith 
ap  Blethyn  Lord  of  Powys  became  scattered,  and  shred  into 
various  portions.  Owen,  Gruffydh  ap  Gwenwynwyn's 
eldest  son,  had  for  his  part  Arustly,  Cyfeilioc,  Lhannerch- 
hudol,  and  a  part  of  Caereineon  ;  Lhewelyn  had  Mochnant- 
uwch-Rhayadr  and  Mechain-uwch-Coed ;  John,  the  third 
son,  had  the  fourth  part  of  Caereineon;  William  had 
Moudhwy;  Gruffydh  Fychan  had  Deudhwr,  Ystrat-Mar- 
chelh,  and  Teir  Tref ;  and  David,  the  sixth  and  youngest 
son,  had  the  other  fourth  part  of  Caereineon.  Owen  ap 
Gruffydh  had  issue  only  one  daughter,  named  Hawys 
Gadarn,  or  the  Hardy,  whom  he  left  his  heir;  but  her 
uncles  Lhewelyn,  John,  Gruffydh  Fychan,  and  David, 
thinking  it  an  easy  matter  to  dispossess  an  orphan,  claimed 
the  lands  of  their  brother  Owen,  alleging  as  the  ground  of 
their  usurpation,  that  a  woman  was  not  capable  of  holding 

any 


168  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

any  lands  in  that  country :  but  Hawys  had  friends  in  Eng- 
land, and  her  case  was  made  known  to  King  Edward  the 
Second,  who  bestowed  her  in  marriage  upon  a  servant  of 
his,*  named  John  Charleton,  termed  Valectys  domini  regisrf 
who  was  bom  at  Apley  near  Wellington,  in  the  county  of 
Salop,  anno  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty-eight,  and 
in  her  right  the  king  created  him  Lord  Powys. 

This  John  Charleton ,{  Lord  Powys,  being  aided  and  sup- 
ported by  the  King  of  England,  quickly  set  aside  all  the 
measures  of  his  wife's  uncles,  and  having  taken  Lhewelyn, 
John,  and  David,  he  put  them  in  safe  custody,  in  the  king's 
castle  of  Harlech ;  and  then  obtained  a  writ  from  the  king 
to  the  sheriff  of  Shropshire,  and  to  Sir  Roger  Mortimer, 
Lord    of  Chirkland  and  justice  of  North  Wales,  for  the 
apprehension  of  Gruffydh  Fychan,  with  his  sons-in-law,  Sir 
Roger  Chamber  and  Hugh  Montgomery,  who  were  then  in 
actual  hostility   against    him   and    his    wife  Hawys :    but 
Gruffydh  Fychan  and  his  accomplices  doubting  their  own 
strength,  and  haying  lost  Thomas  Earl  of  Lancaster,  their 
main  support,  thought  it  most  adviseable  to  submit  them- 
selves to  the  king's  pleasure,  touching  the  difference  betwixt 
them  and  Hawys ;  who  finding  upon  record  that  Gruffydh 
ap  Meredith,  ancestor  to  the  said  Hawys,  upon  his  sub- 
mission to  King  Henry  the  First,  became  subject  to  the 
King  of  England,   and  thereupon  was  created   Baron   of 
Powys,  which  barony  he  and  his  posterity  had  ever  since 
held  in  capite  from  the  king,  was  of  opinion  that  Hawys  had 
more  right  to  her  father's  possessions,  now  in  their  hands, 
than  any  pretence  they  could  lay  to  her  estate.     To  make, 
therefore,  a  final  determination  of  this  matter,  and  to  com- 
pose the  difference  more   amicably  betwixt  them,   it  was 
agreed  that  Hawys  should  enjoy  her  inheritance   in  fee- 
simple  to  her  and  her  heirs  for  ever,  after  the  tenure  of 
England;  and  that  her  uncles  Lhewelyn,  John,  David,  and 

Gruffydh, 

*  A  gentleman  of  his  chamber, 
f  Valectus  regis :  hence  Valet. — Yorke,  p.  78. 

J  He  was,  says  Mr.  Yorke,  "  the  first  lord  of  an  English  house,  the  son  pf  Sir  Alan 
Charleton,  a  man  of  civil  and  military  habits,  had  attended  his  sovereign,  moreover,  as 
his  chamberlain  in  his  frequent  and  unfortunate  northern  expeditions.  He  followed  for 
a  time  then  the  reforming  factions  of  Lancaster,  the  refuge  and  receptacle  of  all  that  were 
distressed  and  discontented  ;  was  defeated  and  taken  with  them  at  Boroughbridge,  but 
escaped  the  proscriptions  which  ensued ;  came  again  into  favour,  and  suffered  in  the 
insurrection  against  the  king,  when  his  house  was  pillaged  by  the  London  mob.  Our  old 
books  speak  of  him  in  high  esteem  for  his  fidelity,  prudence,  and  valour,  nor  amidst  his 
greater  employments  had  he  neglected  the  interests  and  accommodation  of  his  country- 
men ;  and  he  obtained  from  Edward  the  Second  two  weekly  markets  at  Pool  and 
Machynlleth,  and  two  fairs  in  the  year  at  each  place.  He  died  in  1353,  at  the  age  of 
85  years.  His  wife,  the  Powys  heiress,  died  some  time  before,  and  was  buried  in  the 
dissolved  house  of  the  Grey  Friars  of  her  own  foundation  in  Shrewsbury." — Yorke's 
Royal  Tribes,  p\  79. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  169 

Gruffydh,  should  quietly  enjoy  their  portion,  and  the  same 
to  descend  to  their  heirs  male  perpetually ;  but  in  default  of 
such  heirs  male,  the  same  was  to  descend  to  Hawys  and  her 
heirs  :  but  William  Lord  of  Moudhwy,  the  fourth  brother, 
called  otherwise  Wilcock  Moudhwy,  because  he  did  not 
join  with  the  rest  against  Hawys,  had  all  his  lands  confirmed 
to  him,  and  to  his  heirs  male  and  female  for  ever.  He 
married  Elianor,  the  sister  of  Ellen,  Owen  Glyndwr's 
mother,  who  was  lineally  descended  from  Rhys  ap  Theodore, 
Prince  of  South  Wales,  by  whom  he  had  issue  John  de 
Moudhwy;  whose  daughter  Elizabeth,  being  heir  to  his 
whole  estate,  was  married  to  Sir  Hugh  Burgh,  knight. 
His  son,  Sir  John  Burgh,  Lord  of  Moudhwy,  married  Jane 
the  daughter  of  Sir  William  Clopton  of  Gloucestershire,  by 
whom  he  had  four  daughters,  Elizabeth,  Ancreda,  Isabel, 
and  Elianor;  the  first  of  whom  was  married  to  Thomas 
Newport ;  the  second  to  John  Leighton  of  Stretton ;  the 
third  to  John  Lingen  ;  and  the  younger  to  Thomas  Mytton ; 
who,  by  equal  distribution,  had  the  lordship  of  Moudhwy 
and  other  estates  of  the  Burghs  divided  betwixt  them. 

John  Charleton  Lord  of  Powys  had  issue  by  his  wife 
Hawys  a  son  named  John,*  who  enjoyed  the  same  lordship 
for  about  seven  years,  and  then  left  it  to  his  son,  of  the  same 
name,  who  wras  Lord  of  Powys  fourteen  years ;  and  then  it 
descended  to  his  son,  called  also  John  Charleton,  who  en- 
joyed his  father's  estate  twenty-seven  years;  but  dying 
without  issue,  the  lordship  of  Powys  fell  to  his  brother 
Edward  Charleton.  This  Edward  had  issue  by  his  wife 
Elianor,  the  daughter  and  one  of  the  heirs  of  Thomas  Earl 
of  Kent,  and  the  widow  of  Roger  Mortimer  Earl  of  March, 
two  daughters,  Jane  and  Joyce  ;  the  first  of  which  was 
married  to  Sir  John  Grey,  knight ;  and  the  second  to  John 
Lord  Tiptoft,  whose  son  was  by  King  Henry  VI.  created 
Earl  of  Worcester.  After  the  death  of  Elianor,  this  Edward 
Lord  Powys  married  Elizabeth  the  daughter  of  Sir  John 
Berkeley,  knight;  and  so  after  his  death,  which  happened 
in  the  year  1420,  the  lordship  of  Powys  was  divided  into 
three  parts,  whereof  his  widow  Elizabeth  had  for  her 
jointure  Lhannerch-hudol,  Ystrad  Marchelh,  Deudhwr,  and 
Teir  Tref,  and  was  afterwards  married  to  Lord  Dudley; 
Jane,  his  eldest  daughter,  had  Caereineon,  Mechain,  Moch- 
nant,  and  Plasdinas ;  and  Joyce  had  Cyfeilioc  and  Arustly ; 
but  the  lordship  of  Powys  continued  in  the  family  of  Sir 

John 

*  He  was  summoned  to  parliament  from  the  28th  to  the  47th  of  Edward  the  Third, 
was  Chamberlain  of  the  Household  to  this  king,  as  his  father  had  been  to  his  predecessor, 
and  attended  him  in  that  useless  and  expensive  expedition  to  France  in  1339,  as  he  did 
his  son  the  Black  Prince  in  the  same  kingdom  and  to  the  same  effect  in  1375. 


170  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

John  Grey  for  five  descents,  in  right  of  his  wife  Jane ;  the 
last  of  whom,  Edward  Grey,  Lord  Powys,  married  Anne, 
one  of  the  daughters  and  co-heirs  of  Charles  Brandon,  Duke 
Dugdale  of  Suffolk,  and  died  without  any  lawful  issue.  This  Edward 
^mEH§1'  Lord  Powys>  in  15  Henry  VIII.  accompanied  the  Duke  of 
p.  284.  Suffolk  in  the  expedition  then  made  into  France,  and  was  at 
the  taking  of  Bray,  and  other  places  then  won  from  the 
French.  And  in  36  Henry  VIII.  being  again  ready  to 
march  in  the  King's  service,  he  made  his  last  testament, 
whereby  he  settled  the  succession  of  his  whole  barony  and 
lordship  of  Powys,  his  castle  and  manor  of  Pool,  with  divers 
other  lordships  in  the  county  of  Montgomery,  and  all  the 
rest  of  his  estate  in  the  county  of  Salop,  upon  the  heirs  of 
his  own  body  lawfully  begotten  or  to  be  begotten ;  and  in 
default  of  such  issue,  his  castle  and  manor  of  Charleton  and 
Pontesbury  in  Shropshire,  upon  Jane  Orwell,  daughter  of 
Sir  Lewis  Orwell,  knight,  and  her  assigns,  during  her 
natural  life  ;  and  in  case  he  should  die  without  any  issue  of 
his  own  body  lawfully  begotten,  that  then  Edward  Grey, 
his  illegitimate  son  by  the  same  Jane  Orwell,  should  have 
and  enjoy  his  said  barony  and  manor  of  Powys,  his  castle 
and  manor  of  Pool,  and  all  other  his  lordships  in  the  county 
of  Montgomery ;  with  the  reversion  of  the  castle  and  manor 
of  Charleton  and  Pontesbury,  to  him  and  his  heirs  lawfully 
begotten ;  and  for  lack  of  such  issue,  to  remain  to  that  child, 
in  case  it  should  be  a  son,  wherewith  the  same  Jane  Orwell 
was  then  great  by  him,  and  to  the  heirs  of  his  body  lawfully 
begotten :  but  if  it  should  not  prove  a  son,  or  if  the  son  die 
without  issue,  then  that  the  whole  barony  of  Powys,  and  all 
the  premises  before-mentioned,  should  come  to  Jane  Grey, 
his  daughter,  and  to  the  heirs  of  her  body  lawfully  begotten ; 
and  for  lack  of  such  issue,  to  Anne  Grey,  his  other  daugh- 
ter, and  the  heirs  of  her  body  lawfully  begotten;  and 
lastly,  for  default  of  such  issue,  to  such  woman-child  as 
should  be  born  of  the  body  of  the  said  Jane  Orwell.  After 
the  death  of  Edward  Grey,  the  title  of  Lord  of  Powys  lay 
extinct  to  the  fifth  year  of  King  Charles  I.  when  Sir  William 
Herbert,  son  of  Sir  Edward  Herbert,  of  Redcastle  (anciently 
called  Pool  Castle,  now  Powys  Castle),  in  the  county  of 
Montgomery,  second  son  to  William  Earl  of  Pembroke,  to 
whom  the  castle  had  come  by  purchase,  was  advanced  to  the 
dignity  of  a  baron  of  the  realm,  by  the  title  of  Lord  Powys 
of  Powys,  in  the  marches  of  Wales ;  in  whose  descendants  it 
still  continues,  though  the  title  has  been  changed  from  a 
baron  to  an  earl,  and  subsequently  to  a  marquis  and  a  duke, 
afterwards  to  an  earl,  and  then  by  a  new  creation  to  an  earl 
again,  in  the  person  of  Edward  Lord  Clive  now  Earl  of 

Powys, 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  171 

Powys,  whose  wife  was  sister  and  heir  to  the  last  Earl  of 
Powys  of  the  Herbert  family. 

About  the  same  time  that  Madoc  ap  Meredith  Prince  of 
Powys  died,  Cadwalhon  ap  Madawc  ap  Ednerth,  who  had 
been  for  some  considerable  time  at  variance  with  his  brother 
Eineon  Clyd,  was  taken  prisoner  by  him,  who  delivered  him 
up  to  Owen  Prince  of  North  Wales ;  but  the  prince  being 
willing  to  gratify  the  King  of  England,  whose  interest 
Cadwalhon  had  as  much  as  in  him  lay  opposed,  sent  him  to 
the  king's  officers  to  be  imprisoned  at  Winchester;  from 
whence  he  quickly  found  means  to  escape :  and  by  the  ad- 
vice of  the  rest  of  his  brethren  he  returned  home  to  his 
country.  King  Henry  continued  all  this  while  in  Nor- 
mandy, and  during  his  stay  there,  a  match  was  agreed  upon 
betwixt  his  son  Henry  and  Margaret  daughter  to  Lewis 
King  of  France :  but  this  new  alliance  did  not  prevent  these 
two  monarchs  from  falling  at  variance  with  each  other, 
which  happened  the  year  following;  and  thereupon  King 
Henry  marched  with  his  army  into  Gascoyne,  to  quell 
certain  rebels,  who  upon  first  notice  of  this  breach  between 
the  two  kings  were  up  in  arms  against  the  English.  The 
next  year  a  peace  was  again  concluded,  and  so  all  things  A.D.  1161. 
returned  to  their  former  state  of  amity  and  quietness. 

It  was  not  so,  however,  in  Wales ;  for  Howel  the  son  of 
levaf  ap  Cadwgan  ap  Athelstan  Glodryth,  having  got  into 
his  hands  the  castle  of  Walwern  in  Cyfeilioc,  razed  it  to  the 
ground,  which  so  incensed  Prince  Owen,*  who  was  owner 
of  it,  that  nothing  could  allay  his  fury,  till  he  had  drawn  his 
forces  together,  and  made  an  incursion  into  Lhandinam  in 
Arustly,  HowePs  country ;  which  he  cruelly  harassed,  and 
carried  away  considerable  booty.  The  people  of  the  country 
perceiving  these  devastations  of  the  North  Wales  men,  came 
together  to  the  number  of  three  hundred  men,  offering  their 
service  to  their  natural  lord,  Howel  ap  levaf,  who,  upon  this 
addition  of  strength,  followed  the  enemy  to  the  banks  of 
Severn,  where  they  were  encamped.  Prince  Owen,  finding 
them  to  march  after  him,  was  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  be 
further  revenged  upon  Howel;  and  so  turning  suddenly 
upon  them,  he  slew  about  two  hundred  men;  the  rest 
narrowly  escaping  with  Howel  to  the  woods  and  rocks. 
Owen  being  more  joyful  for  the  revenge  he  had  taken  of 
Howel,  than  for  any  victory  he  had  gained,  rebuilt 
Walwerh  castle,  and  having  well  fortified  and  manned  it, 
returned  home  to  North  Wales. 

The  year  following,  the  like  thing  happened;  Owen  the  iiea. 

son 

*  He   was  styled   Owen  Cyveilioc,  and  had  a  district  called  by  that  name,  which 
contained  nearly  half  of  PowyB. — Welsh  Chron.  pp.210,  211. 


172  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

son  of  Gruffydh  ap  Meredith,  commonly  called  Owen 
Cyfeilioc  o  Wynedh,  together  with  Owen  ap  Madawc  ap 
Meredith  and  Meredith  ap  Howel,  set  upon  Carreghofa* 
castle  near  Oswestry,  and  having  overpowered  the  garrison, 
committed  great  waste  and  destruction  therein.  About  the 
same  time,  a  singular  quarrel  happened  in  England;  Robert 
Mountford  and  Henry  de  Essex,  who  had  both  fought 
against  the  Welsh  upon  the  marches  and  fled,  began  now  to 
impeach  each  other  as  being  the  first  occasion  of  flying. 
The  dispute  was  to  be  tried  by  single  combat,  in  which 
being  engaged  Henry  was  overcome;  and  for  his  falsely 
accusing  Robert,  he  was  sentenced  to  have  his  estate  for- 
feited, and  then  having  his  crown  shorn,  he  was  entered  a 
monk  at  Redding.  Within  a  little  time  after,  King  Henry, 
calling  to  mind  what  Prince  Rhys  had  committed  during 
his  absence  from  the  kingdom,  drew  up  a  great  army 
against  South  Wales,  and  having  marched  as  far  as  Pen- 
cadyr,  near  Brecknock,  Rhts  met  him  and  did  his  homage ; 
and  delivering  up  hostages  for  his  future  behaviour,  f  he 
stopped  the  king's  progress,  so  that  thence  he  returned  to 
England.  After  the  king's  departure,  two  very  unhappy 
affairs  occurred  in  Wales ;  Eineon  the  son  of  Anarawd  ap 
Gruffydh,  nephew  to  Prince  Rhys,  being  villainously  mur- 
dered in  his  bed  by  his  own  servant,  called  Walter  ap 
Lhywarch ;  as  also  Cadwgan  ap  Meredith,  in  like  manner, 
by  one  Walter  ap  Riccart :  but  the  loss  of  his  nephew 
Prince  Rhys  made  up,  by  possessing  himself  of  that  large 
country  called  Cantref  Mawr,  and  the  land  of  Dynefawr, 
which  he  afterwards  enjoyed.  Of  men  of  learning  there 
died  this  year,  Cadifor  ap  Daniel,  Archdeacon  of  Cardigan ; 
and  Henry  ap  Arthen,  the  greatest  scholar  that  had 
flourished  in  Wales  for  many  years. 

A.  D.  lies.  The  next  year,  a  total  rupture  broke  forth  betwixt  the 
English  and  Welsh  ;  Prince  Rhys,}  a  man  of  an  active  and 
uncontroulable  spirit,  being  now  aware  by  experience  that 
he  could  not  sustain  the  greatness  of  his  quality,  with  such 
lands  as  the  King  of  England  had  allotted  him,  made  an 
invasion  into  the  Lordship  of  Roger  de  Acre,  Earl  of 
Gloucester;  being  moved  thereto,  in  a  great  measure,  by 
reason  that  his  nephew  Anarawd  ap  Gruffydh  was  murdered 
at  that  Earl's  instigation.  Having  advanced  with  a  strong 
army  into  the  Earl  of  Gloucester's  estate,  without  any  great 
opposition  he  took  Aberheidol  castle,§  with  those  be- 
longing to  the  sons  of  Wyhyaon,  which  he  rased  to  the 

ground 

*  Garreg  Hova,  six  miles  from  Oswestry,  in  the  parish  of  Llanymynech,  which  part  of 
that  parish  lies  in  the  county  of  Denbigh. 

f  Welsh  Chron.p.  220.  J  Rhys  ap  Gryffydh. 

§  On  the  conflux  of  the  rivers  Rheidol  and  Ystwyth. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  173 

ground.  Thence  he  marched  to  Cardigan,  bringing  all 
that  country  under  his  subjection;  and  from  thence  he 
marched  against  the  Flemings,  whose  country  he  cruelly 
harassed  with  fire  and  sword.  The  rest  of  the  estates  of 
Wales,  perceiving  Prince  Rhys  to  prosper  so  successfully 
against  the  English,  thought  they  might  equally  succeed, 
and  shake  off  the  English  yoke,  by  which  they  were  un- 
reasonably oppressed.  Therefore  they  unanimously  agreed 
to  cast  off  their  subjection  to  the  English,  whose  tyranny 
they  could  no  longer  bear,  and  to  put  over  them  princes  of 
their  own  nation,  whose  superiority  they  could  better 
tolerate,  and  so  this  year  concluded  with  making  suitable 
preparations  for  the  following  campaign. 

As  soon  as  the  time  of  year  for  action  was  advanced,  A.  D.  1164. 
David,  son  of  Owen,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  fell  upon 
Flintshire,  which  pertained  to  the  King  of  England ;  and 
carrying  off  all  the  people  and  cattle  with  him,  brought 
them  to  Dyffryn  Clwyd,  otherwise  Ruthyn-land.*  King 
Henry  understanding  this,  gathered  together  his  forces,  and 
with  all  speed  marched  to  defend  both  his  subjects  and 
towns  from  the  incursions  and  depredations  of  the  Welsh. 
Being  come  to  Rhuddlan  or  Rhuthlan  and  encamped  there 
three  days,  he  soon  perceived  he  could  effect  no  great 
measure,  because  his  army  was  not  sufficiently  numerous ; 
and,  therefore,  he  thought  it  most  advisable  to  return  back 
to  England,  and  to  augment  his  forces,  before  he  should 
attempt  any  thing  against  the  Welsh  :f  and  accordingly  he 
levied  the  most  chosen  men  throughout  all  his  dominions 
of  England,  Normandy,  Anjou,  Gascoyne,  and  Guienne, 
besides  obtaining  aid  from  Flanders  and  Britanriy,  and  then 
set  forward  for  North  Wales,  purposing  to  destroy  without 
mercy  every  living  thing  he  could  possibly  meet  with  ;  and 
being  advanced  as  far  as  Croes-Oswalt,  called  Oswestry,  he 
encamped  there.  On  the  other  side,  Prince  Owen  and  his 
brother  Cadwalader,  with  all  the  strength  of  North  Wales; 
Prince  Rhys  with  those  of  South  Wales ;  Owen  Cyfeilioc 
and  Madawc  ap  Meredith  with  all  the  power  of  Powys ;  the 
two  sons  of  Madawc  ap  Ednerth,  with  the  people  living 
betwixt  the  rivers  of  Severn  and  Wye,  met  together,  and 
pitched  their  camp  at  Corwen  in  Edeymeon,  intending 
unanimously  to  defend  their  country  against  the  King  of 
England.  King  Henry  understanding  that  they  were  so 
near,  was  very  desirous  to  come  to  battle ;  and  to  that  end 
he  removed  to  the  banks  of  the  river  Ceiriog,J  causing  all 

the 

*  WeIshChron.p.221. 

f  Brompton  Chron.  sub  ann.  1165.     Chronica  Gervasii,  p.  1398.     Giraldus Cambrensis 
Itin.  lib.  ii.  cap.  10. 

J  A  river  in  the  county  of  Denbigh,  which  runs  through  a  vale  of  that  name. 


174  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

the  woods  thereabouts  to  be  cut  down,  for  fear  of  any 
ambushment  lurking  therein,  and  for  a  more  clear  prospect 
of  the  enemy  :*  but  some  of  the  Welsh  took  advantage  of 
this  opportunity,  and  being  well  acquainted  with  the  pas- 
sage, without  the  knowledge  of  their  officers,  fell  upon  the 
king's  guard,  where  all  the  pikemen  were  posted;  and  after 
a  hot  skirmish,  several  were  slain  on  both  sides :  in  the  end, 
however,  the  king  won  the  passage,  and  so  marched  on  to 
the  mountain  of  Berwyn,  where  he  lay  some  time  without 
any  hostility  on  either  side,  both  armies  standing  in  fear  of 
each  other.  The  English  kept  the  open  plains,  and  were 
afraid  to  be  entrapped  in  the  straits  and  narrow  passages  ; 
and  the  Welsh  on  the  other  hand  watched  the  advantage  of 
the  place  ;  and  observed  the  English  so  narrowly,  that 
neither  forage  or  victuals  could  pass  to  the  king's  camp ; 
and  what  augmented  the  misery  of  the  English  army,  there 
happened  to  fall  a  tremendous  rain,  that  overflowed  their 
encampment,  in  so  much  that  with  the  slipperiness  of  the 
hills,  the  soldiers  could  scarcely  stand  ;  eventually  King 
Henry  was  forced  to  decamp,  and  after  a  very  considerable 
loss  of  men  and  ammunition,  besides  the  great  charges  of 
this  expedition,  was  compelled  to  return  back  to  England. 
To  express  how  much  dissatisfaction  he  entertained  at  this 
enterprize,  he  in  a  great  fury  caused  to  be  plucked  out  the 
eyes  of  the  hostages,  that  he  had  some  time  before  received 
from  the  Welsh;  which  were  Rhys  and  Cadwalhon,  the 
sons  of  Owen  Prince  of  North  Wales,  and  Cynric  and 
Meredith,  the  sons  of  Rhys  of  South  Wales. f  Some 
write,  that  in  assailing  a  bridge,  in  this  expedition,  the 
king  was  in  no  small  danger  of  his  life  :  one  of  the  Welsh 
having  aimed  directly  at  him,  would  have  pierced  him 
through  the  body,  had  not  Hubert  de  Clare,  Constable  of 
Colchester,  who  perceived  the  arrow  coming,  thrust  himself 
betwixt  the  king  and  it,  although  to  the  loss  of  his  own 
life.* 

Though  King  Henry  was  shamefully  forced  to  return  to 
England,  yet  he  did  not  give  up  the  idea  of  subduing  the 
Welsh ;  and  therefore,  after  a  long  consultation,  he  made  a 
third  expedition  into  Wales,  conveying  his  army  by  sea  as 
far  as  Chester.  There  he  staid  for  some  time,  till  all  his 

fleet 


*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  221. 

f  Holinshead's  Chron.  p.  73,  says  that,  "  besides  those  above-mentioned,  he  caused  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  several  lords  to  be  treated  with  the  same  severity,  ordering  the 
eyes  of  the  young  striplings  to  be  pecked  out  of  their  heads,  and  the  ears  of  the  young 
gentlewomen  to  be  stuffed." 

t  Welsh  Chron.  p.  222. —Holinshead's  Chron.  p.  73,  says,  "  This  accident  happened  at 
the  siege  of  Bridgenorth." 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  175 

fleet,  as  well  those  ships  that  he  had  hired  out  of  Ireland  as 
his  own,  were  arrived :  but  when  they  were  all  come  together 
and  got  safely  to  Chester,  his  mind  was  altered;  and 
instead  of  a  design  against  Wales,  he  unexpectedly  dismissed 
his  whole  army.  Prince  Rhys  was  glad  of  this  opportunity, 
and  therefore  withdrawing  his  forces  from  the  confederate 
army,  he  marched  to  the  siege  of  Aberteifi  castle,  which 
being  surrendered  to  him,  he  rased  it  to  the  ground.  From 
thence  he  got  before  Cilgerran,*  which  he  used  after  the 
same  manner,  and  therein  took  prisoner  Robert  the  son  of 
Stephen,  his  cousin-german,  who  was  the  son  of  Nest  his 
aunt,  and  who  after  the  death  of  Gerald  had  married  Stephen 
Constable.  The  joy  of  these  successes  on  the  part  of  the 
Welsh  was  somewhat  clouded  by  the  death  of  Lhewelyn, 
son  of  Owen  Prince  of  North  Wales,  a  person  of  great 
worth,  and  exceedingly  well  beloved  of  all  his  countrymen. 

The  Welsh  being  now  somewhat  secure  from  any  inva-  A,  D.  1165. 
sion  from  the  English,  there  rose  up  another  enemy  to 
create  them  disturbance;  the  Flemings  and  Normans,  find- 
ing the  English  had  failed  in  their  attempt  against  the 
Welsh,  thought  they  might  with  better  success  invade  and 
subdue  them;  and  therefore  they  came  to  West  Wales 
with  a  great  army,  and  laid  siege  to  the  castle  of  Cilgerran, 
which  Rhys  had  lately  fortified;  but  after  two  different 
assaults,  they  were  manfully  beat  back  and  forced  to  depart 
home  again :  however,  what  the  Flemings  could  not  effect 
against  the  Welsh  in  South  Wales  the  Welsh  easily  brought 
about  against  the  English  in  North  Wales;  for  Prince 
Owen  having  besieged  Basingwerk  castle,  then  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  king  of  England,  without  much  time  spent, 
made  himself  master  of  it.f  It  was,  however,  always  the 
misfortune  of  the  Welsh,  that  when  they  found  themselves 
secure  from  any  enemy  abroad,  they  were  sure  to  quarrel 
and  fall  out  at  home ;  though  indeed  it  could  not  be  other- 
wise expected,  where  so  many  petty  states  endeavoured  to 
surmount  and  outvie  each  other.  Now,  therefore,  when  all 
things  went  very  successfully  on  their  side,  in  opposition  to 
the  English,  two  ambitious  persons  began  to  kindle  a  flame 
in  the  bosom  of  their  own  country :  Owen  Cyfeilioc,  the  son 
of  Gruflfydh  ap  Meredith  Lord  of  Powys,  and  Owen  Fychan, 
second  son  to  Madawc  ap  Meredith,  forcibly  dispossessed 
lorwerth  Goch  of  his  estate  in  Powys,  which  they  divided 
betwixt  themselves, — Mochnan-uwch-Rayader  to  Owen 
Cyfeilioc,  and  Mochnant-is-Rayader  to  Owen  Fychan :  but 

the 

*  Situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Tivi,  near  Caerdigan. 
t  Welsh  Chron.  p.  223. 


176  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

A.D.  1166.  the  rest  of  the  princes  of  Wales  could  not  brook  this  injury 
done  to  lorwerth  Goch  ;  and  therefore  Owen  Prince  of 
North  Wales,  with  his  brother  Cadwalader,  and  Rhys 
Prince  of  South  Wales,  went  with  an  army  into  Powys 
against  Owen  Cyfeilioc,*  and,  having  chased  him  out  of  the 
country,  they  bestowred  Caereineon  upon  Owen  Fychan,  to 
hold  it  of  Prince  Owen  ;  and  Rhys  had  Walwern,  by  reason 
that  it  lay  near  his  own  territories.f  Within  a  while  after, 
Owen  Cyfeilioc  returned  with  a  numerous  band  of  Normans 
and  English  along  with  him,  and  laid  siege  to  the  castle  of 
Caereineon,  which  he  burnt  to  the  ground :  but  the  loss  of 
this  place  was  made  up  by  the  taking  of  Rhuddlan  castle, 
which  Owen,  Rhys,  and  Cadwalader  jointly  besieged  ; 
and  which  was  so  strongly  fortified,  and  so  manfully 
defended,  that  it  cost  them  three  months  before  they  could 
1176.  make  themselves  masters  of  the  place.  Afterwards  they 
won  the  castle  of  Prestatyn,  and  reduced  the  whole  country 
of  Tegengl  subject  to  Prince  Owen  ;  and  then  returned 
home  to  their  respective  dominions.  Henceforward  nothing 
of  moment  was  transacted  during  the  remainder  of  Prince 
Owen's  reign,  only  his  son  Conan  most  unmercifully  slew 
Urgency,  Abbot  of  Lhwythlawr,  together  with  his  nephew 

1168.  Lhawthen  :  but  a  little  after,  Prince  Rhys  of  South  Wales 
released  out  of  prison  his  nephew  Robert,  son  to  Stephen 
Constable,  whom,  as  is  said  before,  he  had  taken  at  the 
siege  of  Cilgerran  castle,  and  sent  him  to  Ireland  to  the  aid 
of  Dermot,  the  son  of  Murchart,  King  of  Leinster,  who  was 
then  in  actual  war  with  the  King  of  Leinster.      With  him 
and  his  brother  Morris   Fitz-Gerald,   and  their  nephews 
Robert,  Meyler,  and  Raymond,  went  over  a  strong  detach- 
ment of  Welshmen,  under  the  command  of  Richard  Strong- 
bow,  Earl  of  Strigul,  who  were  the  chief  movers  of  the 
conquest  of  Ireland,  when  it  was  first  brought  in  subjection 
to  the  crown  of  England. 

1169.  But  the  next  year,  Owen  Gwynedh,  son  of  Gruflfydh  ap 
Conan,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  departed  this  life  in  the 
thirty-second  year  of  his  reign.:}:     He  was  a  wise  and  valour- 
ous  prince,  ever  fortunate  and  victorious  in  all  his  under- 
takings, insomuch  that  he  never  undertook  any  design  but 
what  he  accomplished.     He  had  by  different  women  several 
children,  who  got  themselves  greater  esteem  by  their  valour, 
than  by  their  birth  and  parentage.     He  had  by  Gwladus, 

the 

*  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  223,  2-24. 

f  Brit.  Ant.  Reviv.  by  Vaughan  of  Hengwrt,  pp.  5,  6. 

J  He  was  buried  in  the  cathedral  church  of  Bangorj  and  had  by  different  women 
twenty-one  children. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  177 

the  daughter  of  Lhywarch  ap  Trahaern  ap  Caradoc,  lorwerth 
Drwyndwn,  or  lorwerth  with  the  broken  nose,  Conan, 
Maelgon,  and  Gwenlhian;  by  Christian  the  daughter  of 
Grono  ap  Owen  ap  Edwyn,  he  had  David,  Roderic,* 
Cadwalhon  abbot  of  Bardsey,  and  Angharad  afterwards 
married  to  Gruffydh  Maylor.  He  had  by  other  women 
several  other  children,  as  Conan,  Lhewelyn,  Meredith, 
Edwal,  Rhun,  Howel,  Cadelh,  Madawc,  Eineon,  Cynwric, 
Philip,  and  Ryrid  Lord  of  Clochran  in  Ireland.  OfHhese, 
Rhun,  Lhewelyn,  and  Cynwric  died  before  their  father;  and 
the  rest  will  be  mentioned  in  the  sequel  of  this  history. f 


DAVID  AP  OWEN. 

X  RINCE  Owen  Gwynedh  being  dead,  the  succession 
should  of  right  have  descended  to  his  eldest  legitimate  son, 
lorwerth  Drwyndwn,  otherwise  called  Edward  with  the 
broken  nose ;  but  by  reason  of  that  blemish  upon  his  face, 
he  was  laid  aside  as  unfit  to  take  upon  hirii  the  government 
of  North  Wales.J  Therefore  his  younger  brothers  began 
every  one  to  aspire,  in  hopes  of  succeeding  their  father;  but  A.D.  1170. 
Howel,  who  was  of  all  the  eldest,  but  base  born,  begotten 
of  an  Irish  woman,  finding  they  could  not  agree,  stept  in 
himself  and  took  upon  him  the  government.  David,  how- 
ever, who  was  legitimately  born,  could  riot  brook  that  a 
bastard  should  ascend  his  father's  throne;  and  therefore 
he  made  air  the  preparations  possible  to  remove  him. 
Howel  on  the  other  hand  was  determined  to  maintain  his 
ground,  and  was  not  willing  thus  to  deliver  up  what  he  so 
recently  got  possession  of;  and  so  both  brothers  meeting 
together  in  the  field,  were  resolved  to  try  their  title  by  the 
point  of  the  sword.  The  battle  had  not  lasted  long  before 
Howel  was  slain ;  and  then  David  was  unanimously  pro- 
claimed and  acknowledged  Prince  of  North  Wales,§  which 
principality  he  enjoyed  without  any  molestation,  till  Lhe- 
welyn, lorwerth  Drwyndwn's  son,  came  of  age,  as  will 
hereafter  appear.  It  is  said  that  Madawc,  another  of  Owen 
Gwynedh's  sons,  perceiving  these  contentions  among  his 

brothers 

N 

*  Lord  of  Anglesey.  f  History  of  Gwedir  family,  p.  3. 

J  He  had  however  assigned  him,  for  his  maintenance,  a  part  of  his  father's  inheritance  : 
the  cantrevs  of  Kanconwy  and  Ardudwy  ;  and  resided  at  the  caslle  of  Dolwyddelan, 
situate  in  the  county  of  Carnarvon. -History  of  Gwedir  family,  p.  7.— This  prince  was 
afterwards  obliged  to  take  sanctuary  at  Pennant  Melangel  in  Montgomeryshire,  where  he 
died. 

§  Welsh  Chron  p.  227.— Memoir  of  Gwedir  family,'p.  7. 


178  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

brothers  for  the  principality,  and  that  his  native  country  was 
likely  to  be  embroiled  in  a  civil  war,  deemed  it  more  pru- 
dent to  try  his  fortune  abroad ;  and  therefore  departing  from 
North  Wales  when  it  was  in  this  unsettled  condition,  he 
sailed  with  a  small  fleet  of  ships,  which  he  had  rigged  and 
manned  for  that  purpose,  to  the  westward;  and  leaving 
Ireland  on  the  north,  he  came  at  length  to  an  unknown 
country,  where  most  things  appeared  to  him  new  and  un- 
common, and  the  manner  of  the  natives  far  different  to  what 
he  had  seen  in  Europe.  This  country,  says  the  learned  H. 
Lhuyd,  must  of  necessity  be  some  part  of  that  vast  tract  of 
ground  of  which  the  Spaniards,  since  Hanno's  time,  boast 
themselves  to  be  the  first  discoverers  ;  and  which,  by  order 
of  cosmography,  seems  to  be  some  part  of  Nova  Hispania 
or  Florida ;  whereby  it  is  manifest  that  this  country  was 
discovered  by  the  Britons,  long  before  either  Columbus 
or  Americus  Vesputius  sailed  thither:  but  concerning 
Madawc's  voyage  to  this  country,  and  afterwards  his  return 
from  thence,  there  be  many  fabulous  stories  and  idle  tales 
invented  by  the  vulgar,  who  are  sure  never  to  diminish  from 
what  they  hear,  but  generally  add  to  any  fable  as  far  as 
their  invention  will  prompt  them.  However,  says  the  same 
author,  it  is  certain  that  Madawc  arrived  in  this  country, 
and  after  he  had  viewed  the  fertility  and  pleasantness  of  it, 
he  thought  it  expedient  to  invite  more  of  his  countrymen 
out  of  Britain ;  and  therefore  leaving  most  of  those  he  had 
already  taken  with  him  behind,  he  returned  for  Wales. 
Being  arrived  there,  he  informed  his  friends  what  a  fair  and 
extensive  land  he  had  met  with,  void  of  any  inhabitants, 
whilst  they  employed  all  their  skill  to  supplant  one  another, 
only  for  a  rugged  portion  of  rocks  and  mountains;  and 
therefore  he  persuaded  them  to  change  their  present  state  of 
danger  and  continual  bickering  for  a  place  where  they  should 
have  ease  and  enjoyment :  and  having  thus  got  a  consider- 
able number  of  the  Welsh  together,  he  bade  a  final  adieu  to 
his  native  country,  and  sailed  with  ten  ships  back  to  those 
he  had  left  behind.  It  is  therefore  to  be  supposed,  says  our 
author,  that  Madawc  and  his  people  inhabited  part  of  that 
country,  since  called  Florida,  by  reason  that  it  appears  from 
Francis  Loves,  an  author  of  no  small  reputation,  that  in 
Acusanus  and  other  places,  the  people  honoured  and  wor- 
shipped the  cross ;  whence  it  may  be  naturally  concluded 
that  Christians  had  been  there  before  the  coming  of  the 
Spaniards;  and  who  these  Christians  might  be,  unless  it 
were  this  colony  said  to  be  planted  by  Madawc,  cannot  be 
easily  imagined :  but  by  reason  that  the  Welsh  who  went 

over 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  179 

over  were  few  in  number,  they  intermixed  in  a  few  years 
with  the  natives  of  the  country,  and  so  following  their  man- 
ners and  using  their  language,  they  became  at  length  un- 
distinguishable  from  the  barbarians.  The  country  which 
Madawc  landed  in,  is,  by  the  learned  Dr.  Powel,  supposed 
to  be  part  of  Mexico :  for  which  conjecture  he  lays  down 
these  following  reasons : — first,  because  it  is  recorded  in  the 
Spanish  chronicles  of  the  conquest  of  the  West  Indies,  that 
the  inhabitants  and  natives  of  that  country  affirm  by  tradition 
that  their  rulers  descended  from  a  strange  nation,  which 
came  thither  from  a  strange  country,  as  it  was  confessed  by 
King  Montezuma,  in  a  speech  at  his  submission  to  the  King 
of  Castile,  before  Hernando  Cortez,  the  Spanish  general  : 
and  further  because  the  British  words  and  names  of  places 
used  in  that  country,  even  at  this  day,  undoubtedly  denote 
the  same ;  for  when  they  speak  and  converse  together,  they 
use  this  British  word  Gwrando,  which  signifies  to  hearken 
or  listen ;  and  a  certain  bird  with  a  white  head,  they  call 
Pengwyn,  which  signifies  the  same  in  Welsh :  but  for  a 
more  complete  confirmation  of  this,  the  island  of  Coorooso, 
the  cape  of  Bryton,  the  river  of  Gwyndor,  and  the  white 
rock  of  Pengwyn,  which  are  all  British  words,  do  manifestly 
shew  that  it  was  that  country  which  Madawc  and  his  people 
inhabited.* 

As  soon  as  the  troubles  of  North  Wales  were  over,  and 

Prince 
N  2 

*  An  additional  proof  is,  the  purport  of  a  Letter  to  Dr.  Jones,  of  Hammersmith,  from 
his  brother  in  America  :— "  In  the  year  1797,  a  Welsh  tradesman  on  the  river  Monanga- 
hala,  near  Petersburgh,  went  down  to  the  Ohio,  and  from  thence  up  the  Mississipi 
to  within  60  miles  of  the  Missouri,  to  a  town  called  Mazores.  In  the  month  of  April,  as  he 
chanced  to  be  out  among  some  Indians,  he  overheard  two  conversing  about  some  skins 
they  had  to  sell  or  exchange,  and  from  a  word  or  two  conceived  their  language  to  be 
Welsh ;  he  listened  for  a  few  minutes  and  became  convinced,  though  much  corrupted 
from  its  primitive  purity.  Notwithstanding,  he  resolved  to  endeat'our  to  converse  with 
them,  and,  to  his  great  astonishment,  found  themselves  mutually  understood,  with  the 
exception  of  some  words  either  original  or  obsolete  in  Wales.  He  describes  them  to  be 
of  a  robust  stature,  and  dressed  from  head  to  foot  in  the  skins  of  some  animals,  but  no 
kind  of  shirts;  their  complexion  was  of  a  copper  colour  similar  to  other  Indians,  with 
strong  black  hair,  but  no  beard  except  about  the  mouth.  By  them  he  understood  they 
came  from  a  long  way  up  the  Missouri,  and  had  been  about,  three  months  coming  to  the 
place  where  he  found  them.  In  consequence  of  the  proceeding,  John  Evans,  a  young  man 
M'ell  acquainted  with  the  language,  has  been  in  quest  of  the  Welsh  Indians,  but  without 
success,  not  having  penetrated  more  than  900  miles  up  the  Missouri,  being  compelled  to 
return  in  consequence  of  a  war  among  the  natives.  It  is  conjectured  that  our  Cambro- 
Indians  inhabit  a  territory  nearly  1800  or  2000  miles  up  that  river.  A  second  trial  was 
meditated,  but  before  it  was  executed  John  Evans  died,  consequently  no  new  discovery 
has  been  attempted." 

In  the  Gentleman's  Magazine  of  October,  1828,  published  by  Nichols  and  Son,  25, 
Parliament  Street,  London,  we  find  the  following  account:— "A  tribe  of  Americans, 
about  the  40th  degree  of  north  latitude,  and  the  45th  west  longitude,  are  said  to  possess 
many  curious  manuscripts  about  an  island  named  Brydon,  from  which  their  ancestors 
long  since  came.  Their  language  resembles  the  Welsh,  and  their  religion  is  a  sort  of 
mixed  Christianity  and  Druidism.  They  know  the  use  of  letters,  and  are  very  fond  of 


180  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

A.D.  1171.  Prince  David  was  securely  settled  in  his  throne,  a  storm  fell 
upon  Powys :  for  Owen  Cyfeilioc,  the  lord  of  the  country, 
had  always,  as  much  as  in  him  lay,  opposed  the  interest  and 
advantage  of  Rhys  Prince  of  South  Wales;  upon  which 
account  Prince  Rhys  came  with  a  great  army  against  Powys, 
and  having  subdued  Owen  Cyfeilioc  his  enemy,  he  was  yet 
so  favourable  to  him,  that  upon  his  delivering  him  pledges 
for  his  future  behaviour,  he  immediately  departed  out  of 
Powys,  and  returned  with  much  honour  to  South  Wales. 
The  states  of  Britain  being  now  all  at  perfect  rest  and  amity 
with  each  other,  the  scene  of  action  removed  to  Ireland ;  for 
Henry  King  of  England  having  called  together  all  his 
nobility,  consulted  with  them  about  the  Irish  expedition, 
which  had  already  been  determined  upon.  To  this  con- 
sultation there  came  some  messengers  from  Richard  Strong- 
bow  Earl  of  Strigule,  Marshal  of  England,  to  deliver  up  to 
the  king's  hands  the  city  of  Dublin,  the  town  of  Waterford, 
with  all  such  towns  and  castles  as  he  got  in  right  of  his  wife ; 
whereupon  the  king  restored  to  him  all  his  lands  both  in 
England  and  Normandy,  and  created  him  Lord  Steward 
of  Ireland,  for  this  Earl  of  Strigule  had  very  lately, 
without  obtaining  the  king's  permission,  gone  over  to 
Ireland,  and  had  married  the  daughter  of  Dermott  King  of 
Dublin  ;  at  which  King  Henry  was  so  indignant,  that  he 
immediately  seized  upon  all  his  lands  in  England  and  Nor- 
mandy. Therefore  the  king  having  now  some  footing  in 
Ireland,  the  expedition  was  unanimously  concurred  in  ;  and 
the  king  having  commenced  his  journey,  was,  on  coming 
towards  Wales,  received  by  Prince  Rhys,  at  whose  sub- 
mission the  king  was  so  much  pleased,  that  he  confirmed  to 
him  all  his  lands  in  South  Wales.  In  return  for  the  king's 
favour,  Rhys  promised  to  his  majesty  three  hundred  horses 
and  four  thousand  oxen  towards  the  conquest  of  Ireland ; 
for  the  sure  payment  of  which  he  delivered  fourteen  pledges. 
Then  King  Henry,  marching  forward,  came  to  Caerlheon 
upon  Ubk,  and  entering  the  town,  dispossessed  the  right 
owner,  lorwerth  ap  Owen  ap  Caradoc,  and  kept  it  for  his 
own  use,  placing  a  garrison  of  his  own  men  therein :  but 
lorwerth  was  not  so  submissive  as  to  endure  tamely  this 
injustice  of  the  king ;  and  therefore  departing  in  great  fury 
from  the  king's  presence,  he  called  to  him  his  two  sons 
Owen  and  Howel  (whom  he  had  by  Angharad  the  daughter 
of  Uchtryd  bishop  of  Llandaff),  and  his  sister's  son  Morgan 

ap 

music  and  poetry.  They  still  call  themselves  Brydones.  It  is  generally  believed  that 
they  are  descendants  of  some  wandering  Britons,  expelled  from  home  about  the  time  of 
the  Saxons,  and  carried  by  wind  and  current  to  the  great  continent  of  the  west,  into  the 
heart  of  which  they  have  been  driven  back  by  successive  encroachments  of  modern 
settler*."— P.  359. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  181 

ap  Sitsylt  ap  Dyfnwal,  and  bringing  together  all  the  forces 
they  were  able,  upon  the  king's  departure  they  entered  the 
country,  and  committing  all  kinds  of  waste  and  destruction 
as  they  proceeded,  they  at  last  came  before  Caerlheon, 
which  town  they  took  and  despoiled  in  the  like  manner, 
destroying  whatever  they  could  meet  with ;  so  that  nothing 
escaped  their  fury,  excepting  the  castle,  which  they  could 
not  obtain.  The  king  was  in  the  mean  time  upon  his  journey 
to  Pembroke,  where  being  accompanied  by  Prince  Rhys,  he 
gave  him  a  grant  of  all  Cardigan,  Ystratywy,  Arustly,  and 
Elvil,  in  recompence  of  the  civilities  and  honour  that  he 
had  done  to  him ;  and  so  Rhys  returned  to  Aberteifi,  a  town 
he  had  lately  won  from  the  Earl  of  Gloucester,  and  there 
having  prepared  his  present,  about  the  beginning  of  October 
he  returned  again  to  Pembroke,  having  ordered  eighty-six 
horses  to  follow  him  ;  which  being  presented  to  the  king,  he 
accepted  of  thirty-six  of  the  choicest,  and  returned  the  rest 
with  great  thanks.  The  same  day  King  Henry  went  to  St. 
David's,  and  after  he  had  offered  to  the  memory  of  that 
saint,  he  dined  with  the  bishop,  who  was  the  son  of  Gerald, 
cousin-german  to  Rh$Ts  ;  and  to  this  place  Richard  Strong- 
bow  Earl  of  Strygule  came  from  Ireland  to  confer  with  the 
king.  Within  a  while  after,  King  Henry  being  entertained 
by  Rhys  at  the  White  House,  restored  to  him  his  son 
Howel,  who  had  been  for  a  considerable  time  detained  as  a 
pledge,  and  appointed  him  a  certain  day  for  payment  of 
tribute,  at  which  time  all  the  rest  of  the  pledges  should  be 
set  at  liberty.*  The  day  following,  being  the  next  after  the 
feast  of  St.  Luke,  the  king  went  on  board,  and  the  wind 
blowing  very  favourably,  set  sail  for  Ireland,  and  being 
safely  arrived  upon  those  coasts,  he  landed  at  Dublin; 
where  he  rested  for  that  whole  winter,  in  order  to  make 
greater  preparations  against  the  following  campaign. 

The  change  of  the  air  and  the  nature  of  the  climate,  how- 
ever, occasioned  such  a  distemper  and  infection  among  the 
soldiers,  that  to  prevent  the  loss  of  his  whole  army,  the  king  A.  D.  11.72. 
was  forced  to  return  with  all  speed  to  England ;  and  having 
shipped  off  all  his  army  and  effects,  he  loosed  anchor,  and 
landed  in  Wales  in  the  Passion-week  next  year,  and  coming 
to  Pembroke,  he  staid  there  on  Easter-day,  and  then  pro- 
ceeded upon  his  journey  towards  England.  Rhys,  Tiearing 
of  the  king's  return,  was  very  solicitous  to  pay  him  his 
devotion,  and  to  be  one  of  the  first  who  should  welcome  him 
over;  and,  meeting  with  him  at  Talacharn,*  he  performed  all 

the 
*  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  230,  231.  f  Talacharn,  or  Tal  y  earn, 


182  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

the  ceremonies  of  duty  and  allegiance.*  Then  the  king 
passed  on,  and  as  he  came  from  Caerdyf,  by  the  new  castle 
upon  Usk,  meaning  to  leave  Wales  in  a  peaceable  condition, 
he  sent  for  lorwerth  ap  Owen  ap  Caradoc,  who  was  the 
only  person  in  open  enmity  against  him  (and  that  upon  very 
just  ground),  requiring  him  to  come  and  treat  about  a 
peace,  and  assuring  him  of  a  safe  conduct  for  himself,  his 
sons,  and  all  the  rest  of  his  associates.  lorwerth  was 
willing  to  accept  of  the  proposal,  and  thereupon  set  forward 
to  meet  the  king,  having  sent  an  express  to  his  son  Owen,  a 
valourous  young  gentleman,  to  meet  him  by  the  way.  Owen, 
according  to  his  father's  orders,  set  forward  on  his  journey, 
with  a  small  retinue,  without  any  kind  of  arms  or  weapons  of 
war,  as  thinking  it  needless  to  burden  himself  with  such 
carriage,  when  the  king  had  promised  him  a  safe  conduct : 
but  he  did  not  find  it  so  safe ;  for  as  he  passed  the  new 
castle  upon  Uske,f  the  Earl  of  Bristol's  men,  who  were 
garrisoned  therein,  laid  in  wait  for  him  as  he  came  along, 
and  setting  upon  him  in  a  cowardly  manner,  they  slew  him 
with  most  of  his  company.  Some  few,  however,  escaped  to 
acquaint  his  father  Torwerth  of  this  treacherous  action,  who 
hearing  that  his  son  was  so  basely  murdered,  contrary  to  the 
king's  absolute  promise  of  a  safe  passage,  without  any  farther 
consultation  about  the  matter,  presently  returned  home  with 
Howel  his  son,  and  all  his  friends,  and  would  not  put  trust 
or  confidence  in  any  thing  that  the  King  of  England  or  any 
of  his  subjects  promised  to  do :  but,  on  the  contrary,  to 
avenge  the  death  of  his  son,  who  was  so  cowardly  cut  off,  he 
immediately  raised  all  the  forces  that  himself  and  the  rest  of 
his  friends  were  able  to  do,  and  entering  into  England,  he 
destroyed  with  fire  and  sword  all  the  country,  to  the  gates  of 
Hereford  and  Gloucester.  {  The  king  was  so  intent  upon 
his  journey,  that  he  seemed  to  take  no  great  notice  of  wrhat 
lorwerth  was  doing ;  and,  therefore,  having  by  commission 
constituted  Lord  Rhys  Chief  Justice  of  all  South  Wales,  he 
forthwith  took  his  journey  to  Normandy. §  About  this  time 
died  Cadwalader  ap  Gruffydh,  the  son  of  GrufFydh  ap 
Conan,  sometime  Prince  of  North  Wales,  who  by  his  wife 
Alice,  the  daughter  of  Richard  Clare  Earl  of  Gloucester, 
had  issue,  Cunetha,  Radulph,  and  Richard  ;  and  by  other 
women,  Cadfan,  Cadwalader,  Eineon,  Meredith  Goch,  and 
Cadwalhon.  Towards  the  end  of  this  year  Sitsylht  ap 
Dyfnwal,  and  lefan  ap  Sitsylht  ap  Riryd,  surprised  the 

castle 

*  WelshChron.p.232. 
f  The  present  Newport,  in  Monmouthshire. 

J  Welsh  Chron.  p.  232. 
§  British  Antiquities  Revived,  by  Vaughan  of  Hengwrt,  p.  23. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  183 

castle  of  Abergavenny,  which  belonged  to  the  King  of  Eng- 
land, and  having  made  themselves  masters  of  it,  they  took 
the  whole  garrison  prisoners.* 

The  following  year,  there  happened  a  very  great  quarrel  A.  D.  1173. 
betwixt  King  Henry  and  his  son  of  the  same  name ;  this 
latter  being  upholden  by  the  queen  (his  mother),  his 
brothers  Geoffrey  and  Richard,  the  French  King,  the  Earl 
of  Flanders,  together  with  the  Ear.  of  Chester,  William 
Patrick,  and  several  other  valiant  knights  and  gentlemen : 
but  the  old  king  having  a  stout  and  faithful  army,  consisting 
of  Almanes  and  Brabanters,  was  not  in  the  least  dismayed  at 
such  a  seeming  storm ;  and  what  made  him  more  bold  and 
adventurous,  he  was  joined  by  a  strong  party  of  Welshmen, 
which  Lord  Rhys  had  sent  him,  under  the  command  of  his 
son  Howel.  King  Henry  overthrew  his  enemies  in  divers 
encounters,  and  having  either  killed  or  taken  prisoners  most 
of  those  that  had  risen  up  against  him,  he  easily  dissipated 
the  cloud  which  at  first  seemed  so  black  and  threatening, 
lorwerth  ap  Owen  was  not  sorry  to  see  the  English  falling 
into  dissentions  among  themselves;  and,  therefore,  taking 
advantage  of  such  a  seasonable  opportunity,  he  drew  his 
army  against  Caerlheon,  which  held  out  very  obstinately 
against  him.  After  many  warm  encounters  lorwerth  at 
length  prevailed,  and  entering  the  town  by  force,  he  took 
most  of  the  inhabitants  prisoners ;  and  then  laying  siege  to 
the  castle,  it  was  surrendered  in  exchange  for  the  prisoners 
he  had  taken  in  the  town.  Howel  his  son  at  the  same  time 
was  busy  in  Gwent-is-Coed  ;  f  and  having  reduced  all  that 
country,  excepting  the  castle,  to  subjection,  he  took  pledges 
of  the  inhabitants  to  be  true  and  faithful  to  him,  and  to 
withdraw  their  allegiance  from  the  King  of  England.  At 
the  same  time,  something  of  importance  passed  in  North 
Wales ;  for  David  ap  Owen  Gwynedh,  Prince  of  North 
Wales,  bringing  an  army  over  the  river  Menai  into  Angle- 
sey, against  his  brother  Maelgon,  who  kept  that  island  from 
him,  he  forced  the  latter  to  make  his  escape  to  Ireland ;  oil 
his  return  from  whence,  the  following  year,  he  was  acci- 
dentally discovered  and  seized,  and  then  by  his  brother's 
orders  committed  to  close  prison.  Prince  David  having 
brought  the  isle  of  Anglesey  to  its  former  state  of  sub- 
jection to  him,  determined  to  remove  all  obstacles  that 
appeared  likely  to  endanger  its  falling  off  from  him;  and 
these  he  judged  to  be  his  own  nearest  relations,  and  there- 
fore he  expelled  and  banished  all  his  brethren  and  cousins  1174. 
out  of  his  territories  of  North  Wales:  but  before  this 

sentence 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  234.  f  Tn  Monmouthshire. 


184  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

sentence  was  put  in  execution,  his  brother  Conan  died,  and 
so  escaped  the  ignominy  of  being  banished  his  native  country 
for  no  other  reason  but  the  jealousy  of  an  ambitious  brother. 
About  the  same  time,  Howel  the  son  of  lorwerth  ap 
Owen  of  Caerlheon,  took  prisoner  his  uncle  O\\enPencarn, 
who  was  right  heir  of  Caerlheon  and  Gwent;  and  thus 
having  secured  him,  in  order  to  prevent  his  getting  any 
children  to  inherit  those  places  which  himself  was  next  heir 
to,  he  first  directed  his  eyes  to  be  pulled  out,  and  then  that 
he  should  be  castrated :  but  vengeance  did  not  permit  such 
a  base  action  to  go  unpunished ;  for  upon  the  Saturday 
following,  a  great  army  of  Normans  and  Englishmen  came 
unexpectedly  before  the  town,  and  took  both  it  and  the 
castle,  notwithstanding  all  the  opposition  which  Howel  and 
his  father  lorwerth  made ;  though  this  last  was  not  privy  to 
his  son's  cruel  action.  About  the  same  time  King  Henry 
came  over  to  England,  and  a  little  after  his  arrival,  William 
King  of  Scots,  and  Roger  de  Moubray,  were  taken  prisoners 
at  Alnewike  by  the  Barons  of  the  north,  as  they  came  to 
destroy  the  northern  part  of  the  country  in  the  name  of  the 
young  King.  But  old  King  Henry  having  committed  them 
to  the  safe  custody  of  the  Earl  of  Leicester,  and  pardoned 
Hugh  By  god  Earl  of  Chester,  who  had  submitted  to  him, 
he  returned  to  Normandy  with  a  very  considerable  army 
of  Welshmen,  which  David  Prince  of  North  Wales  had  sent 
him  i  in  return  for  which,  he  gave  him  his  sister  Emma  in 
marriage.*  When  he  was  arrived  in  Normandy,  he  sent  a 
detachment  of  the  Welsh  to  cut  off  some  provisions  that 
were  on  their  way  to  the  enemy's  camp  ;  but  in  the  mean 
time  the  French  King  came  to  a  treaty  of  peace,  which  was 
shortly  afterwards  concluded  upon  ;  so  that  all  the  brethren 
who  had  during  this  time  maintained  such  an  unnatural 
rebellion  against  their  father,  were  forced  to  ask  the  old 
king's  forgiveness  and  pardon  for  all  their  former  mis- 
demeanours. David  Prince  of  North  Wales  began  to  grow 
very  bold  and  assuming,  in  consequence  of  his  new  alliance 
with  the  King  of  England  ;  and  nothing  would  serve  him, 
but  he  must  put  his  brother  Roderic  in  prison,  and  secure 
him  with  fetters,  for  no  other  reason  than  because  he 
demanded  his  share  of  his  father's  lands.  It  was  the  custom 
of  Wales,  as  is  before  stated,  to  make  an  equal  division  of 
the  father's  inheritance  between  all  the  children;  and, 
therefore,  David  had  no  colour  of  reason  or  pretence  to 
deal  so  severely  with  his  brother,  unless  it  were  to  verify  the 
proverb — Might  overcomes  right.  Though  Prince  David 

could 
*  By  this  princess  David  had  a  son  named  Owen.— See  Hist,  of  Gwedir  Family,  p,  12. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  185 

could  depend  much  upon  his  affinity  with  the  King  of  Eng- 
land ;  yet  Rhys  Prince  of  South  Wales  gained  his  favour 
and  countenance  still  more,  because  he  let  slip  no  oppor- 
tunity to  further  the  king's  interest  and  affairs  in  Wales,  and 
by  that  means  was  a  very  necessary  and  useful  instrument  in 
keeping  under  the  Welsh,  and  in  promoting  the  surer  settle- 
ment of  the  English  in  the  country — not  that  he  bore  any 
affection  to  either  King  Henry  or  his  subjects,  but  because 
he  was  sufficiently  rewarded  for  former  services,  and  was 
still  in  expectation  of  receiving  more  favours  at  the  king's 
hands ;  and  he  was  resolved  to  play  the  politician  so  far,  as 
to  have  more  regard  to  his  own  interest  than  to  the  good  of 
his  native  country.  What  ingratiated  him  with  King  Henry 
most  of  all  was  this :  upon  the  feast  of  St.  James  he  brought 
all  such  lords  of  South  Wales  as  were  at  enmity  with  the 
king,  to  do  him  homage  at  Gloucester ;  namely,  Cadwalhon 
ap  Madawc  of  Melyenyth,  his  cousin-german  ;  Eineon  Clyt 
of  Elvel,  and  Eineon  ap  Rhys  of  Gwerthrynion,  his  sons-in- 
law  ;  Morgan  ap  Caradoc  ap  lestyn  of  Glamorgan ;  GrufFydh 
ap  Ifor  ap  Meiric  of  Sengennyth,  and  Sitsylht  ap  Dyfnwal  of 
Higher  Gwent,  all  three  his  brothers-in-law  (having  married 
his  sisters);  together  with  lorwerth  ap  Owen  of  Caerlheon. 
King  Henry  was  so  much  pleased  with  this  act  of  Rhys, 
that  notwithstanding  these  persons  had  been  his  implacable 
enemies,  he  readily  granted  them  their  pardon,  and  received 
them  to  favour  ;  and  restored  to  lorwerth  ap  Owen  the  town 
and  castle  of  Caerlheon,  which  he  had  unjustly  taken  from 
him. 

This  reconciliation  betwixt  King  Henry  and  these  Welsh  A.D.  1175. 
lords  some  of  the  English  in  Wales  took  advantage  of,  and 
more  particularly  William  de  Bruce  Lord  of  Brecknock, 
who  for  a  long  time  had  had  a  great  desire  to  obtain  Gwent- 
land,  but  could  not  bring  about  his  design,  because  Sitsylht 
ap  Dyfnwal,  the  person  of  greatest  sway  and  power  in  the 
country,  was  an  inveterate  enemy  to  all  the  English  :  but  he 
being  now  reconciled  to  the  King,  William  de  Bruce,  under 
pretence  of  congratulating  him  on  this  new  peace  and 
agreement  between  the  English  and  Welsh,  invited  Sitsylht 
and  Geoffry  his*  son,  with  several  others  of  the  persons  of 
chief  note  in  Gwentland,  to  a  feast  in  his  castle  of  Aberga- 
venriy,  which  by  composition  he  had  lately  received  from 
them.  Sitsylht,  with  the  rest,  came  according  to  appoint- 
ment, and  without  the  least  suspicion  of  any  treasonable 
design :  but  after  they  had  been  civilly  entertained  for  some 
time,  William  de  Bruce,  to  move  a  quarrel  against  them, 
began  at  last  to  propound  certain  articles  to  them,  to  be  by 

them 


186  t  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

them  kept  and  performed ;  and  among  other  unreasonable 
conditions,  they  were  to  swear  that  none  of  them  should 
at  any  time  carry  with  them  bow  or  sword.  The  Welsh 
refusing  to  consent  to  and  sign  such  improper  articles  as 
these,  William  de  Bruce  presently  called  out  his  men,  who 
were  ready  for  that  purpose,  and  bidding  them  fall  to  their 
business,  they  most  treacherously  fell  upon  and  slew  the 
innocent  and  unarmed  Welsh  :*  and  as  if  this  act  did  not 
sufficiently  express  Bruce's  cruelty  and  inhumanity,  his  men 
immediately  went  to  Sitsylht's  house,  which  stood  not  far 
from  Abergavenny,  and  taking  hold  of  Gwladus  his  wife, 
they  slew  her  son  Cadwalader  before  her  face,  and  then 
setting  fire  to  the  house,  they  took  her  away  to  the  castle. f 
This  execrable  murder  being  thus  most  barbarously  and 
(which  was  worst  of  all)  under  pretence  of  kindness  com- 
mitted, William  de  Bruce,  to  cloak  his  treason  with  some 
reasonable  excuse,  and  to  make  the  world  believe  it  was  not 
for  any  private  interest  or  expectation  he  had  done  such  an 
act  as  he  knew  would  be  by  all  men  abhorred,  Caused  it  to 
be  reported  that  he  had  done  it  in  revenge  of  the  death  of 
his  uncle  Henry  of  Hereford,  whom  the  Welsh  on  the 
Easter-Even  before  had  slain.  Whilst  these  things  passed 
in  South  Wales,  Roderic,  brother  to  David  Prince  of  North 
Wales,  made  his  escape  out  of  prison,  and  fleeing  to  Angle- 
sey, he  was  received  and  acknowledged  by  all  the  country 
on  that  side  the  river  Conway  for  their  lord  and  prince ; 
which  they  were  the  more  willing  to  do  because  they  had 
conceived  an  utter  abhorrence  of  Prince  David,  who,  con- 
trary to  all  rules  of  equity,  and  almost  nature,  had  disinhe- 
rited the  whole  of  his  brethren  and  cousins,  relying  upon  his 
affinity  and  relation  to  the  king  of  England.  David,  per- 
ceiving the  storm  to  grow  very  violent,  and  that  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  country  flocked  in  numbers  and  adhered  to  his 
brother  Cadwalader,  thought  it  best  to  wait  awhile  till  the 
storm  was  abated,  and  so  retired  over  the  river  Conway.  § 
Towards  the  end  of  this  year,  Cadelh,  the  son  of  Gruffydh 
ap  Rhys  and  brother  to  Lord  Rhys,  after  a  tedious  fit  of 
sickness,  having  taken  upon  him  the  Monkish  order,  de- 
parted this  life,  and  his  body  was  very  honourably  interred 
at  Stratflur. 

A.  D.  1176.  In  the  spring  of  the  following  year  died  also  David 
Fitz-Gerald,  Bishop  of  Menevia  or  St.  David,  whose  see 
was  supplied  by  one  Piers,  being  nominated  thereunto  by 
the  king  of  England :  but  what  happened  most  remarkable 

this 

*  Matthew  Paris,  p.  110.  f  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  236,  237. 

§  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  236,  237. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  187 

this  year  was,  that  the  Lord  Rhys,  Prince  of  South  Wales, 
made  a  very  great  feast  at  Christmas  in  his  castle  of  Aber- 
teifi,  which  he  caused  to  be  proclaimed  through  all  Britain, 
Ireland,  and  the  islands  adjacent,  a  considerable  time  before; 
and  according  to  their  invitation,  many  hundreds  of  English, 
Normans,  and  others  coming  to  Aberteifi,  were  very  honour- 
ably received  and  courteously  entertained  by  Prince  Rhys. 
Among  other  tokens  of  their  welcome  and  entertainment, 
Rhys  caused  all  the  bards  or  poets  throughout  Wales  to 
come  thither ;  and  for  a  better  diversion  to  the  company,  he 
provided  chairs  to  be  set  in  the  hall,  in  which  the  bards 
being  seated,  they  were  to  answer  each  other  in  rhyme,  and 
those  that  acquitted  themselves  most  handsomely  and  out- 
vied the  rest  were  promised  great  rewards  and  rich  presents. 
In  this  poetical  competition,  the  North  Wales  bards  ob- 
tained the  victory,  with  the  applause  and  approbation  of  the 
whole  company;  and  among  the  professors  of  musick,  be- 
tween whom  there  was  no  small  strife,  Prince  Rhys's  own  A.D.  1177. 
servants  were  accounted  the  most  expert.  Notwithstanding 
this  civil  and  obliging  treatment  of  Prince  Rhys,  the  Nor- 
mans upon  the  marches  resorted  to  their  accustomed  manner 
of  treacherously  way-laying  and  privately  assaulting  the 
harmless  and  undesigning  Welsh;  and  in  consequence, 
Eineon  Clyt,  son-in-law  of  Rhys,  and  Morgan  ap  Meredith, 
falling  into  the  net  which  the  Normans  had  deceitfully  laid 
for  them,  were  treacherously  murdered :  therefore,  to  keep 
the  Normans  under  greater  awe  for  the  future,  Prince  Rhys 
built  a  castle  at  Rhayadr  Gwy,  being  a  place  where  the 
river  Wye  falls  with  much  noise  and  precipitation  down  a 
great  rock.  This  castle  promised  to  be  required  to  stand  1179. 
him  in  a  double  stead;  for  soon  after  he  had  finished  it,  the 
sons  of  Conan  ap  Owen  Gwynedh  made  war  against  him, 
but  finding  upon  trial  that  their  design  against  Rhys  was 
impracticable,  they  thought  it  most  advisable  to  retire  back 
to  North  Wales. 

The  next  year,  Cadwalader,  brother  to  Owen  Gwynedh,  1179. 
and  uncle  to  David  and  Roderic,  who  for  fear  of  his  brother 
had  some  time  ago  fled  for  refuge  to  the  king  of  England,  as 
he  was  being  conveyed  home  by  some  of  the  king's  servants, 
to  enjoy  his  patrimonial  estates  in  Wales,  was  by  those 
barbarous  and  treacherous  villains  murdered  on  his  journey.* 
This  year  the  sepulchre  of  the  famous  and  noble  British 
King  Arthur,  with  his  wife  Gwenhofar  (by  the  means  of 

some 

*  All  the  persons  concerned  in  the  murder  were  condemned  to  the  gibbet. — Matthew 
Paris,  p.  116,  says  it  was  Cadwalhon  that  was  murdered ;  but  he  was  slain  before  the 
death  of  his  father.  —See  Memoirs  of  Gwedir  Family,  p.  1.  Welsh  Chron.  p.  238. 


188  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

some  Welsh  bard  whom  King  Henry  had  heard  at  Pem- 
broke relate  in  a  song  the  worthy  and  mighty  acts  of  that 
great  prince  and  the  place  where  he  was  buried),  was  found 
in  the  isle  of  Afalon,  without  the  Abbey  of  Glastonbury, 
their  bodies  being  laid  in  a  hollow  elder  tree,  buried  15  feet 
in  the  earth.  The  bones  of  King  Arthur  were  of  marvel- 
lous and  almost  incredible  size,  and  there  were  ten  wounds 
in  the  skull,  whereof  one  being  considerably  larger  than  the 
rest  seemed  to  have  been  his  death-blow ;  and  the  Queen's 
hair  appeared  to  the  sight  to  be  fair  and  yellow,  but  when 
touched,  crumbled  immediately  to  dust.  Over  the  bones 
was  laid  a  stone,  with  a  cross  of  lead,  upon  the  lower  side  of 
which  stone  were  engraven  these  words : 

HIC    JACET    SEPULTUS    JNCLYTUS    REX   ARTHURUS    IN  INSULA 
AVALONIA. 

Here  lies   buried  the  famous   King  Arthur  in  the  isle 
of  Afalon. 

No  action  of  moment  had  passed  in  Wales  for  a  consider- 
able time,  and  the  Welsh  were  in  perfect  amity  and  concord 
with  the  king  of  England  ;  but  an  unlucky  accident  fell  qut 
at  length  to  dissolve  this  happy  agreement.     One  Ranulph 
A.D.  H82.de  Poer,  who  was  sheriff  of  Gloucestershire,  or  rather  (as 
Giraldus  Cambrensis  observes)  of  Herefordshire,  being  a 
cruel  and  unreasonable  oppressor  of  the  Welsh,  put  the 
Lord  of  Gwentland  to  death ;  in  revenge  of  whom  a  certain 
young  person  of  that  country  set  upon  Ranulph  with  several 
other  gentlemen  his  companions,  and  slew  them  to  a  man.* 
King  Henry  was  so  much  enraged  on  hearing  of  it,  that  he 
immediately  raised  and  assembled  all  his  power,  and  came 
to  Worcester,   intending  to  march  forward  to  Wales  and 
invade  the  country :  but  Lord  Rhys  ap  Gruffydh,  a  subtle 
and  politic  prince,  thinking  it  impossible  to  withstand  the 
English  army,  and  fearing  the  king's  power  and  determina- 
tion, which  he  perceived  to  be  so  implacably  bent  against 
the  Welsh,   went  in  person  to  Worcester,  and  swearing 
fealty  to  the  king,  became  his  perpetual  liege-man;  and  for 
the  due  performance  of  this  contract,  he  promised  to  send 
his  sons  and  nephews  for  pledges. f     When,  however,  he 
would  have  persuaded  them  to  answer  his  request,    the 
young  men  considering  with  themselves  that  former  pledges 
had  not  been  very  well  treated  by  the  English,  refused  to 
go,J  and  so  the  whole  matter  rested  for  that  time :  what 

became 

*  Giraldus  Cambrensis  Itin.  lib.  i.  c.  6.— Roger  Hovedon,  p.  617. 
t  Holinshead,  p.  108.— Benedict.  Abbas,  vol.  ii.  p.  411.— Welsh  Chron.  p.  240. 

Ibid. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  189 

became  of  the  affair  afterwards  we  know  not;  but  it  is 
probable  that  King  Henry  returned  to  England  satisfied 
with  Rhys's  submission,  for  we  hear  no  more  of  his  expedi- 
tion to  Wales;  and  so  the  country  remained  undisturbed 
for  a  long  time,  till  at  length  the  Welsh  began  to  fall  to 
their  wonted  method  of  destroying  one  another.  Cadwala-  A-D- 
der,  son  of  Prince  Rhys,  was  privately  murdered  in  West 
Wales,  and  buried  in  the  Ty  Gwyn.  The  year  following,  ii87. 
Owen  Fychan,  the  son  of  Madawc  ap  Meredith,  was  slain 
by  night  in  the  castle  of  Carreghova,  near  Oswestry,  by 
Gwenwynwyn  and  Cadwalhon,  the  sons  of  Owen  Cyfeilioc : 
but  what  was  most  unnatural  of  all,  Lhewelyn  (whose  father, 
Cadwalhon  ap  Gruffydh  ap  Conan,  was  lately  mnrdered  by 
the  Englishmen)  was  taken  by  his  own  brothers,  who  bar- 
barously put  out  his  eyes.  About  the  same  time,  Baldwyn, 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  attended  by  Giraldus  Cam- 
brensis,  took  a  progress  into  Wales,  being  the  first  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury  which  visited  that  country;  whose 
authority  the  clergy  of  Wales  in  vain  opposed,  though  they 
obstinately  alleged  the  liberties  and  privilejges  of  their  metro- 
politan church  of  St.  David.  In  this  visitation,  described 
by  Giraldus  in  his  Itinerarium  Cambria?,  he  persuaded 
many  of  the  nobility  of  Wales  to  go  to  the  Holy  Land, 
against  those  enemies  of  Christianity  the  Saracens,  to  whose  1188. 
power  Jerusalem  itself  was  now  in  great  danger  of  becoming 
subject.  The  Archbishop  having  left  the  country,  Maelgon, 
the  son  of  Lord  Rhys,  brought  all  his  forces  against  Ten- 
by,  and  making  himself  master  of  it,  he  burnt  the  whole 
town  to  the  ground,  and  carried  away  considerable  spoil. 
Maelgon  was  a  person  of  such  civil  behaviour  and  easy 
access,  of  so  comely  personage,  and  of  such  honesty  in  all 
his  actions,  that  lie  attracted  the  most  earnest  love  and 
affection  of  all  his  friends ;  by  which  means  he  became  very 
terrible  and  formidable  to  his  enemies,  especially  the 
Flemings,  over  whom  he  obtained  several  victories. 

The  next  year,  being  the  year  of  Christ  1189,  Henry  the  1189. 
Second,  surnamed  Courtmantle,  King  of  England,  died, 
and  was  buried  at  Fonteverard;  after  whom,  his  son 
Richard,  called  Coeur  de  Lion,  was  by  the  unanimous  con- 
sent of  all  the  nobility  of  England  crowned  in  his  place. 
Prince  Rhys  being  thus  deprived  of  his  greatest  friend, 
thought  it  most  wise  to  make  the  best  provision  he  could 
for  himself,  by  enlarging  his  dominions,  and  extending  the 
bounds  of  his  present  territories;  and  therefore,  having 
raised  all  the  strength  he  could,  he  took  the  castles  of 
Seynclere,  Abercorran,  and  Lhanstephan;  and  having  taken 

and 


190  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

and  committed  to  prison  Maelgon  his  son,  who  was  the 
greatest  thorn  in  his  side,  and  one  that  was  most  passion- 
ately beloved  by  the  men  of  South  Wales,  he  brought  the 
A.D.  1190.  whole  country  to  his  subjection.  Then  he  built  the  castle 
of  Cydwely;  but  the  joy  of  all  this  good  fortune  was  taken 
from  him  by  the  loss  of  his  daughter  Gwenlhian,  a  woman 
of  such  incomparable  beauty,  and  so  far  excelling  in  all 
feminine  qualifications,  that  she  was  accounted  the  fairest 
and  most  accomplished  lady  in  all  the  country.  Soon  after 

1191.  her  died  Gruffydh  Maylor,  Lord  of  Bromfield,*  a  man  of 
great  prudence  and  experience,  and  one  that  excelled  all  the 
nobility  of  his  time  in  hospitality,  and  in  all  other  acts  of 
generosity   and   liberality.      His    corpse    was    carried    to 
Meivod,  and  honourably  interred  there,  being  attended  by 
most  of  the  persons  of  quality  throughout  the  whole  coun- 
try.    He  had  issue  by  his  wife   Angharad,  daughter  of 
Owen  Gwynedh  Prince  of   North   Wales,   a    son   called 
Madawc,  who  succeeded  his  father  in  that  part  of  Powys, 
called  from  him  Powys  Fadawc.     Rhys,  Prince  of  South 
Wales,  was  growing  very  powerful,  and  had  made  himself 
master   of  the   greatest  part  of  South   Wales,  excepting 
Dynefawr,  with  some  few  other  places  which  still  held  out. 
Dynefawr,  however,  upon  the  first  assault  he  made  against 
it,  was  delivered  up  to  him :    but  as  he  increased  in  the 
number  of  towns  and  castles,  he  had  the  misfortune  to  have 
that  of  his  children  diminished ;  for  his  daughter  Gwenlhian 
was  lately  deceased  ;  and  now  he  had  no  sooner  got  Dyne- 
fawr castle  into  his  possession,  than  his  son  Owen  died  at 
Strata  Florida,  otherwise  called  Ystratflur.      King  Richard 
was  gone  to  the  Holy  Land  against  the  Saracens ;  but  on 
his  return  to  England,  he  obtained  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus, 
and  gave  it  to  Guido  King  of  Jerusalem,  upon  condition  he 
would  resign  his  former  title  to  him :    during  his  stay  in  this 
island,  he  married  Berengaria  the  daughter  of  the  King  of 
Navarre. 

1192.  Maelgon,  son  of  Prince  Rhys,  had  been  now  detained  a 
long  time  in  the  prison  where  his  father  had  shut  him  up  ; 
but  being  at  last  utterly  weary  of  his  close  confinement,  he 
found  means  to  make  his  escape.     His  father  Prince  Rhys 
was  not  so  much  troubled  at  Maelgon  having  escaped  and 
obtained  his  liberty,  as  at  his  being  obliged  to  give  over  the 
career  of  conquest  which   all  this  while  he  had  gone  so 
furiously  on  with ;  but  laying  siege  to  Lhanhayaderi  castle 
he  took  it  without  any  great  opposition,  and  brought  all  the 

country 

*  He  was.the  son  of  Madoc  ap  Meredith,  the  son  of  Bleddyn  ap  Cynvyn,  and  was  lord 
of  the  two  Bromfields  and  Mochnant-is-Rhaiadcr. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  19! 

country  thereabout  to  bis  subjection.  What  favoured  him 
more  in  his  attempts  against  the  English  was  this,  King 
Richard  having  signalized  himself  greatly  against  the 
infidels,  in  his  return  home  through  Austria,  was  taken 
prisoner  by  Duke  Leopold,  who  presented  him  to  the 
Emperor  Henry,  who  demanded  200,000  marks  for  his  A.  D.  1193. 
ransom,  laying  to  his  charge,  that  he  had  spoiled  and 
plundered  the  island  of  Sicily  in  his  voyage  to  the  Holy 
Land;  and  Rhys  took  the  advantage  of  King  Richard's 
absence  to  subject  South  Wales  ;  so  Roderic  brother  to 
David  Prince  of  North  Wales,  made  use  of  the  aid  of 
Gothrik,  the  King  of  Man,  to  get  the  principality  of  North 
Wales  to  himself,  and  eject  his  brother;  and,  therefore, 
entering  into  Anglesey,  he  quickly  reduced  the  whole  island 
to  his  subjection ;  but  he  did  not  enjoy  it  long,  for  before 
the  year  was  over,  the  sons  of  his  brother  Conan  came  with 
an  army  against  him,  and  forcing  him,  together  with  the 
king  of  Man,  to  flee  from  the  island,  they  took  immediate 
possession  of  it  themselves.  While  these  things  were  done 
in  North  Wales,  Maelgon,  son  of  Prince  Rhys  of  South 
Wales,  who  lately  escaped  from  prison,  besieged  Ystrad- 
meyric  castle,  and  after  but  little  opposition  got  it  into  his 
own  hands  upon  Christmas  night ;  which  encouraged  him 
to  farther  attempts.  At  the  same  time,  his  brother  Howel 
(surnamed  Sais,  or  the  Englishman,  because  he  had  served 
for  some  time  under  the  king  of  England),  another  son  of 
Prince  Rhys,  obtained  by  surprise  the  castle  of  Gwys,  and 
having  secured  Philip  de  Gwys  the  owner,  with  his  wife 
and  two  sons,  he  made  them  all  prisoners  of  war.  Then 
the  two  brothers,  Howel  and  Maelgon,  joined  their  forces ; 
but  fearing  that  they  had  more  castles  than  they  were  able 
to  defend,  they  deemed  it  expedient  to  rase  Lhanhayaden 
castle,  which  the  Flemings  having  notice  of,  they  gathered 
all  their  power  together,  and  coming  to  Lhanhayaden  at  the 
day  appointed,  they  unexpectedly  set  upon  the  Welsh,  and 
slew  a  great  number  of  them.  Notwithstanding  this  un- 
happy occurrence,  they  persisted  in  their  determination  to 
destroy  the  castle,  and  so  coming  to  Lhanhayaden  the 
second  time,  they  rased  it  to  the  ground  without  any 
molestation.  When  Anarawd,  another  son  of  Prince  Rhys, 
saw  how  prosperously  his  brothers  succeeded,  he  thought 
to  make  himself  as  rich  as  they,  and  by  a  shorter  and  easier 
method ;  and  therefore  having,  under  a  pretence  of  friend- 
ship and  regard,  got  his  brothers  Howel  and  Madawc  in 
private,  being  moved  with  ambition  and  covetousness  to 
enjoy  their  estates,  he  first  made  them  prisoners  and  then 

very 


192  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

very  unnaturally  pulled  out  their  eyes:  but  Maelgon 
escaped  this  snare,  and  hearing  what  a  foul  action  was  com- 
mitted, he  promised  his  brother  Anarawd  the  castle  of 
Ystradmeyric  in  exchange  for  the  liberty  and  release  of  his 
A.  D.  1194-  two  brothers,  which  Anarawd  granted.  It  is,  however,  no 
wonder  those  brothers  could  be  unnatural  and  cruel  to  one 
another,  when  they  could  join  together  in  rebellion  against 
their  father ;  for  Prince  Rhys  having  rebuilt  the  castle  of 
Rhayadr  Gwy,  was  waylaid  and  taken  prisoner  by  his  own 
sons,  who  were  afraid  that  if  their  father  had  them  once  in 
his  power,  he  would  severely  revenge  their  cruel  and  unna- 
tural deeds :  but  Howel  proved  more  kind  and  dutiful  than 
the  rest ;  for  though  he  was  blind,  he  found  a  way  to  let 
his  father  escape  out  of  Maelgon 's  prison,  and  so  Prince 
Rhys  being  set  at  liberty,  he  took  and  destroyed  the  castle 
of  Dynefawr,  which  belonged  to  his  son  Maelgon :  yet 
notwithstanding  he  succeeded  in  his  attempt,  he  lost  another 
castle  elsewhere ;  for  the  sons  of  Cadwalhon  ap  Madawc  of 
Melyenydh  being  informed  that  Prince  Rhys  was  detained 
prisoner  by  his  son  Maelgon,  they  besieged  Rhayadr  Gwy 
castle,  which  being  surrendered  to  them  they  fortified  for 
their  own  use. 

Whilst  these  unhappy  differences  and  unnatural  contests 
betwixt  Prince  Rhys  and  his  sons  continued  and  raged  in 
South  Wales,  a  new  revolution  of  affairs  happened  in  North 
Wales.  Prince  David  had  enjoyed  the  sceptre  of  North 
W7ales  for  above  twenty-four  years,  and  it  might  have  been 
supposed  that  so  long  a  possession  would  have  made  him 
so  secure  in  his  throne  that  it  could  not  be  very  easy  to  pull 
him  down :  but  possession  is  not  always  the  best  defence, 
as  was  proved  in  Prince  David's  case  at  this  time;  for 
Lhewelyn,  the  son  of  lorwerth  Drwyndwn,  who  was  the 
eldest  son  of  Owen  Gwynedh,  Prince  of  North  Wales, 
being  now  arrived  to  years  of  maturity,  and  having  sense 
enough  to  understand  that  he  had  a  just  title  and  claim  to 
the  principality  of  North  Wales,  of  which  his  uncle  David 
had  so  unjustly  deprived  him,  he  thought  it  high  time  to 
endeavour  to  recover  what  was  lawfully  his  own,  which 
however  he  was  well  persuaded  his  uncle  David  would 
never  easily  part  with :  and  therefore,  being  well  assured 
that  the  justness  of  his  title  would  never  advance  him  to  the 
throne,  unless  he  had  an  army  at  his  heels  to  support  his 
claim,  he  called  together  all  his  friends  and  relations  by  his 
mother's  side,  who  was  Marred  the  daughter  of  Madawc  ap 
Meredith,  Prince  of  Powys,  and  having  secured  the  aid  of 
his  cousins,  the  sons  of  Conan  ap  Owen  Gwynedh  and 

Rhodri 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  193 

Rhoclri  ap  Owen,  he  came  into  North  Wales,  proclaiming 
that,  contrary  to  all  justice,  his  uncle  David  had  first  dis- 
inherited his  father  lorwerth,  and  then  had  kept  the  govern- 
ment from  him  who  was  the  right  heir:  and  though  his 
father  lorwerth  had  been  incapable  of  taking  upon  him  the 
government  by  reason  of  some  infirmity ;  yet  there  was  no 
reason  that  his  father's  weakness  should  exclude  and  deprive 
him  of  his  inheritance ;  and,  therefore,  being  now  sensible 
of  that  right  which  in  his  youth  he  had  not  so  well  under- 
stood, he  laid  claim  to  the  principality,  which  was  justly  his 
own.  There  was  no  great  need  of  inspiration  to  understand 
his  claim,  nor  of  much  rhetorick  to  persuade  the  people  to 
own  him  for  their  prince,  for  their  affection  had  been 
alienated  from  David  ever  since  he  had  dealt  so  unnaturally 
with  his  brothers,  whom,  after  he  had  deprived  of  their 
estates,  he  banished  out  of  the  country ;  and  therefore  before 
Lhewelyn  could  have  expected  any  sure  footing,  the  whole 
country  of  North  Wales  was  at  his  devotion,  excepting  cnly 
three  castles,  which  David,  by  the  help  of  the  English,  on 
whom,  by  reason  of  his  affinity  with  the  late  King  Henry, 
he  much  depended,  kept  to  himself.  David  being  thus 
deprived  of  almost  all  that  he  formerly  possessed,  we  shall 
account  him  no  more  among  the  princes  of  North  Wales, 
but  trace  the  history  of  the  principality  as  restored  to  the 
true  heir  Lhewelyn  ap  lorwerth. 


LHEWELYN  AP  IORWERTH. 

J..JHEWELYN  ap  lorwerth,  the  son  of  Owen  Gwynedh,  A.  D.  1194. 
liaving  thus  successfully  established  his  just  claim  to  the    .51h  of 
dominion  of  North  Wales,  and  being  quietly  settled  in  the  Rlchard  L* 
government  thereof,  Roger  Mortimer  marched  with  a  strong 
body  to  Melyenith,  and  built  the  castle  of  Cymarori,  whereby 
he  reduced  that  country  to  his  subjection,  and  forced  thence 
the  two  sons  of  Cadwalhon  ap  Madawc  that  were  governors 
thereof.     About  this  time  Rhys  and  Meredith,  two  valiant* 
but  undutiful  sons  of  Prince  Rhys,  having  got  together  a 
body  of  hot-headed,  daring  soldiers,  came  before  Dynefawr, 
and  took  the  castle  that  was  garrisoned  by  their  father's 
men :  hence  they  proceeded  to  Cantref-bychan,  where  the 

inhabitants 
o 

*  Tn  the  first  year  of  King  Richard's  reign,  Rhys  ap  Gruffydd  came  into  England  as 
far  as  Oxford,  conducted  by  the  Earl  of  Moreton  j  and  because  the  king  would  not 
personally  meet  the  said  Rhys  ap  Gruffydd,  as  his  father  had  done,  he  fjll  into  a  passion 
and  returned  to  his  own  country.— Brady's  History  of  England. 


194  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

inhabitants  civilly  received  them,  and  surrendered  the  castle 
to  them.     At  this  their  father  was  justly  incensed,  and  there- 
fore to  put  a   stop  to  their  farther  proceedings,  he  en- 
deavoured by  all  means  to  take  them,  which  not  long  after 
happened ;  for  their  adherents  being  touched  with  the  sense 
as  well  of  their  treason  against,  as  of  their  allegiance  due  to 
their  lawful  lord  Prince  Rhys,  and  being  anxious  to  atone 
for  their  past  faults,  and  to  procure  his  future  favour,  they 
betrayed  their  rebellious  leaders  to  their  offended  father, 
who  immediately  committed  them  to  safe  custody. 
A.  D.  1196.      I'he  ensuing  year  Prince  Rhys  levied  a  great  army,  whose 
first  attempt  was  upon  the  town  and  castle  of  Caermarthen, 
both  which  he  took  in  a  short  time  and  destroyed,  and  then 
returned  with  considerable  booty.    Soon  afterwards  he  led  the 
same  army  to  the  marches,  and  invested  the  castle  of  Clun, 
which  was  not  so  easily  taken  as  the  former ;  for  this  cost 
him  a  long  siege,  and  many  a  fierce  assault ;  and  therefore 
to  be  avenged,  when  he  took  it  he  laid  it  in  ashes ;  thence 
he  proceeded  to  the  castle  of  Radnor,  which  he  likewise 
captured ;  but  immediately  after  it  cost  him  a  bloody  battle ; 
for  he   was  no   sooner  master  of  the  castle,   but  Roger 
Mortimer    and    Hugh    de    Say   came   with    a    numerous 
and    well -disciplined   army,    consisting    of   Normans  and 
English,   to  the  relief  of   it.     Whereupon  Prince    Rhys 
thinking  it  not  his  best  course  to  confine  his  men  within  the 
walls,  led  them  up  into  a  campaign  ground  hard  by,  and 
there,  like  a  valiant  prince,  resolved  to  give  his  enemies 
battle,  though  they  had  much  the  advantage  of  him ;  for  his 
men  were  neither  so  well  armed,  nor  so  much  accustomed  to 
battle  as  the  others  were;   however,  their  courage  made 
amends  for  their  arms,  and  their  leader's  prudence  and  con- 
duct supplied  the  defects  of  their  discipline ;  for  they  chose 
rather  to  die  honourably  in  the  defence  of  their  country, 
than  shamefully  to  survive  the  loss  of  it ;  and  therefore  they 
attacked  their  enemies  so  valiantly,  that  they  were  not  long 
able  to  withstand  their  force,  but  quitted  the  field  in  great 
disorder,  leaving  a  great  number  of  their  men  slain  upon 
the  spot;   and  Prince  Rhj's  pursued  them  so  closely,  that 
they  were  glad  of  the  shelter  of  the  night  to  protect  them 
from  his  fury.     After  this  victory  he  besieged  the  castle  of 
Payne  in  Elfel,  which  he  easily  took,  and  kept  in  his  own 
hands,  till  William  de  Bruce,  the  owner  thereof,  came  to 
him,  and  humbly  desired  peace  of  him,  which  he  granted 
him,  and  withal  delivered  him  up  his  castle  again.*     Not 
long  after,  the  archbishop  of    Canterbury    (whom  King 

Richard 

*  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  247, 248. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  195 

Richard  had  substituted  his  lieutenant  in  England)  marched 
with  a  powerful  army  towards  Wales>  and  besieged  the 
castle  of  Gwenwynwyn,  at  Pool;*  but  the  garrison  made 
such  a  vigorous  defence,  that  he  lost  a  great  many  of  his 
men,  and  all  his  attempts  proved  ineffectual ;  therefore  he 
sent  for  some  pioneers,  whom  he  ordered  to  undermine  the 
walls  ;  which  when  the  besieged  understood,  they  en- 
deavoured to  secure  themselves  on  the  most  honourable 
terms  they  couldj  being  unwilling  to  put  themselves  to  the 
hazard  of  a  battle,  because  their  enemies  were  thrice  their 
number ;  therefore  they  proposed  to  surrender  up  the 
castle,  on  condition  they  should  carry  off  all  their  arms 
along  with  them :  which  offer  the  archbishop  accepted,  and 
so  permitted  the  garrison  to  march  out  quietly.  Then 
fortifying  the  castle  for  the  king's  use,  and  putting  a  strong 
garrison  in  it  for  its  defence,  he  returned  again  to  England. 
Gwenwynwyn,  however,  was  not  so  willing  to  part  with  his 
castle,  as  not  to  attempt  the  recovery  of  it ;  therefore  as  soon 
as  he  understood  that  the  archbishop  was  gone  back,  he 
immediately  besieged  it,  and  shortly  afterwards  received  it 
on  the  same  terms  that  his  men  had  delivered  it  up,  and  he 
then  kept  it  for  his  own  use.f 

The  following  year  there  broke  out  a  terrible  plague,  A.  D.  1197. 
which  spread  over  all  Britain  and  France,  and  carried  off  a 
great  number  of  the  nobility,  besides  common  people.  This 
year  likewise  died  the  valiant  Rhys,  Prince  of  South 
Wales  :J  the  only  stay  and  defence  of  that  part  of  the  princi- 
pality, for  he  it  was  that  obtained  for  them  their  liberty,  and 
secured  it  to  them.  He  often  very  readily  exposed  his  own 
life  for  the  defence  of  theirs  and  their  country ;  generally  he 
obtained  the  victory  over  his  enemies^  and  at  last  either 
brought  them  entirely  under  his  subjection,  or  forced  them 
to  quit  their  country.  He  was  no  less  illustrious  for  his 
virtuous  endowments,  than  for  his  valour  and  extraction ;  so 
that  it  was  with  good  reason  that  the  British  bards  and 
others  wrote  so  honourably  of  him,  and  so  much  deplored 
his  death. 

To  this  prince  were  born  many  sons  and  daughters, 
whereof  his  eldest  son  Gruffydh  succeeded  him  :  the  others 
were  Cadwalhon,  Maelgon,  'Meredith,  and  Rhys.  Of  his 

daughters, 
o  2 

*  Powys  Castle,  near  Welsh  Pool. — Roger  Hovedon,  p.  775* 

t  Welsh  Chron.p.248. 

J  He  was  interred  in  the  Abbey  of  Strata  Florida  (Ystrad  Flur),  in  the  county  of 
Cardigan,  which  he  himself  had  erected ;  and  which  became  the  burial-place  of  the 
succeeding  lords  of  his  family.— Manuscript  of  Edward  Llwyd,  in  Sir  John  Seahright's 
Collection.  Brit.  Ant.  Rev.  by  Vaughan  of  Hengwrt,  p.  19.  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  247,  248. 


196  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

daughters,  one  called  Gwenlhian  was  married  to  Ednyfed 
Fychan,  ancestor  to  Owen  Tudor  that  married  Katharine 
queen-dowager  to  King  Henry  the  Fifth  :  and  the  rest  were 
very  well  matched  with  some  of  the  nobility  of  the  country. 
Prince  Gruffydh  being  settled  in  the  government  of  his 
country,  did  not  long  enjoy  it  peaceably;  for  his  trouble- 
some brother  Maelgon  thought  it  now  a  fit  time  to  endeavour 
the  recovery  of  the  inheritance  his  father  had  deprived  him 
of.  To  this  purpose  he  made  a  league  with  Gwenwynwyn, 
the  son  of  Owen  Cyfeilioc,  Lord  of  Powys,  and  by  their 
joint  interest  they  got  together  a  considerable  body  of  men, 
wherewith  they  surprised  Prince  Gruffydh  at  Aberystwyth, 
whom,  after  they  had  slain  a  great  many  of  his  men,  they 
took  prisoner.  Thus  Maelgon  effectually  accomplished  his 
design  in  the  recovery  of  the  castle,  and  the  whole  country 
of  Cardigan.  His  unfortunate  brother  he  committed  to  the 
custody  of  his  malicious  confederate  Gwenwynwyn,  who 
immediately  delivered  him  up  to  his  inveterate  enemies  the 
English.  After  this,  Gwenwynwyn,  having  assembled  to- 
gether an  army,  entered  Arustly,  and  brought  it  to  his 
subjection. 

David  ap  Owen,  whom  Prince  Lhewelyn  had  forced  to 
quit  his  usurpation  of  the  principality  of  North  Wales,  had 
hitherto  lived  quietly  and  peaceably,  not  so  much  out  of 
kindness  to  his  nephew,  as  because  he  knew  not  how  to 
avenge  himself;  but  now  having  assembled  a  great  army  of 
English  and  Welsh,  he  used  his  utmost  efforts  to  recover 
his  principality.  Whereupon  Prince  Lhewelyn,  who  was 
the  right  heir,  and  in  possession  of  it,  proceeded  boldly  to 
meet  him,  and  gave  him  battle,  wherein  he  completely 
routed  his  army,  and  took  his  uncle  David  prisoner,  whom 
he  delivered  into  safe  custody,  whereby  he  secured  to  him- 
self and  his  country  peace  and  quietness.  Towards  the 
close  of  this  year,  Owen  Cyfeilioc,*  lord  of  the  Higher  Powys, 
departed  this  life,  and  left  his  estate  to  Gwenwynwyn  his 
son ;  after  whom  that  part  of  Powys  was  called  Powys- 
Wenwynwyn,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  other  called  Powys- 
Fadoc,  the  inheritance  of  the  lords  of  Bromfield.  About 
this  time  Trahaern  Fychan,  a  man  of  great  power  and 
authority  in  the  county  of  Brecknock,  was  suddenly  seized 
upon  as  he  was  going  to  Llancors  to  confer  about  some 
business  with  William  de  Bruce  lord  thereof,  and  by  an 
order  of  that  lord,  he  was  tied  to  a  horse's  tail  and  dragged 
through  the  streets  of  Brecknock  to  the  gallows,  where  he 
was  beheaded,  and  his  body  hung  up  by  the  feet  for  three 

days ; 
*  This  prince  was  a  bard  of  some  eminence  j  a  few  poems  of  his  are  extant  at  this  day. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  197 

days  ;*  which  barbarous  indignity,  inflicted  on  him  for  no 
known  just  cause,  so  much  alarmed  his  brother's  wife  and 
children,  that  they  fled  their  country  for  fear  of  the  same 
usage.  The  year  following  Maelgon,  who  had  before  routed  A.  D.  1198. 
the  army  of  his  brother  Prince  Gruffydh,  and  taken  him 
prisoner,  began  to  enlarge  his  territories,  and  included 
therein  his  brother's  castles  of  Aberteifi  and  Ystratmeyric. 
The  youngest  son  of  Prince  Rhys  about  this  time  also 
recovered  the  castle  of  Dynefawr  from  the  Normans. 

The  same  summer,  Gwenwynwyn  resolved  upon  en- 
deavouring to  extend  Wales  to  its  ancient  limits  ;  and  for  this 
purpose  he  raised  a  powerful  army,  with  which  he  first 
designed  to  be  avenged  of  William  de  Bruce  for  the  inhuman 
death  of  his  cousin  Trahaern  Fychan,  and  therefore  he 
besieged  his  castle  of  Payne  in  Elfel,f  where  he  made  a 
protestation,  that  as  soon  as  he  had  taken  it,  for  a  farther 
satisfaction  of  his  revenge,  he  would  unmercifully  ravage  the 
whole  country  as  far  as  Seyern :  but  these  mighty  menaces 
were  soon  dissipated ;  for  he  had  neither  battering  engines 
nor  pioneers,  so  that  he  was  forced  to  lay  before  the  castle 
for  three  weeks  without  effecting  any  thing;  whereby  the 
murderers  had  time  enough  to  apply  themselves  to  England 
for  succours,  which  they  obtained :  for  upon  information  of 
their  situation,  Geoffrey  Fitz-Peter,J  Lord  Chief  Justice  of 
England,  levied  a  considerable  army,  to  which  he  joined  all 
the  Lords  Marchers,  and  came  in  all  haste  to  the  relief  of 
the  place,  where  he  met  Gwenwynwyn ;  with  whom,  before 
he  would  hazard  a  battle,  he  was  desirous  to  have  a  treaty 
of  peace,  to  which  Gwenwynwyn  and  his  adherents  would 
not  give  any  attention,  but  returned  in  answer  to  his  mes- 
sage, that  their  business  there  was  to  be  revenged  of  in- 
juries that  had  been  done  to  them.  Hereupon  the  English 
lords  resolved  to  set  at  liberty  Prince  GrufFydh  of  South 
Wales,  whom  they  knew  to  be  an  inveterate  enemy  of 
Gwenwynwyn,  because  he  it  was  that  delivered  him  up  to 
their  hands ;  and  they  likewise  knew  that  he  was  a  man  of 
great  authority  in  his  country ;  therefore  they  rightly  con- 
cluded he  might  be  more  serviceable  to  them  when  at 
liberty  than  under  confinement,  and  therein  they  were  not 
disappointed;  for  he  immediately  got  together  a  strong 
body  of  his  countrymen,  and  joining  with  the  English, 

advanced 

*  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  250,  251.     Humffrey  Lhuyd's  Breviary,  p.  70. 

•f-  In  Radnorshire. 

J  Fitz  Peter  was  an  eminent  character;  he  was  dreaded  by  John,  who  yet  dared  not 
to  remove  him  from  his  great  office.  When  John  heard  of  his  death,  he  exultingly 
cried,  «  And  is  he  gone  then?  Well,  let  him  go  to  hell,  and  join  Archbishop  Hubert! 
By  God's  foot,  I  am  now,  for  the  first  time,  king  of  England,"'— Matthew  Paris. 


198  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

advanced  towards  the  castle,  where  they  furiously  attacked 
Gwenwynwyn,  who  made  an  equally  vigorous  defence ; 
upon  which  there  ensued  a  bloody  battle,  with  a  great 
slaughter  on  both  sides,  but  at  length  the  English  got  the 
victory,  and  Gwenwynwyn  lost  a  great  number  of  common 
soldiers  (if  we  believe  Matthew  Paris,*  3700  men)  besides 
a  great  many  of  his  best  commanders,  among  whom  were 
Anarawd  son  of  Eineon,  Owen  ap  Cadwalhon,  Richard  ap 
lestyn,  and  Robert  ap  Howel.  Meredith  ap  Conan  was 
likewise  taken  prisoner,  with  many  more.  After  this  the 
English  returned  home  triumphantly,  and  requited  Prince 
Gruflfydh's  service  by  restoring  him  to  complete  freedom, 
who  immediately,  partly  by  his  own  power,  and  partly  by 
the  affection  of  his  people,  re-possessed  himself  of  all  his 
dominions,  save  the  castles  of  Aberteifi  and  Ystratmeyric, 
which  his  usurping  brother  Maelgon,  by  the  assistance  of 
Gwenwynwyn,  had,  during  his  confinement  by  the  English, 
taken  from  him,  and  still  unjustly  detained.  Hereupon, 
some  of  Prince  Gruffydh's  prime  nobility  and  clergy  came 
to  him,  and  offered  their  endeavours  to  reconcile  him  to  his 
brother,  and  made  him  so  apprehensive  of  his  just  dis- 
pleasure towards  him,  that  he  took  a  solemn  oath  before 
them,  that  in  case  his  brother  would  give  him  hostages  for 
the  security  of  his  own  person,  he  would  deliver  him  up  his 
castle  of  Aberteifi  by  a  day  appointed  ;  which  proposals 
Prince  Gruffydh  accepted,  and  accordingly  sent  him  his 
demands ;  but  it  was  either  far  from  Maelgon's  intention  to 
make  good  his  offer,  or  else  he  was  very  inconstant  in  his 
resolution ;  for  he  had  no  sooner  received  the  hostages  than, 
instead  of  delivering  up  the  castle,  he  fortified  it,  and  put  in 
it  a  garrison  for  his  own  use,  and  committed  the  hostages  to 
the  custody  of  Gwenwynwyn,  Prince  Gruffydh's  mortal 
enemy;  but  not  long  after,  their  innoceney  procured  them 
an  opportunity  of  escape. 

A.  D.  1199.  In  the  year  1199,  Maelgon,  still  pursuing  his  hatred  of 
his  brother  Prince  Gruffydh,  assembled  an  army,  wherewith 
he  besieged  his  castle  of  Dynerth,  which  he  obtained  in  a 
short  time,  and  then  put  all  the  garrison  to  the  sword. 
About  the  same  time  Prince  Gruffydh,  on  the  other  hand, 
won  the  castle  of  Cilgerran,  and  strongly  fortified  it.  This 
year  Richard  the  First  of  England,  as  he  was  besieging  the 
castle  of  Chalonsf  in  France,  was  shot  from  the  walls  with 
an  arrow,  of  which  wound  he  soon  after  died,  and  left  his 

kingdom 

*  Matthew  Paris,  p.  162.— Holinshead,  p.  154.— Welsh  Chron.  p.  252,  speaks  of  the 
defeat,  but  not  of  the  number  slain. 

t  An  inconsiderable  town  in  Limosin. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  199 

kingdom  to  his  brother  John,  who  was  with  great  solemnity 
crowned  at  Westminster :  but  he  could  not  have  expected 
to  enjoy  this  kingdom  peaceably;  for  his  elder  brother 
Geoffrey  Plantagenet  had  left  a  son  behind  him  named 
Arthur,  who  had  a  right  to  the  crown  of  England  by  lineal 
descent ;  which  he  therefore  justly  laid  claim  to,  and  by  the 
assistance  of  King  Philip  of  France  (who  espoused  his 
quarrel)  endeavoured  to  recover.  Before,  however,  Prince 
Arthur  had  made  sufficient  preparations  to  carry  on  his 
design,  he  was  unexpectedly  attacked  by  his  uncle,  his  army 
routed,  and  he  himself  taken  prisoner,  and  committed  to 
safe  custody ;  not  long  after  which  he  died,  and  thus  King 
John  was  rid  of  his  competitor. 

The  following  year  Gruffydh  ap  Conan  ap  Owen  Gwynedh  A.  D.  1200. 
died,  and  was  buried  in  a  monk's  cowl  in  the  abbey  of 
Conway,  which  way  of  burying  was  very  much  practised 
(especially  by  persons  of  high  rank)  in  those  days ;  for  the 
monks  and  friars  had  deluded  the  people  into  a  strong 
conceit  of  the  merits  of  it,  and  had  firmly  persuaded  them  it 
was  highly  conducive  to  their  future  happiness  to  be  thus 
interred.  This  superstition,  together  with  the  propagators 
of  it,  they  had  lately  received  from  England :  for  the  first 
abbey  or  monastery  we  read  of  in  Wales,  after  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  famous  house  of  Bangor,  which  savoured  of  the 
Jlomish  errors,  was  the  Ty-Gwyn,  built  in  the  year  1146; 
after  which  they  much  increased  and  spread  over  all  the 
country  ;  and  now  the  fountain  head  began  to  be  corrupted ; 
for  the  clergy  maintained  a  doctrine  which  the£r  ancestors 
abhorred,  as  may  easily  be  gathered  from  the  writings  of 
that  worthy  divine  Ambrosius  Telesinus,  who  flourished  in 
tlie  year  MO,  when  the  Christian  faith  (which  we  suppose  to 
have  been  delivered  at  the  isle  of  Afalori  by  Joseph  of 
Arimathea)  flowed  in  this  land  in  a  pure  and  uncorrupted 
stream,  before  it  was  infected  and  polluted  by  that  proud 
and  blood-thirsty  monk  Augustine.  Ambrosius  Telesinus 
then  wrote  and  left  behind  him  as  his  own  opinion,  and 
the  opinion  of  those  days,  these  following  verses : — 

Gwae'r  offeiriad  byd 

Nys  angreifftia  gwyd 

Ac  ny  phregetha : 

Gwae  ny  cheidw  ei  gail 

Ac  ef  yn  fugail 

Ac  nys  areilia ; 

Gwae  ni  cheidw  ei  dhefaid 

Rhae  bleidhie  Rhufeniaid 

A'i  ftbn  gnwppa. 

i.  e 


200  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

i.  e.  Woe  be  to  the  bishop  who  does  not  rebuke  vice,  and 
give  good  example ;  and  who  does  not  preach.  Woe  be  to 
him,  if  he  does  not  keep  well  his  fold,  and  be  a  shepherd, 
and  does  not  keep  together  and  guard  his  sheep  from 
Romish  wolves  with  his  pastoral  staff. 

From  whence  it  is  apparent,  that  the  Church  of  Rome 
was  then  corrupt,  and  that  the  British  churches  persevered 
in  the  primitive  and  truly  apostolical  profession  of 
Christianity,  as  it  was  at  first  planted  in  the  island  ;  and 
that  no  Roman  innovations  had  crept  in  among  them,  though 
they  afterwards  much  increased,  when  they  were  introduced 
by  Augustine  the  monk. 

This  year  likewise  we  find  the  malicious  and  turbulent 
Maelgon,  choosing  rather  to  persist  in  his  rebellion,  than  to 
return  to  his  allegiance,  and  to  prefer  a  small  lucre  to  the 
love  and  safety  of  his  country  :  for  now  finding  that  the 
castle  of  Aberteifi  was  not  tenable  by  his  own  power  and 
force,  yet  rather  than  deliver  it  up  to  his  brother  Prince 
Gruffydh,  and  thereby  procure  his  favour,  he  chose  to  sell 
it  to  his  bitter  enemies  the  English,  for  an  inconsiderable 
sum  of  money,  whereby  he  opened  them  a  free  passage  into 
Wales ;  this  being  considered  one  of  its'  chief  defences  and 
bulwarks.  About  this  time  Madawc,  son  of  Gruffydh 
May  lor  Lord  of  Bromfield,  built  the  abbey  of  Lanegwest, 
commonly  known  to  the  English  by  the  name  of  Vale 
Crucis. 

A.  D.  1201.  In  the  year  1201,  the  valiant  Lhewelyn  ap  lorwerth 
Prince  of  North  Wales,  banished  out  of  his  territories  his 
cousin  Meredith,  the  son  of  Conan  ap  Owen  Gwynedh, 
whom  he  suspected  of  treasonable  practices,  and  therefore 
confiscated  his  lands,  which  were  the  Cantrefs  of  Lhyn  and 
Efyoneth.*  About  the  same  time  Meredith,  the  son  of 
Prince  Rhys,  was  slain  at  Carnwilhion  by  treason,  where- 
upon his  elder  brother  Gruffydh  possessed  himself  of  his 
castle  in  Lhanymdhyfri  and  all  his  lands.  This  Gruffydh 
was  a  valiant  and  discreet  prince,  and  one  that  appeared 
likely  to  bring  all  South  Wales  to  good  order  and 
obedience  ;  for  in  all  things  he  trod  in  his  father's  steps, 
and  made  it  his  business  to  succeed  him  as  well  in  his 
Valour  and  virtuous  endowments,  as  in  his  government :  but 
the  vast  hopes  conceived  of  him  soon  proved  abortive ;  for 

A.D.  1202.  in  the  ensuing  year,  on  St.  James's  day,  he  died,  to  the  great 
grief  and  loss  of  his  country,  and  shortly  after  was  buried  at 
Ystratflur  with  great  pomp  and  solemnity.  He  left  behind 

him 

*  The  Cantrevsof  Llun  and  Evionjdd,  situate  in  the  South  West  parts  of  Caernar- 
vonshire.—History  of  fiwcdir  Family,  p.  20. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  201 

him 'as  a  successor  a  son  called  Rhys,  which  Maud,  the 
daughter  of  William  de  Bruce,  had  borne  to  him.  The 
following  year  some  of  the  Welsh  nobility  marched  writh  an 
army  towards  the  castle  of  Gwerthrynion,  which  belonged 
to  Roger  Mortimer,  and  after  a  short  siege,  they  took  it  and 
levelled  it  with  the  ground. 

This  year  Lhewelyn  ap  lorwerth,  having  considered  his 
estate  and  title,  and  that  all  the  Welsh  princes  were  obliged, 
both  by  the  laws  of  Rocleric  the  Great  and  those  of  Howel 
Dha,  to  acknowledge  the  King  or  Prince  of  North  Wales 
for  their  sovereign  lord,  and  to  do  homage  to  him  for  their 
dominions  :  and  that,  notwithstanding  they  knew  this  to  be 
their  duty,  and  that  they  formerly  had  readily  performed  it ; 
yet,  because  of  late  years  his  predecessors  had  neglected  to 
call  them  to  their  duty,  they  now  began  to  imagine  them- 
selves exempted  from  it,  and  some  thought  themselves 
accountable  to  no  superior  prince,  while  others  denied 
subjection  to  Prince  Lhewelyn,  and  held  their  dominions  of 
the  King  of  England :  therefore,  to  put  a  stop  to  the  further 
growth  of  this  contempt,  and  to  assert  his  own  right,  Prince 
Lhewelyn  commanded  the  attendance  of  all  the  Welsh 
lords,  who  for  the  most  part  appeared  and  swore  allegiance 
to  him  :*  butGwenwynwyn,  Lord  of  Powys,  neither  came  to 
this  meeting,  nor  would  own  the  prince's  supremacy ;  which 
stubbornness  and  disobedience  the  prince  acquainted  his 
nobility  with,  whereupon  they  delivered  their  opinion,  that 
it  was  but  reasonable  that  Gwenwynwyn  should  be  com- 
pelled to  his  duty,  or  forfeit  his  estate :  this  all  the  lords 
consented  to,  excepting  Elis  ap  Madawc,  who  was  an 
intimate  friend  of  Gwenwynwyn,  and  therefore  would  not 
consent  to  the  enacting  any  thing  that  might  be  prejudicial 
to  him,  but  went  away  from  the  meeting  much  dissatisfied 
with  their  proceedings.  Notwithstanding  which,  Prince 
Lhewelyn,  pursuant  to  the  advice  of  the  rest  of  his  nobility, 
raised  an  army  and  marched  towards  Powys  :  but  before  he 
made  any  use  of  his  forces,  he  was,  by  the  mediation  of 
some  learned  and  able  men,  reconciled  to  Gwenwynwyn, 
and  so  Gwenwynwyn  became  his  dutiful  subject,  which  he 
confirmed  both  by  oath  and  in  writing :  and  indeed  it  was 
not  without  good  reason  that  Prince  Lhewelyn  used  all  the 
caution  imaginable  to  bind  this  man,  for  he  had  sworn 
allegiance  before  to  the  King  of  England.  Lhewelyn 
having  thus  subjected  Gwenwynwyn,  he  thought  it  now  a 
proper  time  to  shew  some  marks  of  his  resentment  towards 
his  adherent  Elis  ap  Madawc,  and  therefore  he  stripped  him 

of 
*  British  Ant.  Rev.  by  Vaughan  of  Hcngwrt. 


202  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

of  all  his  lands,  whereupon  Elis  fled  the  country,  but  not 
long  after,    yielding  himself  to    the  prince's    mercy,    he 
received  of  him  the  castle  of  Crogen,  and  seven  townships 
besides.*     And  now  having  mentioned  Crogen,  it  will  not 
be  improper  to  step  a  little  out  of  the  way,  and  here  take 
notice  of  the  reason  why  the  P^nglish  formerly,  when  they 
had  a  mind  to  reproach  the  Welsh,  called  them  Crogens.f 
The  first  occasion  of  it  was  this,  King  Henry  the  Second  in 
his    expedition   against   the  Welsh  to   the  mountains    of 
Berwyn,  lay  a  while  at  Oswestry,  during  which  time  he 
detached  a  number  of  his  men  to   try  the  passages  into 
Wales,  who,  as  they  would  have  passed  OfiVs  dyke  at  the 
castle  of  Crogen,  at  which  place  there  was  a  narrow  way 
through  the  same,    which  dyke  appears  now  very  deep 
through  all  that  country,  and  bears  its  old  name ;   these 
men,  I  say,  as  they  would  have  passed  this  strait,  were  met 
by  a  party  of  Welsh,  and  a  great  many  of  them  slain  and 
buried  in  that  ditch,  as  appears  by  their  graves  there  to  be 
seen  ;  and  the  name  of  the  strait  imports  as  much,  being 
called  in  Welsh  Adwifr  bedhau  :%  the  English  therefore, 
bearing  in  mind  this  slaughter,  whenever  they  got  any  of  the 
Welsh  into  their  power,  upbraided  them  with  the  name  of 
Crogen,   intimating  thereby   that  they  should  expect   no 
more  favour  or  mercy  at  their  hands,  than  they  showed  to 
the  English  engaged  in  that  skirmish  :  but  this  word,  which 
at  first  was  rather  a  badge  of  reputation  than  disgrace  to  the 
Welsh,  came  afterwards  to  be  used  in  a  different  sense,  and 
to  be  applied  only  when  it  was  intended  to  reproach  and 
abuse  them.      To  return,  however,   to  Prince  Lhewelyn, 
whom  we  find  returning  home  after  he  had  successfully 
asserted  his  sovereignty  over  all  Wales,  and  set  all  things  in 
good  order ;  and  who  on  his  way  fortified  the  castle  of  Bala 
in  Penlhyn.     About  this  time  Rhys,  the  son  of  Gruffydh  ap 
Rhys,  the  lawful  Prince  of  South  Wales,  took  the  castle  of 
Lhanymdhyfry,  upon  Michaelmas-  Day.     This  year  Lhewe- 
lyn Prince  of  Wales  took  to  wife  Joan,  the  daughter  of 
King  John,  which  Agatha,   daughter  of  Robert  Ferrers 
Earl  of  Derby,  bore  to  him,  and  with  whom  King  John 
gave  the  Prince  for  a  dowry  the  Lordship  of  Ellesmere,  in 
the  marches  of  Wales.g 

This 

*  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  257,  258. 

•f-  It  has  been  erroneously  said,  that  the  term  Crogens  was  used  in  contempt  and 
derision  of  the  Welsh ;  but  that  was  not  the  truth  ;  the  English  meant  to  express  by  it 
animosity,  and  the  desire  of  revenge. — Royal  Tribes. 

J  AdwJ'r  Beddau,  or  the  Pass  of  the  Graves. 

§  History  of  Gwedir  Family,  p.  22.  says  she  was  a  legitimate  daughter.  Fabian,  in 
his  reign  of  John,  says  that  she  was  a  natural  one. — Welsh  Chron.  p.  259. 

Prince  Llywelyn  in  his  youth  had  married  Tangwystl,  daughter  of  Llywarch  Goch, 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  203 

This  year  prince  Rhys,  who  in  the  preceding  year  took  A. D.  1203. 
the  castle  of  Lhanymdhyfri,  won  likewise  the  castle  of 
Llangadoc,  and  put  a  garrison  therein,  but  he  enjoyed 
neither  of  them  long;  for  shortly  after,  his  uncle  Maelgon, 
with  his  friend  Gwenwynwyn,  levied  a  powerful  army,  and 
with  it  besieged  and  took  the  castle  of  Lhanymdhyfri; 
thence  they  removed  to  Llangadoc,  and  obtained  that  castle  . 
also,  on  condition  that  the  garrison  should  depart  without 
molestation.  When  they  had  taken  these  two  castles,  they 
went  to  Dinerth,  where  Maelgon  finished  the  castle  he  had 
formerly  begun  there.  This  year  likewise  Prince  Lhewelyn 
set  at  liberty  his  uncle  David  ap  Owen  Gwynedh,  who  made 
but  an  ungrateful  return  to  his  kindness;  for  instead  of 
living  peaceably  at  home,  and  enjoying  that  liberty  that  was 
granted  him,  he  fled  to  England,  and  there  gathered 
together  an  army,  wherewith  he  attempted  to  restore 
himself  to  his  ancient  estate  of  North  Wales;  but  he  failed 
in  his  project,  for  his  prudent  nephew  immediately  met  him 
on  his  march,  and  gave  him  a  complete  overthrow,*  at 
which  David  was  so  much  disheartened,  that  he  returned  to 
England,  and  shortly  after  died  of  grief.f  The  next  year  1204. 
Howel,  a  blind  son  of  Prince  Rhys,  was  slain  at  Cemaes,  by 
some  of  the  followers  of  his  brother  Maelgon,  and  was 
buried  near  his  brother  Gruffydh,  at  Ystratflur:  notwith- 
standing Maelgon  in  those  days  usurped  all  the  rule  of 
South  Wales,  yet  Rhys  and  the  other  sons  of  his  brother 
Gruffydh,  won  from  him  the  chief  defence  of  all  that 
country,  namely,  the  castles  of  Dynefawr  and  Lhanymdhyfri. 
About  this  time  William  Marshal  Earl  of  Pembroke,  1205. 
besieged  the  castle  of  Cilgerran,  and  took  it ;  and  not  long 
afterwards,  Maelgon  hired  an  Irishman  to  kill  Cadifor  ap 
Griffri ;  after  which  horrid  act,  Maelgon  seized  upon  his 
four  sons  and  put  them  to  death ;  these  were  all  promising 
young  gentlemen  and  descended  from  a  noble  stock,  for 
their  mother  Susanna,  was  a  daughter  of  the  above-men- 
tioned Howel  ap  Rhys,  by  a  daughter  of  Madawc  ap 
Meredith  Prince  of  Powys.  In  the  year  1206,  Maelgon  1206. 
built  a  castle  at  Abereneon ;  and  in  the  same  year  there  was 
such  an  abundance  of  fish  seen  at  Aberystwith,  that  the 
like  was  never  before  known  in  the  memory  of  man. 

This 

the  Lord  of  Rhos :  by  whom  he  had  a  son,  very  brave,  called  Gruffydh  ap  Llywelyn. 
He  married  during  his  father's  life  Sina  daughter  of  Caradoc  ap  Thomas  ap  Roderic  ap 
Owen  Gwynedh.— History  of  Gwedir  Family,  p.  24. — British  Ant.  Rev.  by  Vaughan  of 
Hengwrt,  p.  29. 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  259. 

t  History  of  Gwedir  Family,  p.  13,  says  "Some  time  after,  that  unfortunate  prince 
with  his  son  Owen  were  slain  at  Conway." 


204  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

A.  D.  1207.  This  year  the  King  of  England  banished  the  realm 
William  de  Bruce  and  his  wife,  on  account  of  an  antipathy 
that  he  had  conceived  against  his  son,  and  then  seized  upon 
all  his  lands  :  whereupon,  William  with  his  wife  and  son 
fled  to  Ireland,  and  there  continued  for  some  time ;  and  the 
hardship  he  now  underwent  was  the  less  pitied,  because  he 
exercised  the  great  power  he  had  possessed  in  the  marches 
of  Wales  with  extreme  cruelty  and  injustice.  The  same 
year  Gwenwynwyn  came  to  Shrewsbury  to  confer  with  the 
king's  counsel,  where  he  was  detained  prisoner:*  where- 
upon Prince  Lhewelyn  invaded  his  country,  and  took  all  his 
towns  and  castles,  and  garrisoned  them  for  his  own  use. 
This  expedition  of  Prince  Lhewelyn  much  alarmed  the 
usurping  Maelgon,  and  the  more  so,  because  he  had  in- 
telligence that  Lhewelyn  was  on  his  march  towards  South 
Wales,  therefore  he  now  put  himself  in  the  best  posture  he 
could  to  receive  him,  but  finding  himself  not  able  to  with- 
stand his  forces,  he  demolished  the  castles  of  Aberystwith, 
Ystratmeyric,  and  Dinerth,  which  he  had  previously 
fortified  ;  notwithstanding  which,  the  Prince  came  to 
Aberystwith,  and  rebuilt  the  castle  and  put  a  garrison 
therein  ;  after  this  he  seized  upon  the  Cantref  of  Penwedic 
and  the  land  betwixt  Dyfi  and  Aeron,  which  he  gave  to 
Maelgon's  nephews,  the  sons  of  Gruflfydh  ap  Rh$rs,  and  then 
returned  home  with  great  joy  and  triumph. f  Not  long 
afterwards,  Rhys  Fychan,  son  to  Prince  Rhys,  besieged  the 
castle  of  Lhangadoc,  and  took  it,  contrary  to  the  promise 
and  league  he  had  made  with  his  nephews,  forgetting  like- 
wise how  freely  and  readily  they  had  assisted  him  in  his 
necessity ;  therefore,  to  be  avenged  of  this  ingratitude  and 
breach  of  promise,  Rhys  and  Owen  no  sooner  heard  of  it, 
than  they  furiously  attacked  the  castle,  and  took  it  by 
assault,  and  put  to  the  sword,  or  took  prisoners  all  the 
garrison,  and  then  burnt  the  castle  to  the  ground. 
1209.  This  year  King  John  levied  a  powerful  army,  with  which 
he  embarked  for  Ireland  ;  but  as  he  was  on  the  borders  of 
Wales  on  his  journey  thitherwards,  there  was  a  criminal 
brought  before  him  who  had  murdered  a  priest ;  the  officer 
desired  to  know  the  king's  pleasure  as  to  the  manner  in 
which  he  would  have  the  delinquent  punished;  but  the 
king,  instead  of  ordering  any  punishment  to  be  inflicted 
upon  him  suitable  to  the  heinousness  of  his  crime,  discharged 
him  with  a  Well  done,  thou  good  servant,  thou  hast  slain 
mine  enemy;  for  such  he  reckoned  the  clergy  of  those  days, 
who  were  very  ill-affected  to  his  usurped,  arbitrary  govern- 
ment, 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  260.  t  Welsh  Chron.  p.  261. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  205 

ment,  and  therefore  he  slightly  regarded  any  injuries  that 
were  done  them ;  for,  on  the  contrary,  he  thought  they  did 
him  good  service  that  did  them  wrong.  He  had  not  been 
long  in  Ireland,  before  he  got  into  his  power  the  unfortunate 
William  de  Bruce  the  younger,  and  his  mother  Mawd  de 
Saint  Valerike,  whom  we  have  mentioned  before  to  have 
quitted  England  for  fear  of  him,  and  to  have  fled  here  for 
shelter.  On  his  return  to  England  he  brought  these  in 
triumph  along  with  him,  and  committed  them  to  Windsor 
castle,  where,  by  his  orders,  they  were  soon  afterwards 
inhumanly  famished. 

According  to  Matthew  Paris,  the  reason  of  King  John's 
displeasure  against  William  de  Bruce  Lord  of  Brecknock 
was  this  : — When  the  Pope  had  excommunicated  the  realm 
of  England,  the  king,  to  prevent  any  inconveniences  that 
might  ensue  thereupon,  took  pledges  of  such  of  his  nobles 
as  he  thought  were  disaffected  to  him,  and  would  be  likely, 
if  occasion  offered,  to  countenance  and  promote  a  rebellion. 
Amongst  others,  he  sent  messengers  to  William  de  Bruce  to 
demand  his  sons  for  pledges,  to  whom  Mawd,  de  Bruce's 
wife,  being  the  readier  speaker,  answered,  (though  what  she 
said  was  no  less  her  husband's  sentiment  than  her  own,)  that 
the  king,  who  had  proved  so  base  a  guardian  to  his  nephew 
Prince  Arthur,  whom  instead  of  setting  in,  he  deprived  of 
his  right,  should  have  none  of  her  children.  This  answer 
the  messengers  delivered  to  the  king,  whereat  he  was  so 
highly  displeased,  that  he  ordered  some  soldiers  should  be 
sent  to  seize  this  lord  ;  but  he  having  timely  intelligence  of 
this  order,  fled  into  Ireland  with  his  wife  and  children, 
where  now  his  wife  Mawd,  with  her  son,  were  unfortunately 
taken  by  King  John,  but  he  himself  escaped,  and  fled  into 
France,  where  he  died  soon  afterwards. 

This  year  the  Earl  of  Chester  rebuilt  the  castle  of  A.  D.  1210. 
Dyganwy,  situate  on  the  sea-shore  and  east  of  the  river 
Conway,  which  Prince  Lhewelyn  had  demolished.  He 
likewise  fortified  the  castle  of  Treffynon  or  St.  Winifred. 
Upon  this  Lhewelyn  entered  into  the  EarPs  land,  which 
when  he  had  ravaged  as  much  as  he  deemed  sufficient,  he 
returned  home  with  considerable  booty.*  About  this  time, 
Rhys  Fychan,  son  to  Prince  Rhys,  fearing  lest  Prince 
Lhewelyn  should  fall  upon  him  for  the  wrong  he  had  done 
to  his  nephews,  whom  he,  Prince  Lhewelyn,  warmly,  de- 
fended in  their  right,  made  an  application  to  the  king  of 
England,  who  readily  granted  him  what  assistance  he 
desired;  and  with  this  aid  he  besieged  the  castle  of  Lhan- 

ymdhyfri. 
*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  262. 


20G  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

ymdhyfri.  The  garrison  for  some  time  made  a  vigorous 
defence ;  but  having  no  hopes  of  any  relief,  they  thought  it 
their  most  prudent  course  to  capitulate,  and  therefore  they 
desired  that  they  might  march  out  with  their  arms  and 
baggage,  and  all  that  belonged  to  them,  which  was  granted 
them.  About  this  time  Gwenwynwyn  was  set  at  liberty, 
whom  the  king  had  hitherto  detained  prisoner,  and  the  king 
also  lent  him  some  forces  to  attempt  the  recovery  of  his 
country,  which  Prince  Lhewelyn  had  seized  upon  during 
his  imprisonment ;  and  though  by  hi»  own  strength  he  was 
not  able  to  cope  with  the  Prince,  yet  by  this  assistance 
granted  him  by  the  king,  he  soon  re-possessed  himself  of 
his  dominions.  This  success  of  Gwenwynwyn  encouraged 
Maelgon  likewise  to  endeavour  the  recovery  of  that  part  of 
his  country  which  the  Prince  had  taken  from  him  in  the 
same  expedition ;  and  he  made  an  application  to  the  king 
of  England,  and  swore  allegiance  to  him.  Hereupon  the 
king  granted  him  a  considerable  army,  as  well  English  as 
Normans ;  to  these  he  joined  what  forces  he  could  raise  in 
Wales;  and  then,  contrary  to  the  oath  and  agreement  he 
had  made  with  his  nephews  Rhys  and  Owen,  he  in  a 
hostile  manner  entered  their  country.  When  he  was  come 
to  Cantred  Penwedic,  he  encamped  at  Cilcenny,  where  he 
staid  some  time  to  take  measures  for  the  better  accomplish- 
ment of  his  designs :  by  this  time  his  nephews  had  got 
together  about  300  chosen  well-disciplined  men,  but  with 
so  small  a  number  they  durst  not  oppose  their  uncle's 
numerous  army  in  open  field;  therefore  they  endeavoured 
to  overthrow  those  by  a  stratagem  which  they  could  not  do 
by  main  force ;  and  herein  they  proved  very  successful,  for 
coming  as  near  their  enemies  as  they  could  without  being 
discovered,  they  sent  out  their  spies  that  night  for  intelli- 
gence, who  brought  back  the  welcome  news  that  all  was 
quiet  in  Maelgon's  camp,  and  that  they  kept  no  strict 
watch,  being  not  aware  of  an  approaching  enemy.  This 
intelligence  much  encouraged  the  brothers  to  prosecute 
their  design,  and  they  marched  as  silently  as  they  could 
towards  their  enemies'  camp,  where  they  met  with  no  oppo- 
sition, being  undiscovered,  because  all  were  fast  asleep. 
When  they  were  advanced  as  they  thought  as  far  as 
Maelgon's  tent,  they  furiously  attacked  and  slew  a  great 
number  of  his  men  before  they  awoke;  the  rest  being 
alarmed  with  the  noise  and  shouts  of  their  enemies,  and 
withal  thinking  their  number  to  be  far  greater  than  it  was, 
were  glad  to  make  use  of  the  darkness  of  the  night  to  quit 
the  field,  excepting  Maelgon's  guard  only,  who  valiantly 

kept 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  207 

kept  their  post  and  defended  their  lord  till  he  had  time  and 
opportunity  to  escape.  Maelgon's  army  suffered  very  much 
in  this  action ;  his  nephew  Conan  ap  Howel  with  his  chief 
counsellor  Gruffydh  ap  Cadwgan  were  both  taken  prison- 
ers; and  Eineon  ap  Caradoc  with  a  great  number  more 
were  slain  upon  the  spot.  About  the  same  time,  Gilbert 
Earl  of  Gloucester  fortified  the  castle  of  Buelht,  where  a 
little  before  he  had  lost  a  considerable  number  of  his  men, 
in  consequence  of  the  place  not  being  strong  and  tenable. 
Towards  the  conclusion  of  this  year,  Mallt  or  Mawd  de 
Bruce,  the  wife  of  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys,  departed  this  life, 
and  was  interred  by  her  husband  in  a  monk's  cowl  in 
Ystratflur.* 

The  following  year,  North  Wales  was  threatened  by  a  A.  D.  1211. 
great  storm,  in  consequence  of  the  Marchers  having  made 
frequent  and  grievous  complaints  to  King  John  that  Prince 
Lhewelyn  perpetually  molested  their  country,  slew  their 
men,  and  committed  all  the  waste  and  destiuction  possible 
as  he  passed  along.  The  king,  hearing  of  such  intolerable 
depredations  continually  exercised  by  the  men  of  North 
Wales,  deemed  it  high  time  to  redress  the  wrongs  of  his 
subjects,  and  therefore  he  raised  a  mighty  army  throughout 
England,  and  called  to  him  all  such  lords  and  princes  of 
Wales  as  held  their  lands  under  patents  from  him,  as  Howel 
ap  Gruffydh  ap  Conan  ap  Owen  Gwynedh,  whom  Prince 
Lhewelyn  had  banished  out  of  North  Wales;  Madoc  ap 
Gruffydh  Maylor,  Lord  of  Bromfield,  Chirk,  and  Yale; 
Meredith  ap  Rotpert,  Lord  of  Cydewen;  Gwenwynwyn, 
Lord  of  Powys;  Maelgon  and  Rhys,  the  sons  of  Prince 
Rhys,  and  governors  of  South  Wales.f  With  this  formida- 
ble army  he  came  to  Chester,  intending  to  enter  North 
Wales  by  that  way,  and  being  fully  resolved  to  execute  the 
severest  vengeance  upon  the  inhabitants,  and  not  to  let  one 
person  remain  alive  throughout  the  whole  country:  but 
resolutions  of  this  nature  are  much  easier  made  than  accom- 
plished; accordingly,  Prince  Lhewelyn  was  no  sooner  in- 
formed of  these  mighty  preparations  against  him,  and  which 
comprehended  the  whole  strength  of  the  English  nation, 
and,  what  was  worst  of  all,  which  was  assisted  by  his  own 
countrymen,  than  he  issued  forth  his  orders,  commanding 
all  his  subjects  of  the  inland  counties  of  Denbigh  and  Flint, 
together  with  those  of  the  island  of  Anglesey,  to  remove  for 
a  time  all  their  cattle  and  other  effects  to  the  mountains  of 
Snowdon,  where  they  were  sure  to  remain  most  secure  from 
their  enemies:  but  King  John  marched  his  army  along  the 

sea-coast 
*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  264.  f  IWd. 


208  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

sea-coast  to  Ruthlan,*  and  there  passing  the  river  Clwyd, 
he  came  to  the  castle  of  Deganwy,f  where  he  encamped  for 
some  time  to  refresh  and  recruit  his  army,  which,  by  reason 
of  the  long  marches  they  had  made,  \vas  greatly  fatigued; 
but  what  the  more  augmented  their  misery,  Lhewelyn 
getting  behind  them  cut  off'  all  their  hopes  of  provision 
from  England,  and  the  Welsh,  possessing  the  advantage  of 
being  acquainted  with  the  straits  and  narrow  passages,  cut 
off  all  that  straggled  from  the  English  camp,  so  that  in  time 
they  were  glad  to  take  up  with  horse-flesh,  and  any  thins; 
else  were  it  never  so  mean  which  they  could  by  possibility 
use  as  food.  At  last  King  John,  finding  no  other  remedy, 
and  perceiving  it  impossible  to  continue  longer  there  with- 
out a  supply  of  provisions,  thought  it  his  best  way  to  march 
for  England^  and  leave  the  Welsh  to  themselves,  and  so  he 
decamped  in  a  great  fury,  leaving  Lhewelyn  to  bury  that 
great  number  of  dead  which  had  perished  by  hunger  in  this 
unsuccessful  expedition :  however,  to  recover  the  honour 
he  had  now  lost,  he  was  resolved  to  try  another  encounter 
with  the  Welsh,  but  probably  not  with  the  same  confidence 
of  victory ;  and  therefore  returning  to  W  ales  in  the  next 
August,  having  collected  another  similarly  great  army  of 
English,  and  assisted  by  the  same  Welsh  lords,  he  entered 
at  Blanch  monastery,  now  Oswestry,  being  in  the  lordship 
of  John  the  son  of  William  Fitz-Alan.  In  this  expedition, 
King  John  passing  the  river  Conway,  and  encamping  at  the 
other  side  towards  the  hills  of  Snowdon,  sent  part  of  his 
army  (conducted  by  guides  who  were  acquainted  with  the 
country)  to  bum  Bangor,  which  they  effectually  did;  and 
taking  Robert  bishop  of  that  see  out  of  church,  they  carried 
him  prisoner  to  the  English  camp,  where  he  continued  for 
some  time,  till  he  obtained  his  ransom  for  a  present  of  two 
hundred  hawks :  but  Prince  Lhewelyn  finding  the  whole 
strength  of  England  and  almost  Wales  to  fight  against  him, 
and  judging  it  impossible  with  the  power  he  alone  possessed 
to  withstand  so  great  a  multitude,  thought  it  best  to  en- 
deavour to  find  out  some  method  to  reconcile  himself  to  the 
king:  and  as  he  could  devise  no  better  measure,  he  sent 
Joan  his  wife,  King  John's  daughter,  to  intreat  with  her 
father  about  a  peace,  and  a  cessation  of  hostilities ;  who 
being  a  prudent,  wary  woman,  so  prevailed  upon  the  king 
that  he  granted  to  her  husband  Prince  Lhewelyn  a  safe 
conduct  to  come  to  him,  and  to  renew  the  former  peace  and 

amity 

*  Rhuddlan — Red  Banks  ;  which  might  properly  take  its  name  from  the  appear- 
ance of  the  country  j  or  from  the  battle  so  fatal  to  the  Welsh,  which  was  fought  upon" 
Rhuddlan  marsh. 

f  Annales  de  Margan,  p.  15.— Welsh  Chron.  p.  264.  J  Ibid. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  209 

amity  that  was  betwixt  them;  and  so  Lhewelyn  having 
done  homage,  promised  the  king  towards  his  expenses  in 
this  expedition  20,000  head  of  cattle  and  40  horses,  and, 
what  was  more  than  all,  he  surrendered  all  the  inland 
countries  of  Wales,  with  the  appurtenances,  to  him  and  his 
heirs  for  ever.  King  John  having  succeeded  better  in  this 
than  the  former  expedition,  he  returned  to  England  in 
great  triumph,  having  subdued  all  Wales,  excepting  that 
part  which  Rhys  and  Owen,  the  sons  of  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys, 
still  kept  and  maintained  against  the  English :  but  having 
no  leisure  to  march  against  them  himself,  he,  at  his  depart- 
ure out  of  the  country,  gave  strict  charge  to  Foulke 
Viscount  of  Caerdyff,  warden  of  the  marches,  a  cruel 
tyrant,  though  well  beloved  and  favoured  by  the  king,  to 
take  an  army  with  him,  and  so  joining  with  Maelgon  and 
Rhys  Fychan,  to  compel  the  sons  of  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys  to 
acknowledge  him  for  their  sovereign  and  to  do  him  homage. 
Foulke  having  received  so  positive  a  command,  immedi- 
ately raised  his  forces,  and  calling  Maelgon  and  Rhys, 
came  to  the  Cantref  of  Penwedic ;  which  when  the  young 
lords  Rhys  and  Owen  heard  of,  and  being  assured  that  this 
blow  was  levelled  against  them,  and  knowing  they  were  not 
able  to  bear  it,  before  any  attack  was  made,  they  sent  to 
Foulke  to  sue  for  peace,  and  for  a  safe  conduct  for  them  to 
pass  to  the  court  of  England.  This  being  granted,  they 
came  to  London  and  made  their  submission  to  the  king, 
and  requesting  his  pardon  for  all  former  misdemeanors, 
they  gave  up  all  pretence  to  their  lands  betwixt  Aeron  and 
Dyfi;  and  so  paying  their  homage,  they  were  dismissed 
very  graciously.  Foulke,  however,  before  his  departure 
out  of  the  country,  fortified  the  castle  of  Aberystwith,  and 
placing  a  strong  garrison  therein,  kept  it  for  the  king's  use : 
but  Maelgon  and  Rhys  Fychan,  being  headstrong,  incon- 
stant persons,  soon  repented  them  of  the  peace  they  had 
made  with  the  king  of  England;  and  thereupon,  without 
the  least  reason  or  provocation,  they  laid  siege  to  Aber- 
ystwith castle,  and  haying  with  much  difficulty  made  them- 
selves masters  of  it,  they  destroyed  the  fortification  which 
Foulke  had  lately  erected  and  rased  the  castle  to  the  ground. 
However,  they  paid  dear  for  this  in  another  way;  for  as 
soon  as  Rhys  and  Owen  had  heard  that  their  uncles  had 
broken  the  king's  peace,  they  made  inroads  into  Isareon, 
which  was  Maelgon's  country,  and  having  slain  a  consider- 
able number  of  his  men,  among  whom  was  one  of  peculiar 

bravery 


210  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

bravery  and  strength,  a  youth  called  Bachglas,  they  returned 
with  a  rich  booty. 

Maelgon  and  Rhys  Fychan  were  quickly  followed  by  the 
men  of  North  Wales  in  their  revolt  from  the  king  of 
England;  for  Prince  Lhewelyn  not  being  able  to  endure 
any  longer  the  tyranny  and  oppression  which  the  king's 
garrisons  exercised  in  his  country,  called  together  Gwen- 
wynwyn  from  Powys,  Maelgon  ap  Rhys  from  South  Wales, 
Madoc  ap  Gruftydh  May  lor  from  Bromfield,  and  Meredith 
ap  Rotpert  from  Cydewen,  and  plainly  declared  before 
them  the  pride  and  tyranny  of  the  English,  and  observed 
that  they  who  were  always  used  to  have  a  prince  of  their 
own  nation,  were  now  by  their  own  wilfulness  and  neglect 
become  subject  to  strangers :  however,  it  was  not  too  late  to 
recover  their  ancient  liberty,  and  if  they  did  but  unani- 
mously agree  among  themselves,  they  might  easily  cast  oft' 
that  yoke  which  was  so  intolerably  burdensome  to  them. 
Then  the  lords  being  sensible  of  the  truth  and  justice  of 
what  Prince  Lhewelyn  had  said,  and  being  conscious  that 
their  present  slavish  subjection  to  the  English  was  wholly 
owing  to  their  own  cowardice,  swore  fealty  to  Prince  Lhe- 
welyn, and  also  swore  to  be  true  and  faithful  to  him,  and  to 
stand  by  each  other  to  the  utmost  of  their  lives  and  fortunes. 
Therefore,  joining  their  forces  together,  they  took  all  the 
castles  in  North  Wales  which  were  in  the  hands  of  the 
English,  excepting  Rhuddlan,  and  Piganwy ;  and  then 
going  to  Powys,  they  laid  siege  to  the  castle  which  Robert 
Vipont  had  built  at  Mathrafal.  King  John  being  in- 
formed that  the  Welsh  had  conspired  against  him,  and  that 
they  had  taken  and  seized  upon  almost  all  his  castles  in 
North  Wales,  and  that  they  were  now  actually  besieging 
Mathrafal,  presently  assembled  his  army,  and  coming  to 
Mathrafal,  immediately  raised  the  siege,  and  to  prevent  the 
Welsh  from  coming  any  more  against  it,  he  burnt  it  to  the 
ground,  and  so  returned  to  England,  having  no  time  to  stay 
any  longer  in  Wales,  in  consequence  of  the  differences  that 
happened  betwixt  him  and  his  nobility :  but  being  after- 
wards at  Nottingham,  and  hearing  that  Prince  Lhewelyn 
cruelly  harassed  and  destroyed  the  marches,  he  caused  all 
the  Welsh  pledges  which  he  had  received  the  last  year  to 
be  hanged,  among  whom  wereHowel  the  son  of  Cadwalhon, 
and  Madoc  the  son  of  Maelgon,  with  many  others  of  the 
sons  of  Welsh  noblemen,  to  the  number  of  twenty-eight. 
About. the  same  time,  Robert  Vipont  caused  Rhys  the  son 
of  Maelgon  to  be  hanged  at  Shrewsbury,  being  a  youth  of 
about  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  so  cruelly  murdered  the 

innocent 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  211 

innocent  child  in  revenge  for  the  crimes  and  offences  com- 
mitted by  his  father  and  others,* 

Though  King  John  was  so  severe  to  the  Welsh,  yet  the 
Princess  of  North  Walesf  was  more  dutiful  and  favourable 
to  him ;  for  whilst  he  staid  at  Nottingham,  she  sent  him  an 
express,  declaring  that  the  barons  had  entered  into  a  con- 
spiracy with  the  French  king  against  him,  and  that  the 
latter  was  preparing  and  raising  an  army  to  come  over  to 
England,  upon  pretence  that  the  king  was  a  rebel  and  bid 
open  defiance  to  the  Holy  Church,  inasmuch  as  he  would 
not  yield  to  the  Bishop  of  Rome's  request.  In  confirmation 
of  this,  she  told  him  that  Robert  Fitzwalter,  Eustace  de 
Vescy,  and  Stephen  Redell  were  secretly  fled  into  France, 
to  promote  and  carry  on  this  intrigue.  In  proof  that  this 
design  against  King  John  was  no  feigned  surmise,  the  next  A.  D.  1212. 
year  Pope  Innocent  the  Third  detached  one  of  his  nuncios 
to  Wales,  who  absolved  Prince  Lhewelyn,  Gwenwynwyn, 
and  Maelgon  from  their  oaths  of  allegiance  to  King  John, 
and  withal  gave  them  a  strict  command,  under  the  penalty 
of  excommunication,  to  molest  and  annoy  him  with  all  their 
endeavours,  as  an  open  enemy  to  the  church  of  God.J 
Prince  Lhewelyn  was  far  from  being  dissatisfied  with  this, 
for  now  he  had  gained  the  most  fitting  opportunity  ima- 
ginable to  recover  such  lands  as  he  had  formerly  much 
against  his  will  delivered  up  to  the  king,  being  in  the  inland 
country  of  Denbigh  and  Flint,  and  of  which  Lhewelyn  at 
this  time  repossessed  himself:  and  it  was  fortunate  that  he 
was  so  active  in  doing  this ;  for  within  a  little  while  after, 
King  John,  by  the  persuasions  of  Pandulph,  the  Pope's 
legate,  granted  his  Holiness  all  his  request,  and  so  obtained 
absolution  at  Pandulph's  hands,  and,  upon  performance  of 
his  promises,  an  assurance  of  a  release  from  that  Ecclesi- 
astical Bull  which  had  so  formidably  roared  against  him. 

South  Wales  had  now  been  quiet  for  a  considerable  time,  1213. 
and  they  that  used  to  be  commonly  very  turbulent  and 
contentious,  were  now  tolerably  easy  and  amicable :  but  it 
was  impossible  that  such  a  peaceable  course  of  life  should 
hold  long,  where  injustice  and  oppression  had  so  much 
sway,  and  where  people  were  wrongfully  kept  out  of  their 

just 
p. 2 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  267.— These  innocent  victims  delivered  up  to  John  at  the  late 
peace  were  all  of  them  very  young,  and  allied  to  the  most  distinguished  families  in  Wtues. 
— Annales  de  Margan,  p.  15.  Holinshead,  p.  176.  Welsh  Chron.  276. 

f  He  received  two  letters,  one  of  which  was  from  the  king  of  Scotland,  and  the  other 
was  from  his  daughter,  the  wife  of  Prince  Lhewelyn.— Welsh  Chroc.  p.  267. 

|  Matthew  Paris,  p.  194.  Brady's  History  of  England,  p.  482.  Annales  Waverleiensis  $ 
p.  173.  Thomas  Wykes,  p.  37.  Holinshead,  p.  176. 


212  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

just  and  rightful  inheritance;  and  this  was  the  occasion  of 
the  breach  of  that  quietness  which  for  the  two  or  three 
years  last  past  they  had  so  satisfactorily  enjoyed :  for  Rhys 
the  son  of  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys,  who  was  right  heir  to  Prince 
Rhys,  finding  he  could  have  no  share  of  his  father's  estate, 
but  that  his  uncles  forcibly  kept  all  from  him,  thought  it 
best  to  make  his  case  known  to  the  king  of  England,  and  to 
desire  a  remedy  and  redress  from  him.  King  John,  in 
compassion  for  the  young  man's  hard  condition,  sent  to  his 
deputy,  Foulke  Viscount  of  Caerdyff,  warden  of  the  marches, 
and  to  the  Steward  of  Hereford,  commanding  them  to  take 
away  all  Ystratywy  from  Rhys  Fychan,  by  some  called  Rhys 
Gryg,*  unless  he  would  permit  his  nephews  to  enjoy  Lhan- 
ymdhyfry  castle,  with  all  the  lands  and  privileges  thereunto 
belonging.  Foulke  having  received  such  orders 'from  his 
master  the  king  of  England,  sent  to  acquaint  Rhys  of  the 
proposals,  and  to  demand  of  him  whether  or  not  he  would 
deliver  up  Lhanymdhyfry  to  his  nephews,  according  to  the 
king's  command;  who  returned  answer,  that  he  did  not 
know  of  any  such  obligation  due  from  him  to  the  king  of 
England  as  to  part  with  his  lands  at  his  command,  and 
therefore  assured  him  peremptorily,  and  in  plain  terms,  that 
he  would  not  willingly  part  with  one  foot  of  what  he  was 
then  in  possession  of.  Foulke,  therefore,  having  received 
this  resolute  answer,  was  likewise  as  determined  to  get  that 
by  force  which  he  could  not  obtain  by  fair  means ;  and  so 
having  raised  a  great  army,  he  marched  to  Talhwynelgain 
to  meet  young  Rhys,  who  was  to  come  thither  with  all  the 
forces  he  could  raise  in  Brecknock ;  and  from  thence  they 
marched  in  three  divisions  towards  Dynefawr,  the  first 
being  commanded  by  young  Rhys,  the  second  by  Foulke, 
and  Owen,  brother  to  Rhys,  led  the  third.  Rhys  Fychan 
was  not  in  the  least  dismayed  at  their  number,  but  thinking 
it  more  advisable  to  meet  them  in  the  field  than  to  suffer 
them  to  block  him  up  at  Dynefawr,  came  out  very  boldly 
and  gave  them  battle ;  when,  after  a  warm  engagement  on 
both  sides,  Rhys  Fychan  was  defeated,  and  after  losing  a 
great  number  of  his  men,  he  was  glad  to  make  his  escape  by 
flight:  wherefore,  retiring  to  Dynefawr,  he  doubled  the 
garrison  of  that  place,  but  thinking  the  town  of  Lhandeilo- 
fawr  not  tenable,  he  burnt  it  to  the  ground,  and  then  hid 
himself  in  the  woods  and  other  retired  places :  however, 
young  Rhys  and  Foulke  laid  siege  to  Dynefawr,  and  in  the 
first  assault  attacked  it  so  fiercely,  that  they  forced  the 
garrison  to  retire  to  the  castle,  which  for  some  time  they 

defended 

*  Rough  Rhys. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  213 

defended  very  manfully :  the  besiegers,  however,  b3gan  to 
play  so  violently  with  their  battering  engines,  and  to  under- 
mine the  wall  in  such  a  manner,  that  the  governor  after  a 
short  defence  offered  to  capitulate,  giving  three  pledges  for' 
security,  that  if  they  received  no  relief  by  the  morrow  at 
noon  the  castle  should  be  surrendered,  upon  condition  that 
the  garrison  should  march  out  with  all  the  tokens  of  honour, 
and  carry  their  arms  and  all  other  implements  of  war  along 
with  them.  No  relief  being  arrived,  the  castle  the  next 
day  was  accordingly  surrendered,  and  all  the  articles  of  the 
capitulation  observed;  and  thus  young  Rhys  being  pos- 
sessed of  Dynefawr,  in  a  little  time  afterwards  brought  all 
Cantreffawr  to  his  subjection.  When  Rhys  Fychan  was 
aware  that  the  stream  of  affairs  was  running  violently  against 
him,  he  thought  it  his  wisest  way  to  remove  his  wife  and 
children,  and  all  his  other  effects,  to  his  brother  Maelgon's 
country,  and  so  leaving  Lhanymdhyfry  castle  well  manned 
and  fortified,  he  departed  towards  Aberystwith.  As  soon, 
however,  as  Foulke  was  returned  to  the  marches,  young 
Rhys  came  with  an  army,  consisting  of  Welsh  and  Normans, 
before  Lhanymdhyfry,  intending  to  besiege  that  place;  but 
before  they  were  encamped  in  front  of  the  town,  the  governor 
thought  it  his  best  way  to  surrender,  upon  condition  that 
the  garrison  should  depart  with  their  lives.  Shortly  after- 
wards, Rhys  Fychan  was  taken  at  Caermardhyn  and  com- 
mitted to  the  king's  prison,  and  so  all  the  disturbances  and 
troubles  of  South  Wales  came  to  a  peaceable  issue.  But  in 
North  Wales  it  was  not  so;  for  Prince  Lhewelyn,  being 
desirous  to  rid  his  country  from  the  insupportable  tyranny 
and  oppression  of  the  English  garrisons,  laid  siege  to  the 
castles  of  Diganwy  and  Ruddlan,  the  only  places  then 
remaining  in  the  hands  of  the  English,  which  he  took  with- 
out any  great  opposition,  and  thus  freed  his  country  from 
any  title  or  pretence  the  king  of  England  might  claim  in 
North  Wales.*  King  John  indeed  was  engaged  another 
way,  and  consequently  in  no  good  condition  to  help  him- 
self; for  having  expressed  his  regret  on  account  of  the 
indignities  and  obstinacy  he  had  offered  towards  Pope 
Innocent,  at  this  time  he  did  penance  before  the  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  to  atone  for  all  the  severities  he  had  prac- 
tised against  the  church;  and  to  restore  himself  the  more 
to  his  Holiness's  favour,  he  made  the  kingdom  of  England 
tributary  to  the  church  of  Rome,  to  be  holden  of  the  Pope, 
by  payment  of  the  sum  of  1000  marks  yearly  for  ever;  and 
withal  recalled  and  restored  to  their  former  preferments  and 

places 
*  Annales  Waverleiensis,  p.  174.     Welsh  Chron.  p.  270. 


214  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

places  all  such  as  had  been  banished,  or  had  voluntarily 
fled  the  kingdom,  on  account  of  their  strict  adherence  and 
submission  to  the  Pope  of  Rome. 

A.  D.  1214.  Nor  was  this  all ;  for  the  next  year  King  John,  with  two 
of  his  nobility,  the  Earls  of  Chester  and  Derby,  were 
resolved  upon  a  voyage  to  the  Holy  Land,  but  were  pre- 
vented taking  the  journey  by  the  rebellion  of  the  barons, 
which  now  broke  forth  violently,  because  the  king  would 
not  grant  to  them  those  ancient  laws  and  privileges  that 
their  forefathers  had  always  enjoyed.  Therefore  the  barons 
entered  into  a  confederacy  with  Prince  Lhewelyn  of  North 
Wales,  desiring  him  to  make  what  diversion  he  could  on  his 
part,  while  they  were  resolved  to  do  the  same  on  theirs ; 
and  having  raised  an  army,  they  appointed  Robert  Fitz- 
walter  their  general.  Coming  to  Bedford,  they  were 
honourably  received  into  the  castle  by  William  Beauchamp, 
and  from  thence  marching  to  London,  they  were  entertained 
with  all  the  expressions  of  joy.  King  John  perceiving  how 
powerful  they  were  likely  to  prove,  and  that  the  country  did 
in  a  great  measure  favour  their  cause,  thought  it  his  wisest 
way  to  nip  them  in  the  bud,  and  to  fall  upon  them  before 
they  grew  too  strong ;  and,  therefore,  having  levied  his 
forces,  he  marched,  together  with  William  Marshal  Earl  of 
Pembroke,  towards  the  castle  of  Rochester :  being  arrived 
there,  he  laid  close  siege  to  the  castle,  but  the  governor, 
William  de  Albineto,  so  bravely  defended  it,  that  it  could 
scarcely  be  taken  after  three  months'  siege ;  at  length,  how- 
ever, the  king's  men  attacked  it  so  violently,  that  they  took 
it  by  storm,  where,  besides  William  de  Albineto,  the  king 
took  several  of  the  barons  prisoners.  This  was  a  disastrous 
beginning  to  the  design  of  the  confederates,  and  what  did 
not  add  a  little  to  their  misfortune,  the  Pope  immediately 
1215.  issued  out  a  Bull  of  Excommunication  against  Lhewelyn 
Prince  of  Wales,  and  all  the  English  barons  that  made  war 
against  King  John,  who  was  under  the  protection  of  the 
Church  of  Rome;*  but  Prince  Lhewelyn  did  not  regard  his 
threatening  anathemas,  and  therefore  having  raised  an  army, 
he  came  to  Shrewsbury,  which  was  delivered  up  to  him 
without  any  resistance.  Whilst  Lhewelyn  remained  there, 
Giles  de  Bruce,  Bishop  of  Hereford,  one  of  the  chief  of 
this  conspiracy,  sent  his  brother  Reynold  to  Brecknock, 
whom  all  the  people  readily  owned  for  their  lord ;  therefore 
'  without  the  least  grumbling  or  opposition  he  received  the 
castles  of  Abergavenny  and  Pencelhy,  the  Castelh  Gwyn 
(or  the  White  Castle),  together  with  Grosmont  castle  and 

the 
*  Annales  Waverleiensis,  p.  182.— Welsh  Chron.  p.  271. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

the  island  of  Cynvric :  and  when  the  bishop  came  thither  in 
person,  lie  had  the  castles  of  Aberhondhy,  Hay,  Buelht, 
and  Blaenlhyfny  also  delivered  up  to  him;  but  thinking  he 
had  enough  himself,  and  being  rather  desirous  to  secure  his 
interest,  and  to  strengthen  his  party  in  the  country,  than  to 
heap  more  upon  his  own  shoulders  than  he  was  well  able  to 
support,  he  bestowed  Payne  castle,  Chine,  and  all  Elvel, 
upon  Walter  Fychan,  the  son  of  Eineon  Clyd. 

In  the  mean  time  young  Rhys,  the  son  of  Gruffydh  ap 
Rhys,  and  his  uncle  Maelgon,  were  reconciled  and  made 
friends,  and  so  coming  both  to  Dyfed,  they  destroyed 
Arberth  and  Maenclochoc  castles,  and  recovered  all  such 
lands  as  formerly  belonged  to  them^  excepting  Cemaes :  but 
Rhys's  brothers  Maelgon  and  Owen^  went  to  North  Wales 
and  did  homage  and  fealty  to  Prince  Lhewelyn,  whilst  their 
brother  Prince  Rhys  marched  forward  to  Cydwely,  and 
having  rased  the  castles  of  Carnwylheon  and  Lhychwr, 
brought  all  the  country  thereabout  under  his  subjection. 
This,  however,  did  not  satisfy  the  ambition  of  that  young 
prince;  for  having  once  tasted  the  pleasures  of  victory, 
and  the  satisfaction  of  taking  and  demolishing  towns,  he  was 
resolved  to  prosecute  his  conquest  whilst  Fortune  seemed  to 
favour  his  undertakings ;  and,  therefore,  he  led  his  army 
against  Talybont  castle,  which  belonged  to  Hugh  de  Miles, 
and  forcing  his  entrance  into  the  same,-  he  put  a  great  num- 
ber of  the  garrison  to  the  sword.  The  next  day  he  marched 
to  Sengennyth  castle,  but  the  garrison  which  kept  it,  think- 
ing it  fruitless  to  attempt  to  oppose  him,  burnt  the  place 
and  departed  to  Ystymlhwynarth  :  but  he  followed  them 
closely,  and  the  next  day  took  that  place  and  rased  it  to  the 
ground,  and  wasted  the  country  in  such  a  violent  manner, 
that  in  three  days  time  he  became  master  of  all  the  castles 
and  fortresses  in  all  Gowerland  and  Morgannwc,  and  then 
returned  home  with  great  victory  and  triumph.  At  the 
same  time  Rhys  Fychan,  otherwise  Rhys  Gryg,  the  uncle  of 
young  Prince  Rhys,  obtained  his  liberty  from  the  King  of 
England,  leaving  his  son  with  two  others  as  pledges  for  his 
moderate  and  peaceable  behaviour  towards  his  subjects, 
whom  at  other  times  he  had  molested  and  oppressed. 
About  this  time  the  abbots  of  Tal  y  Llecheu  and  Ty  Gwyn, 
were  consecrated  bishops,  the  former  of  St.  David's,  and 
the  other  of  Bangor:  and  the  Bishop  of  Hereford,  who 
seemed  to  be  the  most  violently  inclined  against  King 
John,  and  was  otherwise  unwilling  to  part  with  what  he  had 
got  in  Wales,  could  not  refuse  the  injunction  of  the  Pope, 
by  whose  express  command  he  was  constrained  to  make 

peace 


216  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

peace  with  the  king,  which  being  concluded,  in  his  return 
homeward,  he  died  at  Gloucester,  leaving  his  estate  to  his 
brother  Reginald,  who  had  married  the  daughter  of  Prince 
Lhewelyn.* 

Notwithstanding  Giles  de  Bruce,  Bishop  of  Hereford, 

had  relinquished  the  confederacy,  and  become  reconciled  to 

King  John,   yet  Prince   Lhewelyn  would  not  follow  his 

example,  and,  therefore,  with  his  whole  army  he  marched 

against  Caermardhyn,   and  took  the  castle  in  five  days  ; 

having  rased  it  the  ground,  he  successively  laid  siege  to  the 

castles  of  Lhanstephan,  St.  Cleare,  and  Talacharn,  which 

he  used  after  the  same  manner.     From  thence  he  went  to 

Cardigan,  and  taking  Emlyn  castle,  he  subdued  Cemaes, 

and  then  laying  siege  to  Trefdraeth  castle,  in  English  called 

Newport,  he  soon  took  it,  and  afterwards  rased  it  to  the 

ground.      His  next  design  was  upon  Aberteifi  and   Cil- 

gerran  castles,  but  the  garrisons  which  defended  them, 

finding  it  would  be  of  no  avail  to  wait  his  coming,  and  to 

endeavour  to  withstand  his  attempts  against  those  places, 

voluntarily  surrendered,  and  by  that  means  prevented  all  the 

evils,  which  in  opposing  him,  would  in  all  probability  have 

unavoidably  come  upon  them.     Prince  Lhewelyn  having 

thus  successfully  over-run  and  subdued  all  Caermardhyn  and 

Cardigan,  triumphantly  returned  to  North  Wales,  being 

attended  by  several  of  the  Welsh  nobility,  such  as  Howel  ap 

Gruffydh  ap  Conan,  Lhewelyn  ap  Meredith,  Gwenwynwyn 

Lord  of  Powys,  Meredith  ap  Rotpert,  Maelgon  and  Rhy s 

Fychan  the  sons  of  Prince  Rhys  of  South  Wales,  Rhys  and 

Owen  the  sons  of  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys,  together  with  all  the 

power  of  Madoc  ap  Gruffydh  Maylor  Lord  of  Bromfield.f 

A.  D.  1216.      The  next  year  Prince  Lhewelyn  returned  to  Aberteifi  to 

compose  a    difference,    which    since    his    departure    had 

happened  betwixt   Maelgon  and  Rhys  Fychan,    sons    of 

Prince  Rhys,  on  the  one  side,  and  Rhys  and  Owen,  sons  of 

Gruffydh  ap  Rhys,  on  the  other.     To  make  up  this  quarrel, 

and  to  bring  all  matters  to  a  quiet  and  amicable  issue, 

Prince   Lhewelyn  made  an   equal   distribution   of    South 

Wales  betwixt  them,  alloting  to  Maelgon  three  Cantrefs  in 

Dyfed,  viz.  Gwarthaf,  Penlhwynoc,  Cemaes,  and  Emlyn, 

with   Cilgerran  castle ;    to    young   Rhys,    two  castles  in 

Ystratywy,  Hirvryn  and  Maelhaen,  Maenor  Bydfey,  with 

the  castle  of  Lhanymdhyfry,  and  two  in  Cardigan,  Gwyn- 

ionyth  and  Mahwyneon.      His  brother  Owen  had  to  his 

share  the  castles  of  Aberteifi  and  Nant  yr  Arian,  with  three 

Cantrefs 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  273. 
t  Welsh  Chrop.  p.  273.     Hist.  Gwedir  Family,  p.  26. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  217 

Cantrefs  in  Cardigan ;  and  Rhys  Fychan,  otherwise  called 
Rhys  Gryc,  had  Dynefawr  castle,  the  Cantref  Mawr,  the 
Cantref  By  chan,  excepting  Hirvryn  and  Midhfey,  together 
with  the  Comotes  of   Cydwely  and  Carnwylhion.      This 
division  being  accomplished  to  every  one's  satisfaction,  and 
all  the  lords  of  South  Wales  being  amicably  reconciled. 
Prince  Lhewelyn  took  his  journey  for  North  Wales  ;  but  he 
had  not  advanced  far,  when  intelligence  was  brought  him 
that  Gwenwynwyn  Lord  of  Powys  had  revolted,  and  was 
become  again  the  King  of  England's  subject.     This  un- 
welcome news  struck  very   deep   in   the    prince's    mind, 
because    Gwenwynwyn  was   a  man  of  great    power    and 
strength  in  the  country,  and  of  great  service  to  repel  the 
incursions  of  the  English  upon  the  marches,  which  now, 
h(i  having  gone  over  to  the  English  interest,  could  not,  as 
Lhewelyn  feared,  be  so  well  effected.     However,  to  make 
the  best  of  a  bad  matter,  he  endeavoured  to  withdraw  him 
from  the  English,  and  to  restore  him  to  his  former  allegiance 
due  to  himself  as  his  natural  prince ;  and  to  that  end,  he 
sent  to  him  some  bishops  and  abbots  to  put  him  in  mind 
of  the  oath  and  promise  he  had  entered  into,  and  that  he, 
with  the  rest  of  the  lords  of  Wales,  had  bound  himself  to 
oppose  the  English  to  the  utmost  of  his  power,  and  had 
delivered  pledges  for  the  sure  performance  of  what  he  had 
then  by  oath  engaged  in;   and  lest  he  should  have  forgotten 
what  he  had  then  promised,  he  was  desired  to  read  his  own 
hand-writing,  whereby  it  was  apparent  that  he  had  very 
unjustly  violated  both  his  oath  and  promise :  but  all  the 
rhetoric  the  bishops  could  make  use  of,  was  not  of  force 
sufficient  to  induce  Gwenwynwyn  to  become  reconciled  to 
the  Prince  and  to  oppose  the  King  of  England;    and, 
therefore,  seeing  nothing  else  would  do,  Prince  Lhewelyn 
resolved  to  make  him  incapable  of  serving  the  English,  and 
entering  Powys  with  a  strong  army,  he  subdued  the  whole 
country  to  himself,  Gwenwynwyn  being  forced  to  fly  for 
succour  to  the  Earl  of  Chester.* 

Whilst  these  things  passed  in  Wales,  Lewis,  the  Dauphin 
of  France,  being  invited  by  the  English  barons  against 
King  John,  landed  in  the  island  of  Thanet,  and  marching 
forward  to  London,  he  there  received  homage  of  all  the 
barons  that  were  in  actual  war  against  the  king.  Then 
going  forward  towards  Winchester,  where  King  John  lay, 
he  took  in  his  way  the  castles  of  Rygate,  Guildford,  and 
Farnham,'  and  coming  to  Winchester,  had  the  town  im- 
mediately surrendered  to  him.  King  John  did  not  think  it 

advisable 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  274. 


218  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

advisable  to  abide  his  coming,  but  removing  to  Hereford, 
in  the  marches  of  Wales,  he  sent  to  Prince  Lhewelyn  and 
Reynald  de  Bruce,  desiring  their  friendship,  and  imploring 
their  aid  and  assistance  against  the  French  ;  and  Ilicy 
refusing  to  hearken  to  his  proposals,  he  destroyed  Radnor 
and  Hay  castles,  and  marching  forward  to  Oswestry,*  which 
belonged  to  John  Fitzalan,  he  burnt  it  to  the  ground,  and 
then  departed  towards  the  North  :  but  after  he  had  settled 
his  affairs  there,  and  appointed  governors  in  all  the  towns 
and  places  of  strength,  whilst  he  was  making  all  necessary 
preparations  at  Newark  to  confront  the  barons,  he  fell  sick, 
and  in  a  short  time  died,  and  was  buried  at  Worcester. 

After  his  death  his  son  Henry  was  by  several  of  the 
English  nobility  proclaimed  king,  and  in  a  little  while, 
most  of  the  barons,  who  on  account  of  their  hatred  to  King 
John,  had  maintained  an  open  war  against  that  monarch, 
came  in  and  owned  their  allegiance  to  his  son  Henry, 
though  contrary  to  their  oath  to  Lewis  the  Dauphin :  but 
A.  D.1217.  what  was  most  disastrous  to  the  Welsh,  Reynald  de  Bruce, 
who  had  all  this  while  maintained  a  confederacy  with  Prince 
Lhewelyn,  his  father-in-law,  against  King  John,  secretly 
made  his  peace  with  King  Henry.  He  suffered  severely, 
however,  for  his  treachery;  for  young  Rhys,  and  Owen  his 
nephew  by  his  sister,  seeing  that  he  in  whom  they  put  their 
greatest  confidence,  had  deceitfully  forsaken  them,  came 
upon  him  with  all  their  power,  and  took  from  him  all 
Buelht,  excepting  only  the  castle.  Prince  Lhewelyn  was 
immediately  made  acquainted  with  Bmce's  revolt,  and  as 
soon  as  he  was  informed  that  his  son-in-law  was  gone  over 
to  the  King  of  England,  he  went  in  great  fury  to  Breck- 
nockshire, and  laying  siege  to  Aberhondhu,  its  principal 
town,  he  was  with  much  persuasion  prevailed  upon  by 
young  Rhys  to  raise  the  siege  for  the  sum  of  a  hundred 
marks,  and  at  the  same  time  receiving  five  hostages ;  and 
then  crossing  the  mountainous  part  of  Glamorgan,  called 
the  Black  Mountains,  where  his  carriages  suffered  very 
much,  he  came  to  Gwyr,  and  encamping  at  Lhangruc, 
Reynald  de  Bruce  with  six  knights  in  his  company,  came  to 
meet  him,  desiring  his  pardon  for  his  past  offence,  as- 
suring him  that  in  future  he  would  be  true  and  faithful  to 
him,  and  would  do  his  utmost  to  assist  him  against  the  King 
of  England.  Prince  Lhewelyn  accepted  his  submission, 
and  not  only  received  him  again  to  his  favour,  but  bestowed 
upon  him  the  castle  of  Senghennyth,  which  Reynald  after- 
wards committed  to  the  custody  of  Rhys  Fychan. 

Prince 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  275. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  219 

Prince  Lhewelyn  having  put  all  things  in  order  in  Gwyr, 
marched  to  Dyfed,  and  being  at  Cefn  Cynwarchan,  the 
Flemings  sent  their  agents  to  him  to  desire  peace,  which 
the  prince,  because  they  always  adhered  to  the  English 
interest,  would  not  grant  them.  Young  Rhys  was  the  first 
man  to  pass  the  river  Cledheu  to  storm  the  town;  but 
lorwerth  bishop  of  St.  David's,  with  the  rest  of  his  clergy, 
came  to  the  prince  to  intreat  for  a  peace  for  the  Flemings, 
which,  after  a  long  discussion,  was  granted  upon  these 
terms:  first,  That  all  the  inhabitants  of  Rhos,  and  the 
country  of  Pembroke,  should  from  thence  forward  swear 
allegiance  to  Prince  Lhewelyn,  and  ever  after  acknowledge 
his  sovereignty ;  secondly,  That  towards  the  defraying  of 
his  charges  in  this  expedition,  they  should  pay  one  thousand 
marks,  to  be  delivered  to  him  before  the  ensuing  feast  of  St. 
Michael ;  thirdly,  That  for  the  sure  performance  of  these 
articles  they  should  deliver  up  twenty  hostages,  who  were 
to  be  some  of  the  principal  persons  in  their  country.*  Then 
Prince  Lhewelyn  having  brought  all  Wales  into  subjection 
to  himself,  and  put  matters  in  a  settled  posture  in  South 
Wales,  returned  to  North  Wales,  having  gained  consider- 
able honour  and  esteem  for  his  martial  achievements  in  this 
expedition. 

All  matters  of  difference  being  now  adjusted,  and  the 
Welsh  in  good  hopes  of  a  durable  freedom  from  all  troubles 
and  hostilities,  another  accident  unhappily  occurred  to  cross 
their  expectation.  Lewis  the  Dauphin,  perceiving  the  English 
barons  slighted  and  forsook  him,  concluded  a  peace  with 
King  Henry,  and  returned  to  France  •  and  the  king  having 
made  a  promise  to  the  barons  that,  he  would  grant  all  their 
requests,  and  redress  their  grievances,  they  made  their  sub- 
mission, without  including  the  Welsh  in  their  articles. 
They  had  until  this  time  gladly  embraced  the  friendship 
and  aid  of  the  Prince  of  Wales ;  but  now,  upon  their  recon- 
ciliation with  the  king,  thinking  they  had  no  farther  need  of 
him,  they  basely  forsook  him  who  had  been  the  principal 
support  and  succour  of  their  cause :  and  not  only  so,  but 
they  conspired  together  to  carry  their  arms  against  Wales, 
thinking  they  could,  without  any  breach  of  equity  or  con- 
science, take  away  the  lands  of  the  Welsh,  to  make  addition 
to  what  some  of  them  had  already  unjustly  possessed  them- 
selves of.  William  Marshal  Earl  of  Pembroke  commenced 
the  work,  and  coming  unexpectedly  upon  the  Welsh,  took 
the  town  of  Caerlheon  ;f  but  he  gained  nothing  by  this,  for 
Rhys  Fychan  perceiving  what  was  his  intention,  destroyed 

Senghennyth 
*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  278.  f  Ibid. 


220  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

Senghennyth  castle,  and  all  the  other  places  under  his  con- 
troul  in  that  country,  and  banishing  the  English  with  their 
wives  and  children,  divided  the  country  betwixt  the  Welsh, 
who  kept  sure  possession  of  it.  Prince  Lhewelyn  also  find- 
A.D.  1218.  ing  that  those  had  become  his  foes,  who  had  but  lately 
courted  his  friendship,  and  fearing  lest  the  English  being 
now  in  arms  should  make  any  attempt  upon  his  castles, 
augmented  the  garrisons  of  Caermardhyn  and  Aberteifi,  to 
make  them  capable  of  withstanding  the  English,  in  case 
they  should  come  against  them.  Though  the  Welsh  and 
English  were  thus  at  open  variance  and  in  actual  hostility 
one  against  the  other,  yet  young  Rhys,  with  Prince  Lhe- 
welyn's  approbation  and  consent,  thought  it  advisable  to  go 
and  do  homage  to  the  king  of  England,  for  his  lands  in 
Wales.  It  might  have  been  thought  a  matter  of  superero- 
gation thus  to  pay  court  to  one  who  was  a  declared  enemy  to 
all  the  Welsh,  and  one  that  would  not  in  all  probability 
suffer  him  to  enjoy  a  quiet  possession  of  his  estate,  if  he  had 
ability  and  opportunity  to  eject  him :  but  the  Welsh  interest 

1219.  was  now  greatly  augmented  by  a  new  alliance  with  some  of 
the  most  powerful  among  the  English ;  Rhys  Gryc,  son  of 
Prince  Rhys,  being  married  to  the  Earl  of  Clare's  daughter ; 
and  Marret,  daughter  of  Prince  Lhewelyn,  to  John  de 
Bruce.* 

The  Prince  of  Wales  had  very  soon  an  occasion  to  exer- 
cise his  power,  for  the  Flemings  in  Dyfed,  who  had  lately 
sworn  allegiance  to  him,  began  now  to  repent  of  what  they 
had  but  a  short  time  ago  gladly  submitted  to,  and  contrary 
to  their  oaths,  and  to  the  league  they  had  sworn  to  observe, 
they  attacked  Aberteifi  castle,  which  they  took.  Prince 
Lhewelyn,  being  highly  displeased  with  the  treacherous 
practices  of  these  perjured  Flemings,  marched  with  all 
speed  to  Aberteifi,  and  having  recovered  the  castle,  which 
he  afterwards  rased,  he  put  all  the  garrison  to  the  sword. 
Gwys  was  served  in  the  same  manner,  and  the  town  of 

1220.  Haverford  was  burnt  to  the  ground,  and  overrunning  Rhos 
and  Daugledhau,f  he  committed  a  lamentable  destruction 
throughout  the  whole  country.     This  the  Flemings  received 
as  the  due  reward  of  their  sinistrous  dealing,  which  soon 
made  them  aware  of  their  folly,  and  their  imprudent  be- 
haviour towards  the  Prince  of  Wales ;  and  therefore  being 
mournfully  convinced  how  unable  they  were  to  prevent  his 
farther  progress  by  force  of  arms,  they  made  overtures  for  a 

cessation 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  279.  Some  time  afterwards  he  likewise  married  another  of  hi» 
daughters  to  a  Scotch  lord,  who  was  nephew  and  heir  to  the  Earl  of  Chester. — 
Holinshead,  p.  204. 

f  Or  «  Two  Swords." 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  221 

cessation  of  all  hostilities  till  the  May  following,  which  being 
granted  them  upon  strict  conditions,  Prince  Lhewelyn  re- 
turned to  North  Wales.  In  the  mean  time  some  Welsh 
lords  besieged  Bnelht  castle,  which  was  in  the  }x>ssession  of 
Reynald  Bruce,  but  before  they  could  take  it,  King  Henry 
brought  an  army  to  the  marches  and  raised  the  siege,  and 
then  marching  forward  to  Montgomery,  built  a  new  castle 
in  that  town.* 

The  next  year  an  unhappy  dissension  fell  out  betwixt  A.  D.  1221. 
Prince  Lhewelyn  and  his  son  Gruffydh ;  the  latter  having 
kept  himself  in  possession  of  the  Cantref  of  Merioneth,  con- 
trary to  the  consent  arid  approbation  of  his  father.     The 
Prince,  therefore,  having  now  no  great  matter  of  moment 
abroad,  was  resolved  to  curb  the  insolence  of  his  son,  and 
sent  to  him  to  command  his  appearance,  and  to  direct  him 
to  deliver  up  the  Cantref  quietly,  lest  he  should  be  forced  to 
take  it  violently  out  of  his  hands.     Gruffydh  was  not  in  the 
least  dismayed  at  his  threatenings,  but  being  resolved  to 
keep  what  at  present  he  enjoyed,  would  neither  go  to  his 
father,   nor  deliver  up  the  Cantref  to  him.      The  Prince 
being  enraged  that  he  should  be  so  slighted  by  his  son, 
made  a  vehement  protestation,  that  he  would  be  severely 
revenged  both  of  him  and  all  his  accomplices ;  and  therefore 
coming  to  Merionyth  with  a  great  army,  was  resolved  to 
drive  his  son  out  of  the  country.     Gruffydh  made  all  pos- 
sible preparations  to  oppose  his  father,  and  drew  up  his 
forces  to  give  him  battle ;  but  when  both  armies  were  ready 
to  join,  the  differences  between  them  were  happily  com- 
posed, and  Gruffydh  prevailed  upon  to  make  his  submission 
to  his  father,  f     The  prince,  though  he  forgave  his  son  his 
offence,  and  received  him  to  favour,  would  not,  however, 
permit  him  to  enjoy  Merionyth  and  Ardydwy ;   but  taking 
them  away  from  him,  and  building  a  castle  ill  the  latter, 
returned  home.     He  had  not  continued  long  at  his  palace 
at  Aberffraw,  when  another  occasion  called  him  abroad ; 
for  young  Rhys,  being  disappointed  of  Aberteifi,  which  in 
the  division  of  South  Wales  was  allotted  to  his  share,  forsook 
the  prince,  and  put  himself  under  the  protection  of  William 
Marshal  Earl  of  Pembroke.     Prince  Lhewelyn,  hearing  this, 
marched  in  great  haste  to  Aberystwyth,  and  being  desirous 
to  punish  Rhys  for  his  desertion  from  his  allegiance,  seized 
to  his  own  use  that  castle,  together  with  all  the  domain  and 
lands  belonging  to  it.     When  Rhys  understood  what  the 
prince  had  done,  he  made  an  immediate  complaint  to  the 
King  of  England,  who  coming  to  Shrewsbury,  and  sending 

for 

*  Matthew  Paris,  p.  262.  t  Welsh  Chron.  p.  280, 


222  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

for  Prince  Lhewelyn,  so  adjusted  matters  between  them,* 
that  the  Prince  promised  to  treat  with  Rhys  for  Aberteifi, 
after  the  same  manner  as  he  had  done  with  Maelgon  for 
Caermardhyn.  Towards  the  close  of  the  year,  John  Bruce, 
Prince  Lhewelyn's  son-in-law,  obtained  leave  to  fortify 
Senghennyth  castle,  which  in  right  of  the  prince's  grant  to 
Reynald  de  Bruce  belonged  to  him.  Young  Rhys  did  not 
long  survive  the  agreement  between  him  and  Prince  Lhe- 
welyn,  for  he  died  the  following  year,  and  was  buried  at 
Ystratflur  :  after  whose  death  the  prince  divided  his  estate 
between  his  brother  Owen  and  his  uncle  Maelgon. 
A.  D.  1222.  William  Marshal  Earl  of  Pembroke  was  now  in  Ireland, 
busily  engaged  in  prosecuting  the  war  against  the  King  of 
England's  enemies  in  that  kingdom ;  and  taking  advantage 
of  the  opportunity  of  his  absence,  Prince  Lhewelyn  won  the 
castles  of  Aberteifi  and  Caermardhyn,  belonging  to  the  Earl, 
and  putting  both  the  garrisons  to  the  sword,  placed  in  their 
room  a  strong  party  of  his  own  men  ;f  but  when  the  Earl 
was  informed  of  what  the  Prince  of  Wales  had  done,  he 
immediately  left  Ireland,  and  landed  at  St.  David's  with  a 
great  army,  and  having  recovered  his  castles,  he  treated  the 
Welsh  after  the  same  manner  that  Prince  Lhewelyn  had  used 
his  garrisons,  and  passing  forward  into  the  prince's  country, 
destroyed  all  before  him  as  he  went  along.  The  Prince 
understanding  with  what  violence  he  came  forward,  sent  his 
son  Gruffydh  with  a  considerable  body  of  men  to  check  his 
fury ;  who  coming  to  Cydwely,  and  receiving  intelligence 
that  the  chief  men  of  that  place  had  a  private  design  to 
betray  him  to  the  enemy,  he  put  the  whole  town  in  flames, 
and  burnt  it  to  the  ground,  without  sparing  either  churches 
or  other  religious  houses.  The  Earl  of  Pembroke  had 
passed  the  river  Tywy  at  Caermardhyn,  where  Gruffydh 
met  him,  and  gave  him  battle;  but  the  victory  proved  so 
uncertain,  that  night  at  length  parted  them ;  and  then  the 
English  retired  over  the  river.  Matthew  Paris  writes,  that 
the  Earl  obtained  a  very  signal  victory,  and  that  of  the 
Welsh  there  were  nine  thousand  slain  and  taken;  though 
the  Welsh  account,  which  in  this  case  is  in  all  likelihood 
the  best,  makes  the  whole  army  of  the  Welsh  to  consist  but 
of  that  number.:}:  Both  armies  having  lain  for  certain  days 
in  a  posture  of  defence,  with  the  river  Tywy  between  them, 
Gruffydh,  on  account  of  provision  beginning  to  grow  scarce 
in  his  camp,  returned  back;§  and  then  the  Earl  also  de- 
camped 

*  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  281,  282. 

t  Chr.  Thomas  Wykes,  p.  41.     Chronica  Walter!  Hemingford,  p.  564.     Matth.  Westm. 
p.  86.     Matth,  Paris,  p.  267. 

t  Welsh  Chron.  p.  282.  §  Ibid. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  223 

camped,  and  marched  to  Cilgerran,  where  he  began  to  build 
a  very  strong  castle  ;  but  before  he  had  time  to  finish  it,  he 
received  an  express  from  the  king,  with  orders  to  come  to 
him  ;  and  so  he  went  by  sea  to  London,  leaving  his  army 
at  Cilgerran,  to  continue  the  work  which  he  had  begun. 
Shortly  after,  the  king,  together  with  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  came  to  Ludlow,  and  sendhijg  for  Prince  Lhe- 
welyn  thither,  they  hoped  to  adjust  all  differences,  and  to 
make  an  amicable  arrangement  between  him  and  the  Earl ; 
but  this  could  not  be  effected,  both  parties  adhering  to  their 
own  private  views;  the  Earl,  therefore,  being  assisted  by 
the  Earl  of  Derby  and  Henry  Pyggot  Lord  of  Ewyas,  pur- 
posed to  pass  by  land  to  Pembroke  ;  but  his  intention  being 
discovered  to  the  prince,  he  detached  his  son  to  secure  the 
passage  of  Carnwylhion,  and  came  in  person  to  Mahedryd ; 
which  when  the  Earl  understood,  finding  it  dangerous  to 
prosecute  his  design  any  further,  he  returned  to  England ; 
and  then  the  prince  marched  to  North  Wales.*  The  next  A.  D.  1227. 
action  that  passed  in  Wales  was  of  a  nature  somewhat 
rare,  and  not  redounding  much  to  the  credit  of  the 
Welsh ;  for  Rhys  Fychan  having  by  some  treacherous 
means  or  other  taken  prisoner  his  father  Rhys  Gryc,  con- 
trary to  all  filial  affection  and  duty,  detained  him  prisoner, 
and  would  not  set  him  at  liberty  till  he  had  delivered  up 
Lhanymdhyfri  castle  to  him.  About  the  same  time, 
Meredith  Archdeacon  of  Cardigan,  son  of  Prince  Rhys, 
departed  this  life,  and  was  honourably  interred  at  St. 
David's,  by  his  father. 

A  short  time  after,  a  great  storm  threatened  the  Welsh  ;  j228. 
King  Henry  having  raised  a  numerous  army,  was  resolved 
to  prosecute  to  a  termination  the  Earl  of  Pembroke's  quar- 
rel against  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  if  possible,  to  make  all 
that  country  for  ever  subject  to  the  crown  of  England ;  and, 
advancing  into  the  marches,  he  encamped  at  Ceri.f  Prince 
Lhewelyn,  on  the  other  hand,  being  informed  of  these 
mighty  preparations  in  England,  and  understanding  that 
they  were  intended  against  him,  used  all  the  endeavours 
possible  to  make  a  vigorous  resistance ;  and  having  drawn 
together  all  the  forces  he  was  able  to  levy,  thought  it  his 
wisest  plan  to  meet  the  English  upon  the  marches,  and  not 
to  permit  them  to  enter  his  country.  Both  armies  being 
come  in  sight  of  each  other,  frequent  skirmishes  happened 
betwixt  them;  but  one  day,  almost  the  whole  of  both 
armies  engaged,  and  after  a  vigorous  attack  on  both  sides, 
the  English  got  the  worst,  and  were  forced  to  retire,  having 

a 
*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  283.  f  In  Montgomeryshire. 


224  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

a  great  number  of  men  slain  and  taken  prisoners.     Among 
the   latter,   was   William   de   Bruce,   Reynald's  son,  who 
offered  for  his  ransom  all  Buelht,  together  with  a  consider- 
able sum  of  money,  which  the  prince  would  not  accept. 
King  Henry,  finding  that  his  army  was  worsted  in  this 
encounter,   thought  it  advisable  to  make  peace  with  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  which  being  concluded,  Lhewelyn  came  to 
the  king,  and  having  paid  him  all  other  respects,  excepting 
that  of   submission  and  allegiance,  he  returned  in  great 
honour  to  North  Wales.     This  action  is  somewhat  other- 
wise laid  down  by  Matthew  Paris,*  who  writes,  that  this 
skirmish   betwixt  the  English  and  Welsh  happened  upon 
another  account.      He  says,  the  garrison  of  Montgomery 
issuing  out  of  the  castle  to  enlarge  a  certain  passage  leading 
through  a  wood,  where  the  Welsh  were  wont  to  rob  and 
kill  all  passengers,  began  to  fell  the  timber,  and  cut  down 
all  the  bushes  which  bounded  the  road,  thereby  intending 
to  make  the  passage  more  clear  and  secure.     The  Welsh 
receiving  intelligence  of  this,  came  immediately  upon  them 
in  great  numbers,  and  surprising  the  men  of  the  garrison, 
who  were  busy  at  their  labour,  forced  as  many  as  could 
escape  to  betake  themselves  for  refuge  into  the  castle,  which 
afterwards,  having  first  cast  a  deep  trench  about  it,  they 
boldly  invested.     Hubert  de  Burgh,  Lord  Chief  Justice  of 
England,  and  owner  of  the  castle,  having  notice  of  this,  sent 
to  King  Henry,  desiring  his  speedy  help  against  the  Welsh, 
who  thereupon  came  in  person  with  part  of  his  army,  and 
raised  the  siege.     Then,  the  rest  of  his  forces  being  arrived, 
he  marched  into  the  wood,  which  was  5  miles  in  length,f  and 
by  reason  of  the  thickness  of  the  growth,  impassable  ;  and, 
for  an  easy  passage  through  it,  caused  it  to  be  burnt  down. 
After  that,  he  led  his  army  farther  into  the  country,  and 
coming  to  an  abbey  called  Cridia,J  to  which  the  Welsh  were 
wont  to  resort  for  refuge,  he  caused  it  to  be  burnt  down ; 
but  finding  it  a  very  convenient  place  for  a  fortress,  he 
granted  leave  to  Hubert  de  Burgh  to  build  a  castle  there.  § 
Whilst  the  work  of  building  this  castle  was  going  on,  the 
Welshmen  annoyed  the  English,  and  skirmished  with  them 
frequently,  so  that  many  were  slain  on  both  sides ;  but  at 
last  William  de  Bruce  with  many  others  that  went  abroad  to 
fetch  provision,  were  intercepted  by  the  Welsh,  and  taken 
prisoners,  and  most  of  Bruce's  company  were  slain,  amorig 

whom 

*  Matthew  Paris,  p.  295. 

f  Warrington  (vol.  ii.  p.  56)  says  this  wood  was  15  miles  in  length. 
J  A  solitary  place,  called  Cridia,  of  the  Carmelite  order,  an  abbey  belonging  to  the 
White  Friars. 

§  Matthew  Paris,  p.  295. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  225 

whom  one  that  was  knighted  a  few  days  before,  seeing  some 
of  his  fellows  in  great  danger,  rushed  boldly  into  the  midst 
of  his  enemies,  and  after  a  manful  defence  bravely  lost  his 
life.  Several  of  King  Henry's  men  were  corrupted  by 
Prince  Lhewelyn,  and  upon  that  account  took  no  great  pains 
to  repulse  the  enemy ;  which  when  the  king  perceived,  and 
finding  withal  that  provision  was  grown  very  scarce  in  his 
camp,  he  was  forced  to  conclude  a  dishonourable  peace  with 
the  Welsh,  consenting  to  demolish  that  castle,  which  with 
so  great  an  expence  both  of  men  and  money  was  now  almost 
finished  upon  his  own  charges,  Prince  Lhewelyn  paying 
only  three  thousand  pounds  towards  it.*  Then  both  armies 
separated,  Prince  Lhewelyn  marching  to  North  Wales ;  and 
the  king,  leaving  William  de  Bruce  prisoner  with  the 
Welsh,  returned  to  England,  having  obtained  much  dis- 
credit in  this  expedition. 

William  de  Bruce  was  brought  to  Wales^  and  there  had  A.  D.  1230. 
an  honourable  confinement  in  the  prince's  palace  ;f  but  he 
had  not  continued  there  "long  before  he  began  to  be  sus- 
pected of  being  too  familiar  with  the  princess,  King  Henry's 
sister ;  and,  as  the  report  went,  was  taken  in  the  very  act  of 
adultery ;  for  which  the  prince  caused  him  to  be  hanged 
forthwith.^  About  the  same  time,  Lhewelyn,  son  of  Mael- 
gon,  died  in  North  Wales,  and  was  buried  at  Conwey :  and 
Maelgon,  son  of  Prince  Rhys,  in  South  Wales,  and  was 
buried  at  Ystratflur;  whose  estate  descended  to  his  son 
Maelgon.  A  little  afterwards  William  Marshal  Earl  of 
Pembroke  died,  one  that  ever  entertained  an  inveterate  1231. 
enmity  to  the  Welsh,  and  upon  whose  account  King  Henry 
had  chiefly  brought  his  army  into  Wales.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded both  in  his  title  and  estate  by  his  brother  Richard, 
who  was  much  more  favourably  inclined  towards  the  Welsh, 
and  never  attempted  any  thing  against  them.  The  King  of 
England  now  resolved  to  retrieve  the  honour  he  had  lost  in 

the 
Q 

*  Matthew  Paris,  p.  295.  f  At  Aber. 

J  Matthew  West.  p.  97,  says,  he  was  put  to  death  without  reason  ;  so  say  many 
other  English  writers.  The  tradition  of  the  country  is,  that  a  bard  of  the  palace,  acci- 
dentally meeting  with  the  princess,  (who  was  ignorant  of  the  fate  of  her  lover,)  accosted 
her  in  the  following  manner  j  and  on  receiving  her  answer,  shewed  him  to  her  hanging 
on  a  tree. 

Diccyn  doccyn,  gwraig  Llywelyn, 
Beth  y  roit'i  am  weled  Gwilim  ? 

The  princess's  answer —  > 

Cymry,  Lloegr,  a  Llywelyn 
Y  rown'i  gyd,  am  weled  Gwilim. 

BARD. — Tell  me,  wife  of  Llywelyn,  what  would  you  give  for  a  sight  of  your  William  ? 
PRINCESS.— Wales,  England,  and  Llywelyn  to  boot,  I  would  give  them  all  to  see  my 
William. 


226  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

the  late  expedition  against  the  Welsh ;  and  therefore  being 
returned  from  France,  whither  he  had  made  a  descent,  to 
recover  what  his  father  had  lost  in  that  kingdom,  he  came  to 
Wales;    and  having  remained  some  time  in  the  marches, 
he  returned  again  to  England,  leaving  his  army  under  the 
command  of  Hubert  Burgh  Earl  of  Kent,  to  defend  the 
marches  against  any  inroad  which  the  Welsh  might  attempt. 
He  had  not  remained  there  long,  when  he  received  intelli- 
gence that  a  party  of  Welsh  had  entered  the  marches  near 
Montgomery,  whom  he  forthwith  pursued,   and  attacking 
them  unawares,  he  put  a  great  number  of  them  to  the  sword. 
Prince  Lhewelyn,  hearing  of  this,  came  in  person  with  a 
great  army  to  the  marches,  and  encamping  before  Mont- 
gomery castle,  he  forced  Hubert  to  withdraw,   and  then 
making  himself  master  of  the  place,  he  burnt  it  to  the 
ground,  and  put  the  garrison  to  the  sword ;    the  like  fate 
attended  the  castles  of  Radnor,  Aberhondhy,  RhayadrGwy, 
Caerlheon,  Neth,  and  Cydwely;    though  Caerlheon  held 
out  very  obstinately,  and  the  prince  had  several  of  his  men 
destroyed  before  the  place.     King  Henry  being  informed 
what  miserable  desolation  the  Prince  of  Wales  was  success- 
fully committing  upon  his  subjects  in  these  countries,  had 
him   immediately   excommunicated;    and  then  coming   to 
Hereford  with  a  mighty  army,  he  detached  the  greatest  part 
of  it,  with  a  great  number  of  his  nobility,  to  Wales.     These, 
by  the  direction  of  a  friar  of  Cymer,  unexpectedly,  as  they 
thought,  fell  upon  a  party  of  Welsh ;    who  at  the  first  en- 
counter seemed  to  fly,  till  they  had  allured  the  English  to 
pursue  them  to  a  place  where  a  greater  party  of  Welsh  lay 
in  ambuscade ;  who  rushing  of  a  sudden  upon  the  English, 
put  them  in  such  confusion,  that  the  greatest  part  of  them 
were  cut  off.     The  king,  being  convinced  that  this  was  a 
treacherous  device  of  the  friar,  was  resolved  to  be  revenged, 
by  burning  the  abbey  of  Cymer ;  but  the  prior,  for  three 
hundred  marks,  prevented  it ;  and  so  the  king  returned  to 
England,  having  effected  nothing  in  this  expedition,  besides 
the  building  of  Mawd  castle.     In  the  mean  time,  Maelgon, 
son  of  Maelgon  ap  Rhys,  laid  siege  to  Aberteifi,  and  having 
by  force  got  entry  into  the  town,  he  put  all  the  inhabitants 
to  the  sword,  then  destroyed  all  before  him  to  the  castle 
gates,  which  were  so  strongly  fortified,  that  it  seemed  almost 
impracticable  to  take  it  in  any  short  time ;  but  Maelgon, 
being  joined  by  his  cousin  Owen,  son  of  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys, 
was  resolved  to  try  the  utmost  that  could  be  effected ;  and 
therefore  taking  with  him  some  of  Prince  Lhewelyn's  most 
experienced  officers,  he  broke  down  the  bridge  upon  the 

river 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  227 

river  Teifi,  and  then  investing  the  castle  more  closely,  he  so 
battered  and  undermined  it,  that  he  became  in  a  little  time 
master  of  it. 

The  year  following,  Prince  Lhewelyn  made  a  descent  A.  D.  1232. 
upon  England,   and  having  committed  very  considerable 
waste   and  destruction   upon  the  borders,   he  returned  to 
North  Wales  with  a  rich   booty  in  prisoners  and  cattle. 
King    Henry,   to   scourge  the  Welsh  for   these  grievous 
devastations,  and  to  prevent  their  further  incursions  into 
England,  demanded  a  very  great  subsidy  of  his  subjects  to 
carry  on  the  war  against  the  Welsh ;  which  being  granted 
him,  he  made  every  preparation  for  his  expedition  to  Wales/ 
In  the  mean  time,  Randulph  Earl  of  Chester  died,  and  was* 
succeeded  in  that  honour  by  John  his  sister's  son,  who  was 
afterwards  married  to  Prince  Lhewelyn's  daughter.      The 
English  in  Wales,  being  in  expectation  of  King  Henry's 
coming  thither,  began  to  repair  and  fortify  their  castles ; 
and  particularly,  Richard  Earl  of  Cornwal  rebuilt  Radnor  1233. 
castle,  which   the   prince  had    lately   destroyed.      Prince 
Lhewelyn  was  sufficiently  aware  that  the  king  of  England 
intended  an  invasion,  and  therefore  to  be  before-hand  with 
him,  he  came  with  an  army  to  Brecknock,  and  destroyed  all 
the  towns  and  Castles  throughout  the  country,  excepting 
Brecknock  castle,  which  was   defended   so  manfully,  that 
after  a  month's  encampment  before  it,  he  was  at  last  con- 
strained to  raise  the  siege.     In  his  return  to  North  Wales, 
he  burnt  the  town  of  Clun,  recovered  all  the  country  called 
Dyflfryn  Tefeidiat,  in  the  possession  of  John  Fitzalan,  de- 
stroyed Red  Castle  in  Powis,  and  burnt  Oswestry.*     At 
this  time,  very  fortunately  for  the  Welsh,  Richard  Marshal 
Earl  of  Pembroke,  having  differed  with  King  Henry,  took 
part  with  Prince  Lhewelyn  ;  with  whom  joined  Hubert  de 
Burgh,  who  had  lately  made  his  escape  out  of  the  castle  of 
Devizes,  where  the  king,  upon  some  articles  of  information 
brought  against  him,  had  committed  him  to  prison.f     The 
Earl  of  Pembroke,  attended  by  Owen  ap  Gruffydh  ap  Rhys, 
came  to  St.  David's ;  and  being  very  glad  of  an  opportunity 
to  revenge  himself  upon  the  king,  slew  every  one  that  owned 
any  dependence  upon  the  crown  of  England.     Maelgon  and 
Rhys  Gryc,  with  all  the  forces  of  Prince  Lhewelyn,  quickly 
joined  the  Earl ;  and  they  in  their  march  through  the  country 

took 
Q  2 

*  Matthew  Paris,  p.  28§. 

f  Among  other  frivolous  crimes  objected  against  this  minister,  he  was  accused  of  pur- 
loining from  the  royal  treasury  a  gem,  which  had  the  virtue  of  rendering  the  wearer 
invulnerable,  and  of  sending  this  valuable  curiosity  to  the  Prince  of  North  Wales.— 
Matthew  Paris,  p.  259. 


228  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

took  the  castles  of  CardyfF,  Abergavenny,  Pencelby, 
Blaenlhefyni,  and  Bwlch  y  Dinas,  all  of  which,  excepting 
CardyfF,  they  burnt  to  the  ground.  The  king  receiving 
intelligence  that  the  Earl  of  Pembroke  had  entered  into 
a  confederacy  with  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  that  he  was 
now  in  open  hostility  against  his  subjects  in  that  country, 
gathered  a  very  formidable  army,  consisting,  besides  Eng- 
lish, of  Flemings,  Normans,  and  Gascoigns  ;  and  coming  to 
Wales,  he  encamped  at  Grosmont,  where  the  Earl  with  the 
Welsh  army  met  him.  But  when  the  English  would  have 
endeavoured  to  advance  further  into  the  country,  the  Welsh 
opposed  them,  and  a  battle  ensued,  wherein  the  English  lost 
five  hundred  horse,  besides  a  far  greater  number  of  their 
infantry.  The  Welsh  having  gained  a  considerable  victory 
in  this  action,  the  king  was  advised  to  withdraw  his  forces, 
lest  the  Welsh  should  again  attack  them,  and  they  should 
sustain  a  greater  loss;  which  counsel  the  king  willingly 
hearkened  to,  and  returned  for  England.  The  English 
being  withdrawn,  the  Earl  likewise  decamped,  and  marched 
to  Caermardhyn,  which  he  besieged ;  but  after  three  months 
vain  assault,  the  garrison  most  bravely  defending  the  place, 
and  the  English  fleet  having  thrown  in  new  provisions,  he 
thought  it  most  advisable  to  raise  the  siege.  Shortly  after, 
Rhys  Gryc,  son  to  Prince  Rhys,  died  at  Lhandeilo  Fawr, 
and  was  honourably  interred  by  his  father  at  St.  David's. 
About  the  same  time,  Maelgon  Fychan,  son  of  Maelgon  ap 
Rhys,  finished  Trefilean  castle,  which  was  begun  in  his 
father's  time. 

A.  D.  1234.  King  Henry  was  not  willing  to  hazard  any  more  cam- 
paigns in  Wales,  and  therefore  he  appointed  John  of 
Monmouth,  a  great  soldier  and  general  of  the  English 
forces,  warden  of  the  marches  of  Wales,  who  thinking  to 
get  to  himself  an  eternal  name  in  conquering  the  Welsh, 
raised  all  the  power  he  could ;  and  imagining  that  the 
Welsh  would  not  be  aware  of  his  purpose,  he  thought  he 
could  fall  upon  the  Earl  Marshal  unexpectedly:  but  in 
this  he  was,  to  his  sorrow,  much  mistaken ;  for  the  Earl 
having  received  private  intimation  of  his  design,  hid  himself 
and  his  forces  in  a  wood  by  which  the  English  were  to 
march,  and  when  they  were  come  to  a  certain  place,  the 
Welsh  of  a  sudden  gave  a  great  shout,  and  leaping  out  of 
the  place  in  which  they  had  concealed  themselves,  they  fell 
upon  the  English,  who  were  unprovided,  and  putting  their 
whole  army  to  flight,  they  slew  an  infinite  number  both  of 
the  English  and  their  auxiliaries.  John  of  Monmouth 
himself  niade  his  escape  by  flight ;  but  the  Earl  Marshal 

entering 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  229 

entering  his  country,  destroyed  it  by  fire  and  sword;  and 
what  added  to  the  misery  of  the  English,  Prince  Lhewelyn, 
in  the  week  after  Epiphany,  joining  the  Earl  Marshal,  made 
an  incursion  into  the  king's  territories,  destroying  all  before 
them,  from  the  confines  of  Wales  to  Shrewsbury,*  a  great 
part  of  which  they  laid  in  ashes.  King  Henry  was  during 
these  transactions  with  the  Bishop  of  Winchester  at  Glou- 
cester, and  for  want  of  sufficient  power  or  courage  to 
confront  the  enemy,  durst  not  take  the  field;  of  which 
being  at  length  perfectly  ashamed,  he  removed  to  Win- 
chester, leaving  the  marches  exposed  to  the  mercy  of  the 
enemy.  There  being  now  no  apprehension  of  attack  from 
the  English,  the  Earl  of  Pembroke,  by  the  counsel  of 
Geoffrey  de  Marisco,  transported  his  army  into  Ireland, 
thinking  to  obtain  a  conquest  in  that  kingdom ;  but  in  the 
first  encounter  with  the  Irish,  he  was  unfortunately  slain 
through  the  treachery  of  his  own  men :.  and  so  his  estate 
and  title  descended  to  his  brother  Gilbert. 

King  Henry,  finding  it  impracticable  to  force  the  Welsh 
to  a  submission,  and  being  in  a  great  measure  weary  of 
continual  wars  and  incessant  hostilities,  thought  it  most 
prudent  to  make  some  honourable  agreement  with  the 
Prince  of  Wales ;  and  therefore  he  deputed  Edmund  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  the  Bishops  of  Rochester,  Coventry, 
Lichfield,  and  Chester,  to  treat  with  Prince  Lhewelyn 
about  a  peace,  f  When  the  king  .came  to  meet  with  them 
on  their  return  from  this  negociation,  being  at  Woodstock, 
he  was  informed  of  the  death  of  the  Earl  of  Pembroke, 
which  he  took  so  much  to  heart  that  he  shed  tears,  being 
afflicted  for  the  death  of  so  great  a  person,  who,  as  the 
king  openly  declared,  had  not  left  his  second  in  all  his  king- 
dom. Going  from  thence  to  Gloucester,  he  met  with  the 
archbishop  and  bishops,  who  delivered  to  him  the  form  of 
the  treaty  of  peace  with  Prince  Lhewelyn,  which  the  latter 
would  not  conclude  but  upon  this  condition :— That  all  the 
English  nobility  who  were  confederated  with  him,  and  by 
evil  counsel  were  exiled,  should  be  recalled  and  restored  to 
the  king's  favour.  The  Archbishop  further  acquainted  his 
Majesty  with  what  difficulty  he  had  brought  the  matter  to 
this  conclusion,  being  sometimes  forced  to  add  threatenings 
on  the  king's  behalf,  as  also  on  behalf  of  his  clergy ;  to 
which  menaces  the  prince  is  said  to  have  answered,— that 
he  bore  more  regard  to  the  king's  charity  and  piety  than  he 
did  fear  of  his  arms  or  dread  of  his  clergy.  The  king,  who 
was  very  desirous  of  a  peace,  readily  consented  to  what  the 

prince 
*  Matthew  Paris,  p.  332.  f  Brady's  History  of  England,  vol.  1,  p.  335. 


230  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

prince  required;  and  therefore  he  issued  out  his  letters, 
recalling  all  the  nobles  who  were  outlawed,  or  otherwise 
exiled,  requiring  them  to  appear  at  Gloucester  upon  Sun- 
day next  before  Ascension-day,  where  they  should  receive 
their  pardons,  and  have  their  estates  restored  to  them, 
which  the  king  had  taken  into  his  own  hands. 

The  peace  being  thus  concluded  betwixt  the  English  and 
Welsh,  Prince  Lhewelyn  set  his  son  Gruffydh  at  liberty, 
whom,  for  his  disobedient  and  restless  humour,   he  had 
detained  in  close  prison  for  the  space  of  six  years.*     About 
the  same  time,  Cadwalhon  ap  Maelgon,  of  Melienydh,  de- 
parted this  life,  who  was  soon  followed  by  Owen,  son  of 
Gruffydh  ap  Rhys,  a  person  of  great  worth,  and  exceedingly 
beloved,  who  was  buried  at  Ystratflur  by  his  brother  Rhys. 
A.  D.  1235.  The  year  following,  died  Owen  ap  Meredith  ap  Rotpert,  of 
(Cydewen;    and  not  long  after  him,    Madawc  the   son   of 
Gruffydh   Maelor,    Lord  of  Bromfield,  Chirk,  and  Yale, 
who   was  buried  at  the  abbey  of  Lhan  Egwest,  or  Valle 
Crucis,   which   he  had  built,  leaving  issue  one  son  called 
Gruffydh,   who  succeeded  into  the  possession  of  all  these 
Jordships.f     A  short  time  after,  Gilbert  Earl  of  Pembroke 
got  by  treachery  Marchen  castle,  which  belonged  to  Morgan 
ap  Howel,  and  fortified  the  same  very  strongly,  for  fear  of 
Prince  Lhewelyn.      The  next   spring  Joan,  King  John's 
daughter,  and  Princess  of  Wales,  departed  this  life,   and 
was  buried,  according  to  her  own    desire,   upon  the  sea^ 
shore,  at  a  place  called  Lhanfaes,  in  the  isle  of  Anglesey  ; 
where  the  Prince,  in  memory  of  her,  afterwards  founded  a 
religious  house  for  the  order  of  mendicant.  friars.J     About 
the  same  time  also  died  John  Scot,  Earl  of  Chester,  with- 
out any  issue,  upon  which   account  the  king  seized   that 
earldom  into  his  own  hands.     Hugh  Lupus  was  the  first 
that  enjoyed  this  honour,  who  coming  over  to  England  with 
the  Conqueror,  was  by  him  created  Earl   of  Chester  and 
Sword-bearer  of  England;  ffabendum  et  tenendum  dictum 
comitatum  Cestriee,  sibi  et  hceredibus  suis9  ita  libere  ad 
gladiu?n,  si$ut  ip$e  rex  totam  tenebat  Anglican  ad  coror 
nam :    To  have  and  to  hold  the  said  county  of  Chester  to 
him  and  his  heirs,  by  right  of  the  sword,  as  freely  and 
securely  as  the  king  held  the  realm  of  England  in  the  right 

of 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  292. — We  are  not  acquainted  with  the  nature  of  the  offence  by 
which  Gruffydd  had  again  incurred  his  father's  displeasure.  But  there  was  a  rigour 
interwoven  into  the  destiny  of  this  gallant  prince,  which  discoloured  the  whole  tenor  pf 
his  life,  and  has  marked  him  the  child  of  adversity. 

f  Welsh  Chn.n.'p  293 

\  A  testimony  of  respect  to  her  memory,  which  renders  at  least  doubtful  the  criminal 
part  of  her  conduct;  and  may,  in  some  degree,  take  away  the  stain  which  history  has 
cast  upun  her  fa/ne.-—  Welsh  Chron.  p.  293.— See  note  in  History  of  Gwedir  family. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  231 

of  the  crown.  After  five  descents,  Randolph  Bohun  came 
to  be  Earl  of  Chester,  who  was  uncle  to  this  John,  the  last 
Earl.  This  Randolph  had  several  encounters  with  Prince 
Lhewelyn,  and  was  in  continual  warfare  against  him ;  but 
once  more  particularly  meeting  with  the  prince,  and  being 
sensible  of  his  inability  to  withstand  him,  he  was  obliged  to 
retire  for  refuge  to  the  castle  of  Ruddlan,  which  the  prince 
immediately  besieged.  Randolph,  perceiving  himself  to  be 
in  danger,  sent  to  Roger  Lacy,  constable  of  Chester,  re- 
qoesting  him  to  raise  what  strength  he  possibly  coold  and 
come  to  his  assistance  in  this  extremity ;  upon  which  Lacy 
called  to  him  all  his  friends,  and  desired  them  to  make  all 
the  endeavours  in  their  power  to  rescue  the  Earl  from  that 
imminent  danger  which  now  threatened  him :  on  this  re- 
quest, Ralph  Dutton,  son-in-law  of  Lacy,  a  valiant  youth, 
assembled  together  all  the  players  and  musicians,  and  such 
others  as  then,  being  fair- time,  had  met  to  make  merry, 
and  presenting  them  to  the  constable,  he  forthwith  marched 
to  Ruddlan,  raised  the  siege,  and  delivered  the  Earl  from 
his  perilous  situation.  Tn  recompence  for  this  service,  the 
Earl  granted  to  the  constable  several  freedoms  and  privi- 
leges; and  to  Dutton  the  ruling  and  ordering  all  players 
and  musicians  within  the  said  county,  to  be  enjoyed  by  him 
and  by  his  heirs  for  ever. 

In  the  year  1238,  Prince  Lheweiyn,  being  indisposed  in  A.  D.  1238. 
body,  called  onto  him  all  the  lords  and  barons  of  Wales  to 
Ystratflur,*  where  each  of  them  swore  to  remain  troe  and 
faithful  sobjects,  and  did  homage  to  David  his  son,  whom 
he  had  named  to  socceed  him.t  Matthew  ParisJ  writes, 
that  Prince  Lhewelyn  being  impotent  by  reason  of  a  palsy, 
and  sore  disquieted  by  his  son  Gruffydh,  sent  ambassadors 
to  the  king  of  England,  signifying  to  him,  that  forasmojch 
as  he  coold  not  expect  to  live  long  by  reason  of  his  age,  he 
was  desiroos  to  lead  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  peace  and 
tranquillity ;  and  therefore  now  purposed  to  subrnit  himself 
to  the  government  and  protection  of  the  king,  and  would 
hold  his  lands  of  him;  promising  withal,  that  whenever  the 
king  should  stand  in  need  of  his  help,  he  would  serve  him 
both  with  men  and  money  to  the  utmost  of  his  power.g 
The  bishops  of  Hereford  and  Chester  were  sent  as  mediators 
in  his  behalf,])  though  some  of  the  nobility  of  Wales  openly 
and  peremptorily  withstood  it,  and  upon  no  condition  what- 
soever would  accept  of  such  a  peace.lf  David  being  thus 

declared 

*  Strata  Florida, 
•f  Welsh  Chron.  p.  297.— British  Ant.  Reviv.  by  Vaughan  of  Hengwrt,  p.  23. 

J  Matthew  Paris,  p.  369.  §  Welsh  Chron.  p.  297. 

||  Brady's  History  of  England,  p.  567.— Matthew  Paris,  p.  369. 

$  Welsh  Chron.  p.  298.— Matthew  Paris,  369.— Matthew  Westm.  p.  110. 


232  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

declared  successor  to  the  principality,  began  to  molest  his 
brother  Gruffydh,  who,  though  his  elder,  was  base-born, 
and  took  from  him  Arustly,  Ceri,  Cyfeilioc,  Mowdhwy, 
Mocbnant,  and  Caereineon,  and  let  him  only  enjoy  the 
Cantref  of  Lhyn ;  but  a  little  afterwards  he  dispossessed 
him  of  all,  and  contrary  to  his  oath  to  the  bishop  of  Bangor, 
in  whose  protection  Gruffydh  then  remained,  took  him 
prisoner,  (having,  upon  promise  that  no  violence  should  be 
done  to  him,  obtained  an  interview  with  him,)  and  sent  him 
A.  D.  1240.  to  Cricieth  castle.*  Whilst  these  two  brothers  continued 
to  entertain  an  irreconcileable  hatred  one  to  another,  their 
father,  Prince  Lhewelyn  ap  lorwerth,  to  the  great  regret  of 
all  the  Welsh,  departed  this  life,  and  was  honourably  in- 
terred in  the  abbey  of  Conwey,  after  he  had  reigned  fifty-six 
years.f  He  was  a  prince  of  great  courage,  and  had  no  less 
prudence  in  contriving  than  boldness  in  executing  any  mar- 
tial adventure;  he  was  a  great  support  to  the  Welsh,  and 
no  less  an  annoyance  to  the  English ;  he  made  very  consi- 
derable conquests  upon  the  borders,  and  extended  the 
frontiers  of  Wales  much  beyond  their  former  limits.:}:  He 
had  issue  by  his  only  wife  Joan,  daughter  to  King  John  of 
England,  one  son  called  David,  who  afterwards  succeeded 
in  the  principality  of  Wales,§  and  a  daughter  named  Gladys, 
who  was  married  to  Sir  Ralph  Mortimer.||  He  had  also  a 
base-born  son,  named  Gruffydh,  whom  his  brother  David 
kept  a  close  prisoner  to  his  dying  day. 


DAVID  AP  LHEWELYN. 

JL  RINCE  Lhewelyn  ap  lorwerth  being  deceased,  his 
only  legitimate  son  David,  whom  all  the  barons  of  Wales 
had,  as  before  stated,  in  his  father's  life-time,  sworn  to 
obey,  legally  succeeded  in  the  government;  wherein  being 
actually  confirmed,  he  went  to  the  king  of  England  to 
Gloucester,  and  there  did  him  homage  for  his  principality ; 
and  all  the  barons,  both  English  and  Welsh,  who  held  any 
lands  in  Wales,  in  like  manner  did  homage  and  fealty  for 
the  same :  but  the  English  could  not  long  refrain  from  their 
wonted  hostilities  towards  the  Welsh ;  and  Gilbert  Marshal, 

taking 

*  A  fortress  situate  on  the  verge  of  the  sea  in  Caernarvonshire. — Welsh  Chron.  p.  208. 
—•Matthew  Paris,  p.  470. 

f  Welsh  Chron.  p.  298. 

I  Mr.  Warrington,  at  the  close  of  this  reign,  says  -"  His  talents  and  his  virtues,  with 
the  fortunate  direction  of  both,  have  given  to  this  prince  the  illustrious  title  of  Lhcwdyn 
the  Great." 

§  Brit.  Ant.  Reviv.  by  Vaughan  of  Hengwrt,  p.  27. 
||  Memoir  of  Guedir  Family,  p.  24. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  233 

taking  advantage  of  the  death  of  Lhewelyn  before  matters 
were  thoroughly  settled,  brought  an  army  against  the  castle 
of  Aberteifi,  which  being  delivered  up  to  him,  he  fortified 
with  a  strong  garrison.  Prince  David  was  as  yet  too  weak 
to  appear  in  the  field;  and  the  more  so,  because  several 
of  his  nobility  and  others  did  not  bear  true  regard  for  him, 
on  account  of  the  harsh  treatment  he  had  shown  to  his 
brother  Gruffydh,  whom,  for  no  just  reason,  he  detained  in 
close  custody  :  but  above  the  rest,  Richard  bishop  of  Ban- 
gor  expressed  himself  strongly  to  the  prince,  and  finding 
that  he  had  violated  the  promise  that  he  had  made  to  set 
his  brother  at  liberty,  whom,  under  pretence  of  an  amicable 
consultation,  he  had  fraudulently  seized  upon  in  the  bishop's 
presence,  he  without  hesitation  excommunicated  him;  and 
then  retiring  to  England,  made  an  accusatory  relation  of  the 
whole  matter  to  the  king,  wishing  to  have  Gruffydh  released 
from  prison  before  the  rumour  of  an  act  so  heinous  should 
reach  the  court  of  Rome,  and  thus  reflect  upon  his  Majesty's 
reputation.  The  King  thereupon  sent  to  his  nephew  Prince 
David,  blaming  him  highly  for  such  a  treacherous  action, 
and  for  dealing  so  severely  with  his  brother,  and  then 
earnestly  requested  him  to  deliver  Gruffydh  out  of  custody, 
both  to  save  himself  from  perpetual  condemnation,  and  that 
he  might  obtain  absolution  from  the  severe  sentence  that 
had  been  pronounced  against  him :  but  David  absolutely 
refused  to  comply  with  the  king's  desire,  assuring  him  that 
Wales  would  never  enjoy  peace  as  long  as  his  brother 
Gruffydh  had  his  liberty. 

Gruffydh  being  acquainted  with  his  brother's  resolution, 
and  thinking  that  thereby  he  had  unquestionably  displeased 
the  king  of  England,  privately  sent  to  King  Henry,  assuring 
him,  that  if  by  force  he  would  deliver  him  out  of  prison,  he 
would  not  only  hold  his  lands  for  ever  from  him,  but  also 
pay  him  the  yearly  acknowledgment  of  three  hundred  marks; 
offering  both  to  give  his  corporal  oath,  and  deliver  up  suf- 
ficient pledges,  for  the  performance  of  it;  and  withal 
offering  to  assist  the  king  with  all  his  power  in  bringing  in 
the  rest  of  the  Welsh  to  his  subjection.  Gruffydh  ap 
Madawc,  Lord  of  Bromfield,  also  positively  assured  the 
king,  that  in  case  he  would  lead  an  army  into  Wales,  to 
revenge  the  treachery  and  injurious  practices  of  David,  he 
would  give  him  all  possible  aid  and  assistance.  King 
Henry,  besides  this  solemn  invitation,  had  no  slight  pre- 
tence for  coming  to  Wales ;  for  Richard  bishop  of  Bangor, 
an  impetuous  man,  had  prosecuted  the  matter  so  warmly  at 
Rome,  that  the  Pope  also  excommunicated  David,  which 
excommunication  being  denounced  against  hirn,  his  lands 

were 


234  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

were  nominally  forfeited.     The  king  being  chiefly  allured 
by  the  promises  of  the  Welsh  in  the  behalf  of  Gruffydh, 
levied  a  very  formidable  army  to  lead  to  Wales ;  strictly 
commanding,  by  proclamation,  all  the  English  who  owed 
him  any  martial  service  to  repair  armed  to  Gloucester  by 
the  beginning  of  autumn.     This  rendezvous  being  accord- 
ingly performed,  the  king  came  thither  in  person  at  the 
time  appointed,  and  having  regulated  his  troops,  and  put 
all  matters  in  convenient  order,  he  marched  to  Shrewsbury, 
where  he  remained  fifteen   days    to    refresh    his    army.* 
During  his  stay  there  several  of  the  nobility  became  suitors 
unto  him  on   behalf  of  Gruffydh,   whose  condition   they 
desired  he  would  commiserate ;  among  whom  were,  Ralph 
Lord  Mortimer,  of  Wigmore;  Walter  Clifford;  Roger  de 
Monte  Alto,  Steward  of  Chester ;    Maelgon  ap  Maelgon ; 
Meredith   ap   Rotpert,   Lord  of  Cydewen;    Gruffydh   ap 
Madawc,  of  Bromfield ;  Howel  and  Meredith,  the  sons  of 
Conan  ap  Owen  Gwynedh;  and  Gruffydh  ap  Gwenwynwyn, 
Lord  of  Powys.f     These  noblemen  prevailed  so  far  with 
King  Henry,  that  a  league  was  concluded  between  him  and 
SenenaJ  the  wife  of  Gruffydh,  and  for  the  performance  of 
the  articles  thereof,  the  aforesaid  noblemen  offered  to  be 
securities,  and  bound  themselves  by  their  several  writings. 
As  if  all  things  had  now  conspired  together  against  Prince 
David,  several  persons  that  had  been  at  continual  variance 
and  enmity  among  themselves  to  this  time,  were  now,  by 
reason  that  they  equally  favoured  Gruffydh's  cause,  made 
friends :  thus,  Morgan  ap  Howel,  lord  of  Cery,  made  his 
reconciliation  with  Sir  Ralph  Mortimer,  and  his  submission 
to  King  Henry,  in  a  very  solemn  manner.      In  the  same 
form  several  others  of  the  nobility  submitted  to  the  king ; 
as,  Owen  ap  Howel,  Maelgon  ap  Maelgon,  Meredith   ap 
Meredith,  Howel  ap  Cadwalhon,  and  Cadwalhon  ap  Howel. 
David  finding  himself  thus  relinquished  by  the  greatest 
part  of   his   nobility,    and  particularly    by   Gruffydh    ap 
Madawc,  lord  of  Bromfield,   whom  he  chiefly  feared,  by 
reason  of  his  great  wisdom  and  power,  and   that  he  was 
much  esteemed  by  the  king  of  England,  could  not  easily 
determine  how  to  conduct  himself  in   this  perplexity  of 
affairs :    but  in  the  end,  considering  with  himself  what  a 
powerful  army  King  Henry  brought  against  him,  and  how 
much  he  himself  was  weakened  by  the  defection  of  his  sub- 
jects, he  thought  it  most  advisable  to  bow  to  the  king,  and 
therefore  with  all  speed  sent  him  his  submission. § 

Prince 

*  Matthew  Paris,  p.  506.  f  Welsh  Chron.  p.  301.  J  Sina. 

§  The  approaches  into  Wales  this  summer  had  been  rendered  very  easy  by  a  long 
drought,  which  having  continued  four  months,  had  dried  up  the  marshes. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  235 

Prince  David  having  given  a  plenary  submission  to  the 
king,  desired,  that  being  his  nephew,  and  the  lawful  heir 
and  successor   of  his  father  Prince  Lhewelyn,  he  should 
enjoy  the  principality  of  Wales,  rather  than  GrufFydh,  who 
was  illegitimate,  and  in.  no  wise  related  to  the  king ;    as- 
suring him  further,  that  the  war  would  never  be  at  an  end, 
if  he  was  set  at  liberty.     King  Henry  knowing  well  the 
truth  of  all  this,  and  withal  being  assured  that  GrufFydh 
was  not  only  valiant  himself,  but  had  likewise  very  powerful 
abettors  and  promoters  of  his  cause,  was  very  much  inclined 
to   assent   to  David's  request,  and  to  prevent  any  farther 
troubles,  willingly  granted  it.     Therefore  David,  in  a  while 
after,  sent  his  brother  GrufFydh  to  the  king,  together  with 
the  pledges  promised  for  the  performance  of  the  articles 
lately  agreed  upon  ;    wiio  were  all  sent   to   the  Tower  of  A.  D.  1241. 
London    to  be   kept  in   safe  custody  ;*    GrufFydh  being 
allowed  a  noble  a-day  to  provide  himself  with  necessaries. f 
Shortly  afterwards,  David  came  himself  to  London,  and 
after  he  had  done  his  homage,  and  sworn  fealty  to  the  King 
of    England,    returned  to  Wales,    being  honourably  and 
peaceably  dismissed.      As    soon   as   GrufFydh  discovered 
King  Henry's  intention,  and  that  it  was  the  least  part  of  his 
design  to  set  him  at  liberty,  having  flatly  denied  the  Bishop 
of  Bangor  his  request  therein,  he  began  to  devise  means 
whereby  he  might  make  his  escape  out  of  the  Tower ;  and, 
having  one  night  deceived  his  keepers,  he  let  himself  down 
from  the  top  of  the  building,  by  a  line  which  he  had  com- 
posed out  of  the  sheets  and  hangings  of  his  room ;  but  they 
being  too  weak  to  bear  his  weight,   (as  he  was  a  heavy 
corpulent  person,)  let  him  down  headlong  to  the  ground,  by 
the  greatness  of  which  fall  he  was  crushed  to  pieces,  and 
expired  immediately.^:     King  Henry  being  informed  of  this 
unhappy  accident,  severely  punished  the  officers  for  their 
inexcusable  neglect,  and   ordered  that  his  son,   who  was 
kept  prisoner  with  him  in  the  Tower,  should  be  more  closely 
observed. 

After  this  King  Henry  fortified  the  castle  of  Dyserth,  in 
Flintshire ;  and  for  their  past  service,  or  rather  to  oblige 
them  to  the  like  thereafter,  granted  to  GrufFydh  ap  Gwen- 
wynwyn  all  his  estate  in  Powys,  and  to  the  sons  of  Conan 

ap 

*  They  were  sent  in  the  custody  of  Sir  John  Lexington,  with  orders  that  the  prince 
and  his  son  Owen  should  be  confined  in  the  Tower. — Matthew  Paris,  p.  306. — Welsh 
Chron.  p.  307. 

t  Matthew  Paris,  p.  545.— Hollinshead,  p.  228. 

I  Matthew  Paris,  p.  545. — Stowe's  Chron.  p.  186.— His  son  Owen,  and  Sina  his  wife, 
who  had  shared  in  his  tedious  captivity,  were  the  witnesses  of  this  melancholy  spectacle. 
— Ibid. — Matthew  Paris  says,  that  he  fell  with  such  violence  that  his  head  and  neck  were 
nearly  driven  into  his  body. 


236  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

ap  Owen  Gwynedh  their  lands  in  Merioneth.*  The  next 
A.  D.  1242.  year  Maelgon  Fychan  fortified  the  castle  of  Garth gru°:yn, 
John  de  Mynoc  the  castle  of  Buelht,  and  Roger  Mortimer 
that  of  Melyenyth :  but  all  these  preparations  were  of  no 
avail ;  for  early  in  the  following  year,  King  Henry  came 
with  an  army  into  Wales,  and  began  to  molest  the  Welsh, 
and  without  any  just  pretence  forcibly  to  seize  upon  their 
lands  and  estates.  Indeed,  after  the  death  of  Gruffydh,  he 
was  much  inclined  no  longer  to  keep  his  promise  to  David, 
and  therefore  intended  to  grant  his  eldest  son  Edward  the 
principality  of  Wales,  whom  he  thought  to  oblige  the 
Welsh  to  obey.  Prince  David,  understanding  his  design, 
levied  all  his  power  for  the  defence  of  his  just  right ;  yet 
finding  himself  unable  to  withstand  the  army  of  the  English, 
purposed  to  effect  that  by  policy  which  he  could  not  attain 
by  force.  He  sent  therefore  to  the  Pope,  complaining  that 
King  Henry  of  England  compelled  him  unjustly  to  hold  his 
lands  of  him,  and  that,  without  any  legal  pretence,  he  seized 
the  estates  of  the  Welsh  at  his  pleasure ;  telling  him  further 
that  Prince  Lhewelyn  his  father  had  left  him  and  the 
principality  of  Wales  to  the  protection  of  the  see  of  Rome,f 
to  which  he  was  willing  to  pay  the  yearly  sum  of  five 
hundred  marks,J  obliging  himself  and  his  successors  by 
oath  for  the  due  performance  of  this  payment.  The  Pope 
(as  may  be  supposed)  gladly  accepted  the  offer,  and  there- 
upon gave  commission  to  the  two  Abbots  of  Aberconwey 
and  Cymer,  to  absolve  David  from  his  oath  of  allegiance  to 
the  King  of  England,  and  having  enquired  into  the  whole 
state  of  the  quarrel,  to  transmit  an  account  of  it  to  him. 
The  abbots,  according  to  this  their  commission,  directed  a 
very  positive  mandate  to  the  King  of  England,  who,  ad- 
miring the  strange  presumption  and  confidence  of  these 
abbots,  or  more  the  insatiable  avarice  and  greediness  of  the 
Pope,  sent  also  to  Rome,  and  with  a  greater  sum  of  money, 
easily  adjusted  all  matters,  his  Holiness  being  very  desirous 
to  make  the  most  of  both  parties. 

Prince  David,  finding  that  the  Pope  minded  his  own 
gain,  more  than  to  justify  his  complaints  against  the  King  of 
England,  thought  it  to  no  purpose  to  rely  upon  his  faith, 
but  deemed  it  more  advisable  to  vindicate  himself  by  force 
of  arms.  Having  therefore  gathered  his  forces  together, 
(being  now  reconciled  to  and  followed  by  all  the  nobility  of 
Wales,  excepting  Gruflfydh  ap  Gwenwynwyn  and  Morgan 
ap  Howel,  who  also  shortly  after  submitted  to  him,)  he 

drew 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  308.        f  Matthew  Paris,  p.  552. 
f  Matthew  Wcstm.  p.  139.— Matthew  Paris,  pp.  550,  573.— Brady,  p.  592. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  237 

drew  up  his  army  to  the  marches,  intending  to  be  revenged 
upon  the  Earls  of  Clare  and  Hereford,  John  de  Monmouth, 
Roger  de  Monte  Alto,  and  others,  who  injured  and 
oppressed  his  people ;  with  whom  he  fought  divers  times, 
and  with  various  success :  but  in  the  Lent-time  next  year,  A.  D.  1245. 
the  Marchers  and  the  Welsh  met  near  Montgomery,  between 
whom  was  fought  a  very  severe  battle ;  the  governor  of  that 
castle  being  general  of  the  English,  and  having  cunningly 
placed  a  body  of  men  in  ambuscade,  pretended,  after  some 
short  engagement,  to  flee,  whom  the  Welsh  daringly  pursu- 
ed, not  thinking  of  any  treachery  :  as  soon,  however,  as  they 
were  past  the  ambush,  up  rose  an  unexpected  party,  who, 
falling  upon  the  rear  of  the  Welsh,  put  them  in  very  great 
disorder,  and  killed  about  three  hundred  men,*  though  not 
without  a  considerable  loss  on  their  own  side ;  and  among 
the  slain  was  a  valiant  knight  called  Hubert  Fitz-Matthew.f 
King  Henry  being  weary  of  these  perpetual  skirmishes  and 
daily  bickerings  between  the  English  and  Welsh,  thought 
to  put  an  end  to  the  whole  at  one  stroke ;  and  therefore 
raised  a  great  army  of  English  and  Gascoigns,  and  entered 
North  Wales,  purposing  to  waste  and  destroy  the  country : 
but  before  he  had  advanced  very  far,  Prince  David  inter- 
cepted him  in  a  narrow  pass,  and  so  violently  attacked  his 
forces,  that  a  great  number  of  his  nobility  and  bravest 
soldiers,  and  nearly  all  the  Gascoigns,  were  slain.  The 
king,  finding  he  could  effect  nothing  against  the  Welsh, 
invited  over  the  Irish,  who,  landing  in  Anglesey,  began  to 
pillage  and  waste  the  country ;  but  the  inhabitants  gather- 
ing themselves  together  in  a  body,  quickly  forced  them  to 
their  ships :  after  which,  King  Henry  having  victualled  and 
manned  all  his  castles,  returned  dissatisfied  to  England. 

Concerning  this  expedition  to  Wales,  and  the  continuance 
of  the  English  army  therein,  a  certain  person  in  the  camp 
wrote  to  this  effect  to  his  friends  in  England  :f  (  The  king 
(  with  his  army  is  encamped  at  Gannock,  and  is  busy  in 
'  fortifying  that  place,  sufficiently  strong  already,  about 
f  which  we  lay  in  our  tents,  in  watching,  fasting,  praying, 
'  and  freezing.  We  watch  for  fear  of  the  Welsh,  who  were 
f  used  to  come  suddenly  upon  us  in  the  night-time :  we  fast 
'  for  want  of  provision,  the  halfpenny  loaf  being  now  risen 
*  and  advanced  to  five  pence:  we  pray  that  we  may  speedily 
'  return  safe  and  scot-free  home :  and  we  freeze  for  want  of 
'  winter  garments,  having  but  a  thin  linen  shirt  to  keep  us 
'  from  the  wind.  There  is  a  small  arm  of  the  sea  under 

'the 

*  Matthew  Paris,  p.  575. 

t  He  was  killed  by  a  large  stone  rolled  from  the  mountains. 
J  Matthew  Paris,  p.  508. 


238  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

(  the  castle  where  we  lie,  which  the  tide  reaches,  by  the 
6  conveniency  of  which  many  ships  bring  us  provision  and 
(  victuals  from  Ireland  and  Chester :  this  arm  lies  betwixt 
f  us  and  Snowdon,  where  the  Welsh  are  encamped,  and  is 
'  in  breadth,  when  the  tide  is  in,  about  a  bow-shot.  Now 
'  it  happened,  that  upon  the  Monday  before  Michaelmas- 

<  day,  an  Irish  vessel  came  up  to  the  mouth  of  the  haven 
'  with  provision  to  be  sold  to  our  camp,  which  being  negli- 
6  gently  looked  to  by  the  mariners,  was  upon  the  low  ebb 
'  stranded  on  the  other  side  of  the  castle,  near  the  Welsh. 
6  The  enemy  perceiving  this,  descended  from  the  mountains 

<  and  laid  siege  to  the  ship,  which  was  fast  upon  the  dry 
(  sands ;    whereupon  we  detached  in  boats  three  hundred 
6  Welsh  of  the  borders  of  Cheshire  and  Shropshire,  with 
(  some  archers  and  armed  men,  to  rescue  the  ship  :  but  the 
'  Welsh,  upon  the  approach  of  our  men,  withdrew  them- 
f  selves  to  their  usual  retirements  in  the  rocks  and  woods, 
6  and  were  pursued  for  about  two  miles  by  our  men  afoot, 
e  who  slew  a  great  number  of  them  :   but  in  their  return 
*  back,  our   soldiers   being  too    covetous    and    greedy   of 
(  plunder,   among   other  sacrilegious  and  profane  actions, 
(  spoiled  the  abbey  of  Aberconwey,  and  burnt  all  the  books 
(  and  other  choice  utensils  belonging  to  it.     The  Welsh 
f  being  distracted  at  these  irreligious  practices,  got  together 
( in  great  number,  and  in  a  desperate  manner  setting  upon 
( the  English,  killing  a  great  number  of  them,  and  following 
6  the  rest  to  the  water-side,  forced  as  many  as  could  not 
(  make  their  escape  into  the  boats,  to  commit  themselves  to 
'  the  mercy  of  the  waves.     Those  they  took  prisoners  they 
'  thought  to  reserve  for  exchange ;  but  hearing  how  we  put 
f  some  of  their  captive  nobility  to  death,  they  altered  their 
6  minds,  and  in  a  revengeful  manner  scattered  their  dila- 
f  cerated  carcases  along  the  surface  of  the  water.     In  this 
'  conflict  we  lost  a  considerable  number  of  our  men,  and 
(  chiefly  those  under  the  command  of  Richard  Earl  of  Corn- 
6  wal;  as  Sir  Alan  Buscell,  Sir  Adam  de  Maio,  Sir  Geflfry 
'  Estuemy,  and  one  Raimond   a  Gascoign,  with   about  a 
'  hundred  common  soldiers.     In  the  mean  time,  Sir  Walter 
'  Bisset  stoutly  defended  the  ship  till  midnight,  when  the 
6  tide  returned ;  whereupon  the  Welsh,  who  assailed  us  on 
(  all  sides,  were  forced  to  withdraw,  being  much  concerned 
e  that  we  had  so  happily  escaped  their  hands.     The  cargo 
f  of  this  ship  was  three  hundred  hogsheads  of  wine,  with 
(  plenty  of  other  provisions  for  the  army,  which  at  that  time 
'  it  stood  in  very  great  need  of.     The  next  morning,  how- 
'  ever,  when  the  sea  was  returned,  the  Welsh  came  merrily 

'  down 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  239 

(  down  again  to  the  ship,  thinking  to  surprise  our  men ;  but 
6  as  luck  would  have  it,  they  had  at  full  sea  the  night  before 
'  relinquished  the  ship,  and  returned  safe  to  the  camp. 
c  The  enemy  missing  our  men,  set  upon  the  cargo  of  the 
'  ship,  and  carried  away  all  the  wine  and  other  provisions; 
'  and  then,  when  the  sea  began  to  flow,  they  put  fire  to  the 
'  vessel  and  returned  to  the  rest  of  the  army.  And  thus  we 
'  lay  encamped  in  great  misery  and  distress  for  want  of 
(  necessaries,  exposed  to  great  and  frequent  dangers,  and  in 
'  great  fear  of  the  private  assaults  and  sudden  incursions  of 
'  our  enemies.  Oftentimes  we  set  upon  and  assailed  the 

*  Welsh,  and  in  one  conflict  we  carried  away   a  hundred 

*  head  of  cattle,  which  very  triumphantly  we  conveyed  to 
(  our  camp :  for  the  scarcity  of  provisions  was  then  so  great, 
(  that  there  remained  but  one  hogshead  of  wine  in  the  whole 
(  army ;  a  bushel  of  corn  being  sold  for  twenty  shillings,  a 
'  fed  ox  for  three  or  four  marks,  and  a  hen  for  eight  pence  ; 
'  so  that  there  happened  a  very  lamentable  mortality  both  of 
'  man  and  horse,  for  want  of  necessary  sustenance.'* 

The  English  army  having  undergone  such  miseries  as  are 
here  described,  and  King  Henry,  as  is  said,  perceiving  it 
was  in  vain  for  him  to  continue  any  longer  in  Wales,  where 
he  was  sure  to  gain  no  great  credit,  he  returned  with  his 
army  into  England,  being  not  very  desirous  to  make  another 
expedition  into  Wales.  Then  all  the  nobility  and  barons  of 
Wales,  and  those  that  had  favoured  and  maintained  Gruf- 
fydh's  cause,  were  made  friends  and  reconciled  to  Prince 
David,  to  whom  they  vowed  true  and  perpetual  allegiance  :f 
but  the  Prince  did  not  long  survive  this  amity  and  agree- 
ment made  between  him  and  his  subjects,  for  falling  sick 
toward  the  beginning  of  this  year,  he  died  in  March,  at  his  A.  D,  124(5, 
palace  in  Aber,  and  was  buried  at  Conway,  leaving  no  issue 
to  succeed.:J:  The  only  thing  unpardonable  in  this  prince, 
was  his  over-jealousy  and  severity  against  his  brother 
GrufFydh,  a  person  so  well  beloved  of  the  Welsh,  that  upon 
his  account  their  affection  was  much  cooled,  and  in  some 
entirely  alienated  from  their  prince.  Thus  much,  however, 
may  be  said  for  David,  that  GrufFydh  was  a  valorous  and  an 
aspiring  man,  and  if  set  at  liberty,  would  probably  have 

ejected 

*  Perhaps  a  reservation  was  made  for  a  due  supply  of  provisions  for  the  castle  of 
Gannock  (a  name  given  by  the  English  to  the  castle  of  Diganwy),  which,  it  appears,  was 
.completely  furnished  with  every  necessary  on  the  king's  departure.  In  one  of  these 
conflicts,  the  English  having  the  advantage,  they  brought  in  triumph  to  their  camp  the 
heads  of  nearly  one  hundred  Welshmen.— Matthew  Paris,  p.  598. 

f  During  these  transactions,  David  the  Prince,  being  sick  and  oppressed  with  cares, 
frequently  retired  io  his  camp  at  Tintaiol,  to  refresh  himself,  and  recover  from  the 
fatigues  of  war.— Matthew  Paris,  p.  599. 

%  Matthew  Paris,  pp.  608,  610. 


240  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

ejected  him  out  of  his  principality  ;  which  King  Henry  of 
England  too  (who  thought  he  might  bring  over  David,  a 
milder  man,  to  what  terms  he  pleased,)  was  sensible  of 
when  he  would  by  no  persuasion  dismiss  him  from  custody 
in  the  Tower  of  London.  This  occasioned  all  the  disturb- 
ances that  happened  in  his  time,  the  Welsh  themselves,  for 
the  love  they  bore  to  Gruffydh,  inviting  the  King  of 
England  to  come  to  invade  their  country,  and  to  correct  the 
unnatural  enmity  their  prince  expressed  to  his  brother :  but 
when  all  differences  were  over,  the  King  of  England  being 
returned  with  his  army  in  disgrace,  and  the  prince  and  his 
nobility  reconciled,  the  Welsh  might  have  expected  a  very 
happy  time  of  it,  had  not  death  taken  the  Prince  away, 
before  he  had  well  known  what  a  peaceful  reign  was.* 


LHEWELYN  AP  GRUFFYDH. 

JL  RINCE  David  being  dead,  the  principality  of  North 
Wales  legally  descended  to  Sir  Ralph  Mortimer,  in  right  of 
his  wife  Gladys,  daughter  to  Lhewelyn  ap  lorwerth :  but 
the  Welsh  nobility  being  assembled  together  for  the  elect- 
ing and  nominating  a  successor,  thought  it  by  no  means 
advisable  to  admit  a  stranger  to  the  crown,  though  his  title 
was  ever  so  lawful;  and  especially  an  Englishman,  by 
whose  obligations  to  the  crown  of  England,  they  must  of 
necessity  expect  to  become  subjects,  or  rather  slaves  to  the 
English  government.  Wherefore  they  unanimously  agreed 
to  set  up  Lhewelyn  and  Owen  Goch,  the  sons  of  Gruffydh, 
a  base  son  of  Lhewelyn  ap  lorwerth,  and  brother  to  Prince 
David  ;f  who  being  sent  for,  and  appearing  before  the 
assembly,  all  the  nobles  and  barons  then  present,  did  them 
homage,  and  received  them  for  their  sovereigns :  but  as  soon 
as  the  King  of  England  heard  of  the  death  of  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  he  thought,  the  country  being  in  an  unsettled  and 
wavering  condition,  he  might  effect  great  matters  there; 
and,  therefore,  he  sent  one  Nicholas  de  Miles  to  South 
Wales,  with  the  title  of  Justice  of  that  country,  with  whom 
he  joined  in  commission  Meredith  ap  Rhys  Gryc,  and 

Meredith 

*  We  have  now  seen  the  Welsh  nation  subject  to  the  most  distant  extremes  of  fortune. 
Their  annals,  in  rapid  succession,  are  marked  with  striking  vicissitudes.  Influenced  by 
sudden,  and  often  by  hidden  springs,  we  have  seen  them,  by  uniting  their  strength,  and 
exciting  its  force,  rising  up  to  the  height  of  prosperity  ;  and  then,  from  causes  which 
were  equally  capricious,  falling  in  a  moment  into  disunion  and  vassalage. 

f  These  young  princes  were  the  sons  of  GrufFydh  ap  Llewelyn,  who  some  years  before 
had  been  killed  by  attempting  to  escape  out  of  the  Tower  of  London. — Welsh  Chron. 
p.  314. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  241 

Meredith  ap  Owen  ap  Gruflfydh,  to  eject  and  disinherit 
Maelgon  Fychan  of  all  his  lands  and  estate  in  South  Wales, 
The  like  injurious  practices  were  committed  against  Howel 
ap  Meredith,  who  was  forcibly  robbed  of  all  his  estate  in 
Glamorgan  by  the  Earl  of  Clare.  These  unreasonable  ex-^ 
tortions  being  insupportable,  Maelgon  and  Howel  made 
known  their  grievances  to  the  Princes  of  North  Wales,  de- 
siring their  succour  and  assistance  for  the  recovery  of  their 
lawful  inheritance  from  the  encroachments  of  the  English : 
but  the  King  of  England,  understanding  their  design,  led 
his  army  into  Wales ;  upon  whose  arrival,  the  Welsh  with- 
drew themselves  to  Snowdon  hills,  where  they  so  wearied 
theEnglish  army,  that  the  king,  finding  he  could  do  no  good> 
after  some  stay  there,  returned  to  England.  Within  a  while 
after,  Ralph  Mortimer,  the  husband  of  Gladys  Dhu,  died ; 
leaving  his  whole  estate,  and  with  it  a  lawful  title  to  the 
principality  of  North  Wales,  to  his  son  Sir  Roger  Mortimer.* 

The  next  year  nothing  memorable  passed  between  the  A.  D.  1247 . 
English  and  the  Welsh,  only  the  dismal  effects  of  the  last 
year's  expedition  were  not  worn  off;  the  ground  being  in- 
capable of  cultivation,  and  the  cattle  being  in  great  measure 
destroyed  by  the  English,  occasioned  great  poverty  and 
want  in  the  country  :f  but  the  greatest  calamity  befel  the 
bishops  ;  St.  Asaph  and  Bangor  being  destroyed  and  burnt 
by  the  English,  the  bishops  thereof  were  reduced  to  such  an 
extremity,  as  to  get  their  subsistence  by  other  men's  charity ; 
the  bishop  of  St.  David's  at  this  time  died,  and  the  bishop 
of  Llandaft"  had  the  misfortune  to  become  blind.  In  the 
bishoprick  of  St.  David's  succeeded  Thomas^  surnamed 
Wallensis,  by  reason  that  he  was  born  in  Wales,  who  think-  , 
ing  it  incumbent  upon  him  to  benefit  his  own  country  as  far 
as  lay  in  his  power,  desired  to  be  advanced  from  the  arch- 
deaconry of  Lincoln  to  that  see:  which  the  king  easily 
granted,  and  confirmed  him  in  it.  The  next  summer  proved  1248. 
somewhat  more  favourable  to  the  Welsh ;  Rhys  Fychan, 
son  of  Rhys  Mechyl,  won  from  the  English  the  castle  of 
Carrec-Cynnen,  which  his  unkind  mother,  out  of  malice,  or 
some  ill  opinion  entertained  of  him,  had  some  time  before 
privately  delivered  up  to  them  j  and  about  the  same  time 

the 
R 

*  Oppressed  by  the  hated  laws  of  England,  the  Welsh  at  this  period  had  neither 
opportunity  nor  spirit  to  carry  on  commerce,  nor  to  cultivate  their  land,  and  in  conse- 
quence were  perishing  by  famine.  They  were  likewise  deprived  of  the  usual  pasturage 
for  their  cattle  ;  and  to  recite  the  words  of  an  old  writer,  expressive  of  their  bondage, 
"  the  harp  of  the  churchman  is  changed  info  sorrow  and  lamentations  :  the  glory  of 
their  proud  and  ancient  nobility  is  faded  away" 

f  Matthew  Paris,  p.  739. 


242  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

the  body  of  Gruffydh  ap  Lhewelyn,  base  son  of  Lhewelyn 
ap  lorwerth,  was  recovered  from  the  King  of  England,  by 
the  earnest  solicitations  of  the  abbots  of  Conway  and  Ystrat- 
flur ;  who,  conveying  it  to  Conway,  bestowed  upon  it  a  very 
pompous  and  honourable  interment.* 

A.D.  1255.      After  this,  the  affairs  of  the  Welsh  proceeded  peaceably 
for  a  considerable   time,   and   the  country  had  .sufficient 
opportunity  to  recover  its  former  state   of   plenty ;    but 
eventually,  fulfilling  the  proverb  that  plenty  begets  war ; 
they  began,  for  want  of  a  foreign  enemy,  to  quarrel  among 
themselves.     Owen  was  too  arrogant  and  ambitious  to  be 
satisfied  with   half  the  principality,   and  therefore  would 
endeavour  to  obtain  the  whole ;  wherein  fortune  so  far  de- 
ceived him,  that  he  lost  his  own  portion  of  it,  as  will  after- 
wards appear.     The  better  to  encompass  his  design,  he,  by 
artful  insinuations,  persuaded  David  his  younger  brother  to 
espouse  his  cause ;  and  they  with  joint  interest  levied  to  the 
extent  of  their  power,  with  intention  to  dethrone  their  elder 
brother  Lhewelyn ;   but  that  was  not  an  easy  matter ;  for 
Lhewelyn  was  prepared  to  receive  them,  and  with  a  power- 
ful army  met  them  in  the  field,  with  a  determination  to 
venture  all  upon  the  fortune  of  a  battle.     It  was  strange  and 
grievous  to  behold  this  unnatural  civil  war ;  and  the  more 
grievous  now,  because  it  so  manifestly  lessened  the  power  of 
the  Welsh  to  withstand  the  incursions  of  the  English,  who 
were  much  pleased  with  so  favourable  an  opportunity  to 
attack  them ;  but  they  were  too  far  engaged  to  consider  of 
future  inconveniencies,  and  a  trial  of  war  they  would  have, 
though  the  English  were  ready  to  fall  upon*  both  armies. 
The  battle  commenced  with  much  slaughter  on  both  sides, 
and  which  was  likely  to  conquer  was  not  immediately  dis- 
covered ;  but  at  length  Owen  began  to  give  way,  and  in  the 
end  was  overthrown,  himself  and  his  brother  David  being 
taken   prisoners.!      Lhewelyn,    though    he   had   sufficient 
reason,  would  not  put  his  brothers  to  death ;  but,  commit- 
ting them  into  close  prison,  seized  all  their  estates  into  his 
own  hands,  and  so  enjoyed  the  whole  principality  of  Wales. 
The  English,  seeing  the  Welsh  were  thus  oppressing  and 
destroying  one  another,  thought  they  had  full  license  to  deal 
with  them  as  they  pleased ;  and  thereupon  began  to  exercise 
every  description  of  wrong  and  injustice  against  them ;  inso- 
1256.  much  that  the  next  year,  all  the  lords  of  Wales  came  in  a 
body  to  Prince  Lhewelyn,  and  declared  their  grievances, 
how  unmercifully  Prince  Edward  (whom  his  father  had  sent 

to 

*  Rymer,  p.  443.— Welsh  Chron.  p.  319. 
t  Welsh  Chron.  p.  319.— Annales  Burton,  p.  386. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  243 

to  Wales)  and  others  of  the  nobility  of  England  dealt  with 
them,  for  without  any  colour  of  justice  they  seized  upon 
their  estates,  without  any  opportunity  for  appeal,  and  if 
they  in  person  offended  in  the  least,  they  were  punished  to 
the  utmost  extremity.  In  fine,  they  solemnly  declared  that 
they  preferred  to  die  honourably  in  the  field,  rather  than  be 
so  unmercifully  enslaved  to  the  will  artd  pleasure  of  strangers. 
Prince  Lhewelyn  was  riot  uninformed  as  to  all  this;  and 
now  having  clearly  discovered  the  intent  and  inclination  of 
his  subjects*  Was  resolved  to  effect,  if  possible,  the  expulsion 
of  the  English,  and  to  be  revenged  upon  them  for  their  most 
cruel  and  almost  inhuman  practices  towards  the  Welsh, 
Having  therefore  drawn  all  his  power  together,  being  ac- 
companied by  Meredith  ap  RhysGryc,  he  in  the  space  of  one 
week  recovered  out  of  the  hands  of  the  English  all  the  inland 
country  of  North  Wales,  and  then  all  Merionyth,  with  such 
lands  as  Prince  Edward  had  usurped  in  Cardigan,  which  he 
bestowed  upon  Meredith  the  son  of  Owen  ap  Gruftydh. 
Having  also  forced  Rhys  Fychan  out  of  Buelht,  he  conferred 
it  upon  Meredith  ap  Rhys ;  and  in  like  manner  distributed 
all  the  lands  which  he  recovered  among  his  nobles;  re- 
serving nothing  to  his  own  use,  excepting  Gwerthryneon3 
the  estate  of  Sir  Roger  Mortimer.*  The  next  summer  he  A.  D.  1257. 
entered  into  Powys^f  and  made  war  against  Gruffydh  ap 
Gwenwynwyn,  (who  always  had  taken  part  with  and  owned 
subjection  to  the  King  of  England,)  whom  he  completely 
overcame,  bringing  under  his  authority  all  his  country,  ex- 
cepting the  castle  of  Pool,  some  small  part  of  Caereineon^ 
and  the  country  lying  upon  the  banks  of  the  Severn. 

Rhys  Fychan  was  not  satisfied  with  the  loss  of  Buelht, 
and  therefore  was  resolved  to  try  to  recover  it;  to  which 
end,  he  went  to  the  King  of  England,  of  whom  he  obtained 
a  very  strong  army,  commanded  by  one  Stephen  Bacon, 
which  being  sent  by  sea,  landed  at  Caermardhyn  in  the 
Whitsun-week.  From  thence  the  English  marched  to 
Dynefawr,  and  laid  siege  to  the  castle,  which  was  valiantly 
defended  until  Lhewelyn's  army  came  to  their  relief  Upon 
the  arrival  of  the  Welsh,  the  English  withdrew  from  before 
the  castle,  and  put  themselves  in  a  position  of  battle,  which 
the  Welsh  perceiving,  they  made  all  haste  to  meet  and 
oppose  them :  whereupon  there  ensued  a  terrible  engage- 
ment, which  lasted  a  very  long  time ;  this  being,  for  number 
of  men,  the  greatest  battle  that  had  been  fought  between  the 
English  and  the  Welsh :  but  the  victory  favoured  the  Welsh, 

the 
R  2 
*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  330.  f  Matthew  Paris,  p.  806. 


244  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

the  Englishmen  being  at  length  forced  to  fly,  having  lost 
above  two  thousand  men,  besides  several  barons  and  knights 
who  were  taken  prisoners.  After  this,  the  prince's  army 
passed  to  Dyfed,  where,  having  burnt  all  the  country,  and 
destroyed  the  castles  of  Abercorran,  Lhanstephan,  Maen- 
clochoc,  and  Arberth,  with  all  the  towns  thereunto  belong- 
ing, they  returned  to  North  Wales  with  much  spoil.*  As 
soon  as  he  was  arrived  in  North  Wales,  great  complaints 
were  exhibited  to  Prince  Lhewelyn  against  Geoffrey 
Langley,f  lieutenant  to  Edward  Earl  of  Chester,  who, 
without  any  regard  to  equity,  most  wrongfully  oppressed 
the  inhabitants  of  Wales  under  his  jurisdiction :  whereupon 
the  prince,  to  punish  the  master  for  the  servant's  fault, 
entered  with  some  part  of  his  army  into  the  earl's  estate, 
and  burnt  and  destroyed  all  his  country  on  both  sides  the 
river  Dee  to  the  gates  of  Chester.!  Edward  had  no  power 
at  the  time  to  oppose  him,  but  being  resolved  to  be  revenged 
upon  the  Welsh  the  first  opportunity,  he  desired  aid  of  his 
uncle,  then  chosen  King  of  the  Romans,  who  sent  him  a 
strong  detachment  of  troops,  with  which  he  purposed  to 
give  Prince  Lhewelyn  battle :  finding  him,  however,  too 
strong,  he  thought  it  more  adviseable  to  desist  from  hostility, 
the  prince's  army  consisting  of  ten  thousand  experienced 
men,  who  were  obliged  by  oath  rather  all  to  die  in  the  field 
than  to  suffer  the  English  to  gain  any  advantage  over  the 
Welsh :  but  Gruffydh  ap  Madoc  Maelor,  Lord  of  Dinas 
Bran,§  a  person  of  notorious  reputation  for  injustice  and 
oppression,  basely  forsook  the  Welsh  his  countrymen,  and 
with  all  his  forces  went  over  to  the  Earl  of  Chester. 
A.D.  1258.  The  next  year  Prince  Lhewelyn  passed  to  South  Wales, 
and  seized  into  his  hands  the  land  of  Cemaes,  and  having 
reconciled  the  difference  between  Rhys  Gryg  and  Rhys 
Fychan,  he  won  the  castle  of  Trefdraeth,  with  the  whole 
country  of  Rhos,  excepting  Haverford.  Then  he  marched 
in  an  hostile  manner  towards  Glamorgan,  and  rased  to  the 
ground  the  castle  of  Lhangymwch  ;  and  thence  returning  to 
North  Wales,  he  met  by  the  way  with  Edward  Earl  of 
Chester,  whom  he  forced  to  return  precipitately.  Before, 
however,  he  concluded  this  expedition,  he  would  be  revenged 
upon  that  ungrateful  fugitive  Gruffydh  ap  Madoc  Maelor, 
and  thereupon  passing  through  Bromfield,  he  laid  waste  the 

whole 

*  Welsh  Chron.  pp.  320,  322. 

t  Brady,  pp.  721,  722. — It  is  probable  he  succeeded  Alan  de  Zouch,  who  had  brought 
into  England  much  treasure  in  carts  out  of  Wales. 

J  Chron.  of  Thomas  Wyke,  p.  50.— Matthew  Paris,  pp.  805,  806, 810. 
§  Near  Llangollen,  in  Denbighshire.— Welsh  Chron.  p,  255, 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  245 

whole  country.*  Upon  this  the  Kings  of  England  and 
Scotland  sent  to  Lhewelyn,  requesting  him  to  cease  from 
hostility,  and  from  thus  unmercifully  wasting,  and  forcibly 
taking  away  other  men's  estates.  The  prince  was  not  over 
willing  to  hearken  to  their  request ;  on  the  contrary,  finding 
the  time  of  the  year  very  seasonable  for  action  against  the 
English,  he  divided  his  army  into  two  divisions,  each  of 
them  consisting  of  1500  foot  and  500  horse,  with  which  he 
purposed  to  enlarge  his  conquest.  Edward  Earl  of  Chester, 
to  prevent  the  blow  which  so  imminently  hung  over  his 
head,  sent  over  to  Ireland  for  succours  j  of  whose  coming 
Prince  Lhewelyn  being  certified,  he  manned  a  fleet  to 
intercept  them,  which  meeting  with  the  Irish  at  sea,  after  a 
smart  attack  forced  them  to  return  back  with  loss.  King 
Henry,  being  informed  of  the  miscarriage  of  the  Irish, 
resolved  to  come  in  person  against  the  Welsh,  and  having 
drawn  together  the  whole  strength  of  England,  from  St. 
Michael's  Mount  in  Cornwall  to  the  river  Tweed,  marched 
with  his  son  Edward  in  great  indignation  to  North  Wales, 
and  without  any  opposition  advanced  as  far  as  Diganwy  :f 
but  the  prince  had  obstructed  his  farther  progress  and  pre- 
vented him  making  any  long  stay  in  Wales,  by  previously 
causing  all  kinds  of  provision  and  forage  to  be  carried  over 
the  river,  and  then  securing  the  strait  and  narrow  passages 
whereby  the  English  might  have  got  farther  into  the  coun- 
try ;  in  consequence  of  which  the  army  was  in  a  short  time 
so  greatly  fatigued,  that  the  king  for  want  of  necessary 
subsistence  was  forced  to  retire  in  haste  to  England  with 
considerable  loss. 

The  prince,  after  that,  sending  for  all  the  forces  in  South 
Wales,  came  to  the  marches,  where  Gruffydh  Lord  of 
Bromfield,  finding  that  the  King  of  England  was  not  able  to 
defend  his  estate,  yielded  himself  up,J  and  then  passing  to 

Powys. 

*  Matthew  Paris,  p.  80.6.  f  Welsh  Chron.  p.  321. 

J  The  late  events  had  given  a  fortunate  turn  to  affairs.  The  present  prosperity  of  the 
Welsh,  the  spoils  they  had  taken  from  the  enemy,  the  general  confederacy  which  had  been 
lately  renewed,  and  the  return  of  Gruffydh  ap  Madoc  to  his  allegiance,  had  diffused 
through  every  bosom  the  hopes  of  better  days.  To  raise  these  hopes  into  pious  con- 
fidence, Lhewelyn  addressed  his  followers  in  this  consolatory  and  animating  language  :— 
"  Thus  far,"  said  he,  "  the  Lord  God  of  Hosts  hath  helped  'us  j  for  it  must  appear  to  all 
"  that  the  advantages  we  have  obtained  are  not  to  be  ascribed  to  our  own  strength,  but 
"  to  the  favour  of  God,  who  can  as  easily  save  by  few  as  by  many.  How  should  we,  a 
"  poor,  weak,  and  unwarlike  people,  compared  with  the  English,  dare  to  contend  with  so 
"  mighty  a  power,  if  God  did  not  patronise  our  cause  ?  His  eye  has  seen  our  affliction  ; 
"  not  only  those  injuries  we  have  suffered  from  Geoffrey  de  Langley,  but  those  also 
«  which  we  have  received  from  other  cruel  instruments  of  Henry,  and  of  Edward.  From 
"  this  moment  our  all  is  at  stake,  if  we  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  we  are  to  expect  no 
"  mercy.  Let  us  then  stand  firm  to  each  other.  It  is  our  union  alone  which  can  render 
"  us  invincible.  You  see  in  what  manner  the  King  of  England  treats  his  own  subjects,  how 

"he 


246  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

Powys,  the  prince  banished  Gruflfydh  ap  Gwenwynwyn,  and 
took  all  the  lands  of  that  country  into  his  own  hands.  Pro- 
ceeding farther,  he  was  encountered  with  by  Gilbert  de 
Clare  Earl  of  Gloucester,  who  with  a  chosen  body  of 
English  forces  gave  him  battle  :  but  Lhewelyn's  army, 
exceeding  them  both  in  number  and  courage,  they  easily 
vanquished  and  overcame  the  English,  and  the  victory  being 
quickly  obtained,  the  prince  immediately  reduced  to  his 
power  all  the  castles  belonging  to  the  Earl  of  Gloucester. 
King  Henry,  hearing  of  the  Earl's  overthrow,  was  much 
concerned  at  the  loss  of  so  many  brave  soldiers,  in  whose 
valour  and  experience  he  had  always  put  great  confidence, 
and  therefore,  to  revenge  their  deaths,  he  again  resolved  to 
march  against  the  Welsh.  Having  called  his  forces 
together,  and  received  supplies  from  Gascoign  and  Ireland, 
he  came  to  Wales,  but  not  daring  to  venture  far  into  the 
country,  for  fear  of  being  forced  to  make  another  igno- 
minious retreat,  he  contented  himself  with  destroying  the 
corn  near  the  borders,  it  being  harvest  time,  and  so  returned 
to  England.  At  this  time,  however,  Lord  James  Audley, 
whose  daughter  was  married  to  Gruflfydh  Lord  of  Brom- 
field,  did  more  mischief  and  injury  to  the  Welsh ;  for, 
having  brought  over  a  great  number  of  horsemen  from 
Germany  to  serve  against  the  Welsh,  they  were  so  terrified 
by  the  unusual  large  size  of  the  horses,  and  the  unac- 
customed manner  of  fighting  used  by  the  Germans,  that  in  the 
first  encounter  the  Welsh  were  easily  overcome :  but,  intend- 
ing to  revenge  this  disgrace,  and  withal  being  better 
acquainted  with  their  method  of  arms,  the  Welsh  in  a 
short  time  after  made  inroads  into  the  Lord  Audley 's  lands, 
where  the  Germans  immediately  attacked  them,  and  pursued 
them  tq  certain  narrow  passages,  to  which  the  WTelsh 
designedly  made  their  retreat.  The  Germans,  thinking 
they  had  entirely  driven  the  Welsh  away,  returned  care- 
lessly back,  but  being  suddenly  attacked,  when  they  had  no 
thought  of  an  enemy  being  behind  them,  they  were  nearly 
all  slain  by  the  Welsh  that  had  thus  rallied.  This  year  a 
very  great  scarcity  of  oxen  and  horses  happened  in 
England,  whereof  several  thousands  yearly  were  supplied 

out 

"  he  seizes  their  estates,  impoverishes  their  families,  and  alienates  their  minds.  Will  he 
"  then  spare  us,  after  all  the  provocations  we  have  given  him,  and  the  farther  acts  of 
"  hostility  and  revenge  which  we  meditate  against  him?  No  ;  it  is  evidently  his  intention 
"  to  blot  out  our  name  from  under  the  face  of  heaven.  Is  it  not  better  then  at  once  to 
"  die,  and  go  to  God,  than  to  live  for  a  time  at  the  capricious  will  of  another,  and  at  last 
"  to  suffer  some  ignominious  death  assigned  us  by  an  insulting  enemy  ?"  Animated  by 
this  oration,  the  Welsh  infested  the  English  borders  with  incessant  inroads ;  in  the  course 
of  their  ravages,  by  fire,  by  the  sword,  and  by  plunder,  they  rendered  the  frontier  a  scene 
of  desolation. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  247 

out  of  Wales ;  in  consequence  of  which,  the  marches  were 
completely  despoiled  of  all  their  breed,  and  not  so  much  as 
a  beast  was  to  be  seen  in  all  the  borders. 

The  next   spring  all  the  nobility  of  Wales  assembled  A.  D.  1259. 
together  and  took  their  mutual  oaths  to  defend  their  coun- 
try even  to  death,  against  the  oppressive  invasions  of  the 
English,  and  not  to   relinquish  and  forsake   one   another 
under  the  penalties  of  perjury  :  but  Meredith  ap  Rhys  of 
South  Wales  violated  this  agreement,  and  put  himself  into 
the  service  of  the  King  of  England.     King  Henry  was  now 
prepared   to  attack  the  Welsh,  and  for  this  purpose  he 
summoned   a  parliament,  wherein  he  proposed  to  raise  a 
subsidy  towards  the  conquest  of  Wales,  being  not  able  of 
himself  to  bear  the  expenses  of  this  war,  in  consequence  of 
several  losses  he  had   already    received,    the  country    of 
Pembroke  being  lately  destroyed  and  taken  by  the  Welsh, 
where  they  found  plenty  of  salt,  of  which  article  they  were, 
at  that  time,  in  great  need.*     William  de  Valentia  accused 
the  Earls  of  Leicester  and  Gloucester  as  the  authors  of  the 
intended  war,  and  quite  broke  all  their  measures,  so  that  the 
king  was  forced  to   prorogue    the    parliament  for  a  time 
without  any  grant  of  a  subsidy  :  but  in  a  short  time  after,  it 
sat  at  Oxford,  where  King  Henry  and  Edward  his  son  took 
a  solemn  oath  to  observe  the  laws  and  statutes  of  the  realm, 
and  the  same  being  tendered  to  Guy  and  William,  the  king's 
brothers,  and  to  Henry,  son  to  the  King  of  Almain,  and  to 
Earl  Warren,  they  refused  to  take  it,  and  departed.     In 
this  parliament  the  lords  of  Wales  openly  offered  to  be  tried 
by  the  laws  for  any  offence  they  had  unjustly  committed 
against  the  king,  which  was  chiefly  opposed  by  Edward, 
who  caused  one  Patrick  de  Canton  (to  whom  the  lordship  of 
Cydwely  was  given,   in  case  he  could  win  and  keep  the 
same)  to  be  sent  to  Caermardhyn  as  lieutenant  for  the  king, 
with  whom  Meredith  ap  Rhys  was  joined  in  commission. 
Being  arrived  at  Caermardhyn,  Patrick  sent  to  the  prince, 
to  desire  him  to  appoint  commissioners  to  treat  with  hini 
concerning  a  peace,  which  he  consented  to,  and,  without  any 
suspicion  of  treachery,  sent  Meredith  ap  Owen  and  Rhys 
ap  Rhys  to  Emlyn,  to  conclude  the  same  if  possible:  but 
Patrick,  meaning  no  such  thing,  laid  an  ambuscade  for  the 
Welsh,  who  coming  unsuspectingly  forward,  were  by  the 
way  villainously  attacked  by  the  English,  and  a  great  many 
were  slain  ;  those'  that  happily  escaped,  however,  raised  an 
alarm  in  the  country,  and  immediately  gave  chase  to  Patrick 

and 

*  In  consequence  of  their  brine  works   having   been   destroyed   by  King   Henry  .- 
Matthew  Paris,  p.  819. 


248  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

and  his  accomplices,  who  being  at  length  overtaken,  were 
almost  all  put  to  the  sword.  Prince  Lhewelyn  was,  not- 
withstanding, wholly  bent  upon  a  peace,  and  not  only 
desired  it,  but  was  willing  to  purchase  it  for  a  sum  of 
money,  for  which  purpose  he  offered  to  give  the  king  4000 
marks,  to  his  son  300,  and  200  to  the  queen,  which  the 
king  utterly  refused,  replying,  That  it  was  not  a  sufficient 
recompense  for  all  the  damages  he  had  suffered  by  the 
Welsh.  Matthew  of  Westminster  reports,  that  about 
Michaelmas  this  year,  the  Bishop  of  Bangor  was  com- 
missioned by  the  prince  and  nobility  of  Wales  to  treat  with 
the  King  of  England  about  a  peace,  and  to  offer  him  16,000 
pounds  for  the  same,  upon  these  conditions,  that,  according 
to  their  ancient  custom,  the  Welsh  should  have  all  causes 
tried  and  determined  at  Chester,  and  that  they  should 
freely  enjoy  the  laws  and  customs  of  their  own  country ;  but 
what  was  the  result  of  this  treaty,  my  author  does  not 
mention. 

A.  D.  1260.  There  being  no  hope  of  a  peace,  Prince  Lhewelyn  early 
next  year  appeared  in  the  field,  and  passed  to  South  Wales, 
and  first  attacked  Sir  Roger  Mortimer,  who,  contrary  to  his 
oath,  supported  the  King  of  England  in  his  quarrel. 
Having  forcibly  dispossessed  him  of  all  Buelht,  and  with- 
out any  opposition  taken  the  castle,  where  was  found  a 

1261.  plentiful  magazine,  he  marched  through  all  South  Wales, 
confirming  his  conquest,  and  afterwards   returned  to  his 
palace  at  Aber,  between  Bangor  and  Conway.     The  year 

1262.  following,  Owen  ap  Meredith  Lord  of  Cydewen  died  :  but 

1263.  the  next  summer  was  somewhat  more  noted  for  action,  as  a 
party  of  Prince  Lhewelyn's  men  took  by  surprise  the  castle 
of   Melienyth,    belonging    to   Sir  Roger  Mortimer,    and 
having  put  the  other  part  of  the  garrison  to  the  sword,  they 
took  Howel  ap  Meyric,  the  governor,  with  his  wife  and 
children,  prisoners ;  and  after  that  the  castle  was  demolished 
by  the  prince's  order.     Sir  Roger  Mortimer,  hearing  of 
this,   with    a  great  body   of  lords  and  knights  came  to 
Melienyth,  where   Prince   Lhewelyn   met  him ;    but  Sir 
Roger,  not  daring  to  hazard  a  battle,  planted  himself  within 
the  ruins,  and  finding  his  force  could  be  of  no  avail,  desired 
leave  of  the  prince  to  retire  peaceably.     The  Prince,  upon 
the  account  of  relation  and  near  consanguinity  betwixt  them, 
and  withal  because  he  would  not  be  so  mean  spirited  as  to 
fall  upon  an  enemy  that  had  no  power  to  resist  him,  let  him 
safely  depart  with  his  forces,  and  then  passed  on  himself  to 
Brecknock,  at  the  request  of  the  people  of  that  country,  who 
swore  fidelity  unto  him,  after  which  he  returned  to  North 

Wales : 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  249 

Wales  :  and  now  being  confederate  with  the  barons  against 
King  Henry,  he  was  resolved  to  do  something  to  the  injury 
of  the  English ;  he  therefore  invaded  the  earldom  of 
Chester,  and  destroyed  the  castles  of  Diganwy  and 
Diserth  belonging  to  Edward,  who  came  thither,  but  was 
unable  to  prevent  the  Welsh  committing  the  injury  they 
intended.  The  next  year  John  Strange,  junior,  constable  of  A.  D.  1264. 
Montgomery,  with  a  great  number  of  marchers,  came  a  little 
before  Easter  by  night,  through  Ceri  to  Cydewen,  intending 
to  surprise  the  castle,  which  when  the  people  of  the  country 
understood,  they  gathered  together,  and  attacking  the  forces 
of  Strange,  slew  two  hundred  of  his  men,  but  he  himself 
with  a  few  of  his  troops  got  safely  back. 

Within  a  short  time  after,  the  marchers  and  the  Welsh 
met  again  near  a  place  called  Clun,  where  a  warm  engage- 
ment happened  between  them,  in  which  the  Welsh  were 
worsted,  and  had  a  great  number  of  their  men  slain.  After 
this,  nothing  remarkable  fell  out  for  a  considerable  time, 
unless  it  were,  that  David,  being  released  out  of  prison  by 
Prince  Lhewelyn  his  brother,  most  ungratefully  forsook  him, 
and  with  all  his  power  leagued  with  his  enemies  the 
English ;  also  Gruffydh  ap  Gwenwynwyn,  having  taken  the 
castle  of  Mold,  rased  it  to  the  ground.  During  this  com- 
paratively quiet  and  inactive  interval  in  Wales,  Meredith 
ap  Owen,  the  main  support  and  defender  of  South  Wales, 
died,  to  the  great  disadvantage  of  the  affairs  of  that  country: 
and  now  indeed,  the  Welsh  were  likely  to  be  made  sensible  1268. 
of  the  loss  of  so  considerable  a  person,  for  King  Henry 
resolved  once  more  to  lead  an  army  into  Wales,  and  to  try 
if  he  could  have  better  success  than  he  had  hitherto 
obtained  against  the  Welsh  :  but  when  he  was  prepared  to 
undertake  this  expedition,  Ottobonus,  Pope  Clement's 
legate  in  England,  interposed  and  procured  a  peace,  which 
was  concluded  upon  at  the  castle  of  Montgomery,*  wherein 
it  was  agreed,  that  Prince  Lhewelyn  should  give  the  king 
thirtyf  thousand  marks,  and  the  king  was  to  grant  the 
prince  a  charter,  from  thenceforth  to  receive  homage  and 
fealty  of  all  the  nobility  and  barons  of  Wales,  excepting 
one,  so  that  they  could  hold  their  lands  of  no  other  but 
himself,  and  from  thenceforward  he  was  to  be  lawfully  stiled 
Prince  of  Wales.  This  charter  being  ratified  and  confirmed, 
as  well  by  the  authority  of  the  pope,  as  by  the  king's  seal, 
Prince  Lhewelyn  desisted  from  any  farther  acts  of  hostility, 
and  punctually  observed  all  the  articles  of  agreement 

between 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  327-  * 

t  Matthew  Paris,  p.  875,  says  £32,000.— Welsh  Chron.  p.  327. 


250  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

between  him  and  King  Henry,  so  that  no  outrage  between 
the  English  and  Welsh  occurred  during  the  remainder  of 
this  king's  reign.  Within  that  space,  died  Grono  ap 
Ednyfed  Fychan,  one  of  the  chief  lords  of  the  prince's 
council,  and  shortly  after  him  Gruffydh  Lord  of  Bromfield, 
who  lies  buried  at  Valle  Crucis.* 

A.  D.  1272.      The  death  of  King  Henry,  however,  put  an  end  to  the 
observation  of  the  peace  betwixt  the  English  and  Welsh,  for 
that  event  took  place  on  the  sixteenth  of  November  this  year, 
and  he  left  this  kingdom  to  his  son  Edward.      Prince  Ed- 
ward was  then  in  the  Holy  Land,  actively  engaged  against 
those  enemies  of  Christianity,  the  Turks,  where  he  had 
already  continued  above  a  year ;  but  being  informed  of  his 
father's  death,  and  that  in  his  absence  he  was  proclaimed 
King  of  England,  he  made  all  haste  to  return  to  undergo  the 
solemnity  of  coronation :  but  what  by  the  tediousness  of  the 
journey,  and  what  by  being  honourably  detained  at  princes' 
courts  in  his  way,  it  was  two  years  before  he  could  get  into 
England,  and  then  upon  the  fifteenth  of  August,  in  the  year 
1274,  he  was  crowned  at  Westminster.     Prince  Lhewelyn 
was  summoned   to  attend  at  his  coronation,  but  he  flatly 
refused  to  appear,f  unless  upon  sure  terms  of  safe  conduct ; 
for,  having  offended  several  of  the  English  nobility,  he 
could  not  in  safety  pass  through  their  country  without  the 
danger  of  exposing  his  person  to  the  inveterate  malice  and 
implacable  revenge  of  some  of  them :    and,  therefore,  unless 
the  king's  brother,  the  Earl   of  Gloucester,   and  Robert 
Burnell  Lord  Chief  Justice  of  England,:}:  were  delivered  up 
as  pledges  for  his  safe  conduct,  he  would  not  come  to  do  his 
homage  and  fealty  at  the  coronation,  according  to  the  writ 
directed  to  him.     Indeed,  seeing  that  King  Edward  had 
broken  the  peace  lately  concluded  upon  before  the  Pope's 
legate,  and  received  and  honourably  entertained  such  noble- 
men of  Wales,  as   for  their  disloyalty  were  banished  by 
Prince  Lhewelyn,  and  from  whom  he  feared  some  treachery, 
there  was  no  reason  that  the  prince   should  pay  him  any 
subjection,  as  by  this  breach  of  the  peace  he  was  exempted 

from 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  327. 

•f-  It  appears  that  Lhewelyn  was  summoned  by  King  Edward  to  repair  to  different 
places-,  and  it  is  highly  probable,  during  this  time,  that  the  following  remarkable 
circumstance  took  place.  Edward  being  at  Aust  Ferry  on  the  Severn,  and  knowing  that 
the  Prince  of  Wales  was  on  the  opposite  side,  sent  him  an  invitation  to  come  over  the 
river,  that  they  might  confer  together  and  settle  some  matters  of  dispute.  This  being 
refused  by  Lhewelyn,  King  Edward  threw  himself  into  a  boat,  and  crossed  over  to  the 
prince  •,  who,  struck  with  the  gallantry  of  the  action,  leaped  into  the  water  to  receive  him, 
telling  the  king  at  the  same  time  that  his  humility  had  conquered  his  own  pride,  and  that 
his  wisdom  had  triumphed  over  his  own  folly. 

J  Rymer,  p.  41.    J.  Rossi,  Ant.  Warw.  p.  102. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

from  all  homage.  However,  Prince  Lhewelyn,  to  show  that 
it  was  not  out  of  any  stubbornness  or  disrespect,  to  the  King 
of  England,  that  he  refused  to  come,  sent  up  his  reasons  by 
the  Abbots  of  Ystratflur  and  Conway  to  Robert  Kilwarby 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  the  rest  of  the  bishops  then 
sitting  in  convocation  in  the  New  Temple  at  London,  which 
were  to  this  effect : — 

"  To  the  Most  Reverend  Fathers  in  God,  Robert,  Arch- 
"  bishop  of  Canterbury  and  Metropolitan  of  all  Eng- 
"  land,  the  Archbishop  of  York,  arid  the  rest  of  the 
"  Bishops  in  Convocation;  Lhewelyn,  Prince  of  Wales 
"  and  Lord  of  Sncwdon,  sendeth  greeting: 

"  WE  would  have  your  Lordships  to  understand,  that 
"  whereas  formerly  most  terrible  and  incessant  wars  were 
"  continually  managed  betwixt  Henry  King  of  England  and 
"  Ourself;  the  same  were  at  last  composed,  and  all  matters 
"  of  differences  were  adjusted  by  the  means  of  his  Excel- 
"  lency  Cardinal  Ottobonus,  the  Pope's  legate,  who  having 
"  drawn  the  articles  and  conditions  of  the  peace  agreed 
"  upon,  they  were  signed  and  swore  to,  not  only  by  the 
"  king,  but  also  the  prince  his  son,  now  king  of  England. 
"  Among  these  articles  were  comprehended,  that  We  and 
<f  Our  successors  should  hold  of  the  king  and  his  successor, 
"  the  principality  of  Wales,  so  that  all  the  Welsh  lords,  one 
"  baron  excepted,  should  hold  their  baronies  and  estates  in 
te  capite  of  Us,  and  should  pay  their  homage  and  fealty  for 
( (  the  same  to  Us ;  We  in  like  manner  doing  homage  to  the 
"  king  of  England  and  his  successors.  And  besides,  that 
"  the  king  and  his  successors  should  never  offer  to  receive 
"  and  entertain  any  of  Our  enemies,  nor  any  such  of  Our 
(f  own  subjects  as  were  lawfully  banished  and  excluded  Our 
' f  dominions  of  Wales,  nor  by  any  means  defend  and  uphold 
"  such  against  Us.  Contrary  to  which  articles,  King 
"  Edward  has  forcibly  seized  upon  the  estates  of  certain 
"  barons  of  Wales,  which  they  and  their  ancestors  have 
f(  been  immemorably  possessed  of,  and  detains  a  barony 
"  which  by  the  form  of  peace  should  have  been  delivered 
"  to  us ;  and  moreover,  has  hitherto  entertained  David  ap 
tf  Gruffydh  Our  brother,  and  Gruffydh  ap  Gwenwynwyn, 
'(  with  several  other  of  Our  enemies  who  are  outlaws  and 
"  fugitives  of  Our  country,  and  though  We  have  often 
"  exhibited  Our  grievances  and  complaints  against  them, 
"  for  destroying  and  pillaging  Our  country,  yet  We  could 
"  never  obtain  of  the  king  any  relief  or  redress  for  the 
<e  several  wrongs  and  injuries  We  received  at  their  hands; 

"  but 


252  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

C(  but  on  the  contrary  they  still  persist  to  commit  wastes 
"  and  other  outrages  in  Our  dominions.  And  for  all  this, 
"  he  summons  Us  to  do  him  homage  at  a  place  which  is 
"  altogether  dangerous  to  Our  person,  where  Our  inveterate 
"  enemies,  and  which  is  worse,  Our  own  unnatural  subjects, 
"  bear  the  greatest  sway  and  respect  with  the  king.  And 
"  though  We  have  alleged  several  reasons  to  the  king  and 
<f  his  council,  why  the  place  by  him  assigned  is  not  safe 
"  and  indifferent  for  Us  to  come,  and  desire  him  to  appoint 
"  another,  whereto  we  might  with  more  safety  resort,  or 
"  else  that  he  would  send  commissioners  to  receive  Our 
"  oath  and  homage,  till  he  could  more  opportunely  receive 
(f  them  in  person ;  yet  he  would  not  assent  to  Our  just  and 
"  reasonable  request,  nor  be  satisfied  with  the  reasons  We 
(f  exhibited  for  Our  non-appearance.  Therefore  We  desire 
"  your  lordships  earnestly  to  weigh  the  dismal  effects  that 
"  will  happen  to  the  subjects  both  of  England  and  Wales 
"  upon  the  breach  of  the  articles  of  peace,  and  that  you 
"  would  be  pleased  to  inform  the  king  of  the  sad  conse- 
"  quence  of  another  war,  which  can  no  way  be  prevented 
"  but  by  using  Us  according  to  the  conditions  of  the  former 
<f  peace,  which,  for  Our  part,  We  will  in  no  measure  trans- 
"  gress.  But  if  the  king  will  not  hearken  to  your  counsel, 
f(  We  hope  that  you  will  hold  Us  excused,  if  the  nation  be 
"  disquieted  and  troubled  thereupon,  which  as  much  as  in 
"  Us  lieth  We  endeavour  to  prevent." 

King  Edward  would  not  admit  of  any  excuse,  nor  hearken 
to  any  manner  of  reason  in  the  case,  but  was  exceedingly 
enraged,  and  conceived  an  unappeasable  displeasure  against 
Prince  Lhewelyn,  which,  however,  he  thought  it  convenient 
to  conceal  and  dissemble  for  a  time.  Indeed,  he  was  pre- 
judiced against  Lhewelyn  ever  since  he  had  been  vanquished 
and  put  to  flight  by  him  in  the  marches,  so  that  the  chief 
cause  of  King  Edward's  anger  originally  proceeded  from  a 
point  of  wounded  honour,  which  this  refusal  of  homage 
served  to  increase.  To  prosecute  his  revenge,  which  upon 
such  a  ground  is  commonly  in  princes  very  implacable,  he  in 
a  short  time  came  to  Chester,  meaning  to  recover  by  force 
what  he  could  not  obtain  by  fair  means.  From  thence  he 
sent  to  the  Prince  of  Wales,  requiring  him  to  come  and  do 
him  homage,  which  Lhewelyn  either  absolutely  refusing  or 
willingly  neglecting  to  do,  King  Edward  made  ready  his 
A.  D.  1277.  army  to  force  him  thereto :  but  an  accident  occurred,  which 
took  off  a  great  part  of  Lhewelyn's  obstinacy ;  for  at  this 
time  the  Countess  of  Leicester,  the  widow  of  Simon  Mont- 
ford, 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  253 

ford,*  who  lived  at  Montargis,  a  nunnery  in  France,  sent 
over  to  Wales  her  daughter,  the  Lady  Eleanor,  (whom 
Lhewelyn  extremely  loved,)  with  her  brother  Aemerike, 
the  former  to  be  married  to  the  prince  according  to  the 
agreement  made  in  the  time  of  her  father,  Earl  Montford : 
Aemerike,  however,  fearing  to  touch  upon  the  coast  of 
England,  steered  his  course  towards  the  islands  of  Scilly, 
where  by  the  way  they  were  all  taken  by  four  Bristol  ships, 
and  brought  to  King  Edward,  who  received  the  lady  very 
honourably,  but  committed  her  brother  prisoner  to  the 
castle  of  Corff,  whence  he  was  afterwards  removed  to  the 
castle  of  Shirburne.  The  king  having  obtained  this  unex- 
pected advantage  over  Lhewelyn,  began  boldly  to  fall  upon 
him,  and  so  dividing  his  army  into  two  battalions,  led  one 
himself  into  North  Wales,  and  advanced  as  far  as  Ruddlan, 
where  he  strongly  fortified  the  castle.  The  other  he  com- 
mitted to  Paganus  de  Camutiis,  a  great  soldier,  who,  entering 
into  West  Wales,  burned  and  destroyed  a  great  part  of  the 
country.  Then  the  people  of  South  Wales,  fearing  that  his 
next  expedition  would  be  levelled  against  them,  volunta- 
rily submitted  themselves  to  the  king,  and  did  him  homage, 
and  then  delivered  up  the  castle  of  Ystraty wy  to  Paganus. 

Prince  Lhewelyn,  hearing  of  this,  and  finding  that  his 
own  subjects  forsook  him,  but  more  especially  being  de- 
sirous to  recover  his  spouse  the  Lady  Eleanor,  thought  it 
likewise  advisable  to  submit,  and  therefore  sued  to  King 
Edward  for  a  peace,  who  granted  it,  but  upon  very  severe 
conditions,  as  regarded  Lhewelyn.  The  agreement  con- 
sisted of  ten  articles,  which  were, — I.  That  the  prince 
should  set  at  liberty  all  prisoners  that  upon  the  king's 
account  were  detained  in  custody.  II.  That  for  the  king's 
favour  arid  good-will,  he  should  pay  50,000  marks,  to  be 
received  at  the  king's  pleasure.  III.  That  these  four  can- 
treds  or  hundreds,  viz.  Cantref  Ros,  where  the  king's  castle 
of  Diganwy  stands, — Ryfonioc,  where  Denbigh, — Teg- 
eingl,  where  Ruddlan, — Dyflfryn  Clwyd,  where  Ruthyn, 
stands, — should  remain  in  the  king's  hands.  IV.  That 
the  Lords  Marchers  should  quietly  enjoy  all  the  lands  they 
had  conquered  within  Wales,  excepting  in  the  Isle  of 
Anglesey,  which  was  wholly  granted  to  the  prince.  V. 
That  in  consideration  of  this  island,  the  prince  should  pay 
5000  marks  in  hand,  with  the  reserve  of  1000  marks 
yearly,  to  begin  at  Michaelmas;  and  in  case  the  prince  died 

without 

*  He  married  Eleanor,  dowager  of  William  Earl  of  Pembroke,  and  sisfer  to  Henry  the 
Third.  This  Simon  de  Montford  built  a  castle  at  Broadway,  near  Churchstoke,  called 
Simon's  Castle,  now  demolished. — Lleweljti's  Manuscript. 


254  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

without  issue,  the  whole  island  should  return  to  the  king. 
VI.  That  the  prince  should  come  every  year  to  England  to 
pay  his  homage  to  the  king  for  all  his  lands.  VII.  That 
all  the  barons  of  Wales,  excepting  five  in  Snowdon,  should 
hold  their  lands  and  estates  of  the  king,  and  no  other. 
VIII.  That  the  title  of  Prince  should  remain  only  for  his 
life,  and  not  descend  to  his  successor's,  and  after  his  death, 
the  five  lords  of  Snowdon  should  hold  their  lands  only  from 
the  king.  IX.  That  for  the  performance  of  these  articles, 
the  prince  should  deliver  up  for  hostages  ten  persons  of  the 
best  quality  in  the  country  ^  without  imprisoning,  disinhe- 
riting, and  any  time  of  redemption  determined,  X.  And 
farther,  that  the  king  should  choose  twenty  persons  in 
North  Wales,  who,  besides  the  prince,  should  take  their 
oaths  for  the  due  performance  of  these  articles ;  and  in  case 
the  prince  should  swerve  and  recede  from  them,  and  upon 
admonition  thereof  not  repent,  they  should  forsake  him,  and 
become  his  enemies.  The  prince  was  obliged  to  suffer 
his  brethren  quietly  to  enjoy  their  lands  in  Wales,  whereof 
David  for  his  service  was  dubbed  knight  by  the  king,  and 
had  the  Earl  of  Derby's  widow  given  him  in  matrimony,  and 
with  her  as  a  portion  the  castle  of  Denbigh  in  North 
Wales,  besides  1000  pounds  in  lands.  His  other  brother 
Roderic  had  lately  escaped  out  of  prison  into  England,  and 
the  younger,  called  Owen,  was  upon  his  composition  deli* 
vered  out  of  prison. 

King  Edward  having  imposed  these  severe  conditions 
upon  Prince  Lhewelyn,  and  for  a  better  security  for  the 
performance  of  them,  built  a  castle  at  Aberystwith,  returned 
very  honourably  into  England  ;  upon  whose  arrival,  the 
people  willingly  granted  him  a  subsidy  of  the  twentieth 
part  of  their  estates  towards  his  charges  in  this  war:  but  it 
seems  very  probable  that  Prince  Lhewelyn  submitted  to 
these  intolerable  conditions,  more  upon  the  account  of  his 
amours,  and  to  regain  the  Lady  Eleanora  out  of  the  King  of 
England's  hand,  than  that  he  was  apprehensive  of  any 
considerable  danger  he  might  receive  by  the  English  troops; 
for  it  is  hardly  conceivable,  that  a  prince  of  such  well-known 
conduct  and  valour,  would  so  easily  accept  of  such  severe 
terms,  and  as  it  were  deliver  up  his  principality,  when  there 
was  no  necessity  so  to  do,  without  resisting  an  enemy, 
whom  he  had  frequently  overcome,  and  forced  to  retire 
back  with  greater  inequality  than  the  English  had  at 
present  over  him :  but  the  force  of  love  works  wonders,  and 
in  this  case  proved  most  irresistible,  for  to  obtain  his  desire 
Lhewelyn  did  not  scruple  to  forfeit  his  just  right  to  his 

inveterate 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  255 

inveterate  enemies,  and  for  ever  to  exclude  his  posterity 
from  succeeding  in  their  lawful  inheritance.  The  next  year  A-D- 1278- 
therefore,  he  had  his  wish  accomplished,  and  was  married  to 
Eleanora  at  Worcester,  the  king  and  queen,  with  all  the 
nobility  and  persons  of  quality  in  England,  honouring  the 
wedding  with  their  presence.* 

This  specious  amity,    and  the  peace  lately  concluded 
betwixt  them,  did  not.  however  last  long,  for  the  English 
governors   in  the  marches  and  inland   counties  of  Wales, 
presuming    upon   the    prince's    submission    to    the    king, 
grievously  oppressed  the  inhabitants  of  the  country,  with 
new  and  unheard-of  exactions,  and  with  intolerable  par- 
tiality openly    encouraged    the    English    to    defraud   and 
oppress  the  Welsh.     These  insupportable  practices  moved 
the  Welsh  to  go  in  a  body  to  David  Lord  of  Denbigh,  to 
endeavour  to  procure  a  reconciliation  between  him  and  his 
brother  the  prince,  that  they  both,  being  at  unity,  might 
easily  deliver  themselves  and  their   country  from  the  un- 
merciful tyranny  of  the  English.     David  was  not  ignorant  of 
the  miseries  of  his  countrymen,  and  therefore  gladly  sub- 
mitted to  be  reconciled  to  his  brother,  with  promise  never 
to  take  part  again  with  the  King  of  England,  but  to  become 
his  utter  enemy.     This  happy  union  being  thus  effected, 
David  was  chosen  general  of  the  army,   with   which  he 
presently  marched  to  Hawarden,  and  surprising  the  castle 
slew  all    that  opposed    him,    and    took    Roger    Clifford 
prisoner,  who  had  been  sent  by  King  Edward  as  Justiciary 
into  those  parts.f      From  thence,    being    joined  by   the 
prince,  he  passed  to   Rhuddlan,    and  laid   siege  to   the 
castle ;  but  upon  notice  given  that  the  king  was  marching  to 
raise  the  siege,  he  deemed  it  convenient  to  withdraw,  and  to 
retire.     At  the  same  time  Rhys  ap  Maelgon  and  Gruffydh 
ap  Meredith  ap  Owen,  with  other  lords  of  South  Wales, 
took  from  the   English  the   castle  of   Aberystwith,   with 
divers  others  in  that  country,  and  plundered  all  the  people 
thereabouts,  who  owned  subjection  to  the  crown  of  Eng- 
land.    In  the  mean  while  John  Peckham,  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  perceiving  how  matters  were  likely  to  proceed 
between  the  king  and  the  prince,  and  that  the  kingdom  was 
completely  involved  in  a  war,  he  of  his  own  will  came  to 
Prinee  LhewelynJ  to  endeavour  a  re-submission  from  him 

and 

*  On  the  13th  of  October. — Holinshead,  p  277. 

f  This  occurrence  took  place  on  Palm  Sunday.  Henry  de  Knyghton  de  Event.  Ang. 
p.  2464,  says,  that  they  slew  all  the  masons,  carpenters,  and  other  workmen  employed  in 
the  Justiciary  fortresses. 

J  Rymer,  vol.  2,  p.  68. — About  this  time  died  ihe  wife  of  Lhewelyn  (Eleanor  de 
Montford)  in  child-bed. 


256  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

and  his  brother  David  to  King  Edward,  and  so  to  put  a 
stop  to  any  further  hostilities. 

In  order  to  this,  he  sent  before-hand,  to  the  prince  and 
people  of  Wales,  intimating  to  them,  "  That  for  the  love  he 
"  bore  to  the  Welsh  nation,  he  undertook  this  arbitration, 
"  without  the  knowledge,  and  contrary  to  the  king's  liking ; 
"  and  therefore  earnestly  desired,  that  they  would  submit  to 
"  a  peace  with  the  English,  which  himself  would  endeavour 
"  to  bring  to  pass.  And  because  he  could  make  no  long 
"  continuance  in  those  parts,  he  wished  them  to  consider  how 
((  that  if  he  should  be  forced  to  depart  before  any  thing 
"  was  brought  to  a  conclusion,  they  could  hardly  find  ano- 
"  ther  who  would  so  heartily  espouse  their  cause ;  and 
"  farther  threatened,  that  in  case  they  contemned  and 
ef  derided  his  endeavours,  he  would  not  only  instigate  the 
"  English  army,  now  greatly  strengthened  and  increased,  to 
fe  fall  upon  them,  but  also  signify  their  stubbornness  to  the 
"  court  and  bishop  of  Rome,  who  esteemed  and  honoured 
"  England  beyond  any  other  kingdom  in  the  world.  More- 
"  over,  he  much  lamented  to  hear  of  the  excessive  cruelty 
"  of  the  Welsh,  even  beyond  that  of  the  Saracens  and  other 
"  infidels,  who  never  refused  to  permit  slaves  and  captives 
"  to  be  ransomed;  which  the  Welsh  were  so  far  from 
"  practising,  that  even  some  time  they  slew  those  for  whose 
<f  redemption  they  received  money.  And  whereas  they 
"  were  wont  to  esteem  and  reverence  holy  and  ecclesiastical 
"  persons,  they  are  now  so  far  degenerated  from  devotion 
"  and  sanctity,  that  nothing  is  more  acceptable  to  them  than 
<f  war  and  sedition,  which  they  had  now  great  need  to  for- 
"  sake  and  repent  of.  Lastly,  he  proposed  that  they  would 
"  signify  to  him,  wherein  and  what  laws  and  constitutions 
((  of  theirs  were  violated  by  the  English,  and  by  what  means 
"  a  firm  and  a  lasting  peace  might  be  established ;  which,  if 
ff  they  rejected,  they  must  expect  to  incur  the  decree  and 
"  censure  of  the  church,  as  well  as  endure  the  violent  in- 
f '  roads  and  depredations  of  a  powerful  army." 

To  these,  partly  admonitions,  and  partly  threatenings  of 
the  archbishop,  Prince  Lhewelyn  returned  an  answer: 
"  That  he  humbly  thanked  his  Grace  for  the  pains  and 
(f  trouble  he  undertook  in  his  and  his  subjects'  behalf;  and 
"  more  particularly,  because  he  would  venture  to  come  to 
"  Wales,  contrary  to  the  pleasure  and  good  liking  of  the 
"  king.  And  as  for  concluding  a  peace  with  him,  he  would 
"  not  have  his  Grace  be  ignorant,  that  with  all  readiness  he 
"  was  willing  to  submit  to  it,  upon  condition  that  the  king 
"  would  duly  and  sincerely  observe  the  same.  And  though 


HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

c<  he  would  be  glad  of  his  longer  continuance  in  Wales,  yet 
"  he  hoped  that  no  obstructions  would  happen  of  his  side, 
"  why  a  peace  (which  of  all  things  he  most  desired)  might 
"  not  be  forthwith  concluded,  and  rather  by  his  Grace's 
(t  procuring  than  any  other's ;   so  that  there  would  be  no 
"  farther  need  of  acquainting  the  Pope  with  his  obstinacy, 
"  nor  moving  the  king  of  England  to  use  any  force  against 
' '  him.     And  though  the  kingdom  of  England  be  under  the 
"  immediate  protection  of  the  see  of  Rome,  yet  when  his 
((  Holiness  comes  to  understand  the  great  and  unsufferable 
"  wrongs  done  to  him  by  the  English ;  how  the  articles  of 
"  peace  were  broken,  churches  and  all  other  religious  houses 
fl  in  Wales  were  burned  down  and  destroyed,  and  religious 
< '  persons  unchristianly  murdered,  he  hoped  he  would  rather 
"  pity   and  lament  his   condition,    than  with  addition   of 
"  punishment  increase  and  augment  his  sorrow.     Neither 
"  shall  the  kingdom  of  England  be  anywise  disquieted  and 
"  molested  by  his  means,  in  case  the  peace  be  religiously 
"  observed  towards  him  and  his  subjects.     But  who  they 
te  are  that   delight  themselves  with  war   and  bloodshed,, 
"  manifestly  appears  by  their  actions  and  behaviour ;   the 
"  Welsh  being  glad  to  live  quietly  upon  their  own,  if  they 
te  might  be  permitted  by  the  English,  who  coming  to  the 
"  country,  utterly  destroy  whatever  comes  in  their  way, 
"  without  regard  either  to  sex,  age,  or  religious  places. 
ft  But  he  was  extremely  sorry  that  any  one  should  be  slain, 
"  having  paid  his  ransom ;  the  author  of  which  unworthy 
(f  action  he  did  not  pretend  to  maintain,  .but  would  inflict 
((  upon  him  his  condign  punishment,  in  case  he  could  be 
"  got  out  of  the  woods  and  deserts,  where  as  an  outlaw  he 
ef  lives  undiscovered.     But  as  to  commencing  a  war  in  a 
' '  season  inconvenient,  he  protested  he  knew  nothing  of  that 
"  till  now :  yet  those  that  did  so,  do  solemnly  attest  that  to 
"  be  the  only  measure  they  had  to  save  themselves,  and  that 
"  they  had  no  other  security  for  their  lives  and  fortunes, 
"  than  to  keep  themselves   in  arms.     Concerning  his  sins 
"  and  trespasses  against   God,  with   the  assistance  of  his 
"  Grace,  he  would  endeavour  to  repent  of;  neither  should 
"  the  war  be  willingly  continued  by  him,  in  case  he  might 
"  save  himself  harmless ;  but  before  he  would  be  unjustly 
"  dispossessed   of  his  legal  property,   he  thought  it  but 
"  reasonable,  by  all  possible  measures,  to  defend  himself. 
"  And  he  was  very  willing,  upon  due  examination  of  the 
"  trespasses  committed,  to  make  satisfaction  and  retribution 
' e  of  all  wrongs  committed  by  him  and  his  subjects ;  so  that 

"  the 


258  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

' '  the  English  would  observe  the  same  on  their  side ;  and 
"  likewise  was  ready  to  conclude  a  peace,  which  he  thought 
"  was  impossible  to  be  established,  as  long  as  the  English 
"  had  no  regard  to  articles,  and  still  oppressed  his  people 
"  with  new  and  unwarrantable  exactions.  Therefore  seeing 
"  his  subjects  were  unchristianly  abused  by  the  king's 
"  officers,  and  all  his  country  most  tyrannically  harassed, 
"  he  saw  no  reason  why  the  English,  upon  any  fault  of  his 
ee  side,  should  threaten  to  bring  a  formidable  army  to  his 
' e  country,  nor  the  church  pretend  to  censure  him :  seeing 
fe  also,  he  was  very  willing,  upon  the  aforesaid  conditions, 
"  to  submit  to  a  peace.  And  lastly,  he  desired  his  Grace, 
"  that  he  would  not  give  the  more  credit  to  his  enemies, 
"  because  they  were  near  his  person,  and  could  deliver 
"  their  complaints  frequently,  and  by  word  of  mouth;  for 
"  they  who  made  no  conscience  of  oppressing,  would  not  in 
"  all  probability  stick  to  defame,  and  make  false  accusa- 
"tions;  and,  therefore,  his  Grace  would  make  a  better 
te  estimation  of  the  whole  matter,  by  examining  their  ac- 
"  tions  rather  than  believing  their  words." 

Prince  Lhewelyn  having  to  this  purpose  replied  in  general 
to  the  archbishop's  articles,  presented  him  with  a  formal 
detail  of  the  several  grievances  which  himself  and  others  of 
his  subjects  had  wrongfully  and  unjustly  received  at  the 
hands  of  the  English :  and  the  archbishop  having  read  over 
the  statement  of  these  grievances,  and  finding  the  Welsh  to 
be  upon  good  reason  guiltless  of  that  severe  character, 
which  by  the  malicious  insinuations  of  the  English  he  had 
conceived  of  them,  went  to  King  Edward,  requesting  him 
to  take  into  consideration  the  wrongs  and  injuries  done  to 
the  Welsh ;  which  if  he  would  not  redress,  at  least  he  might 
excuse  them  from  any  breach  of  obedience  to  him,  seeing 
they  had  such  just  reasons  for  what  they  did.  The  king 
replied,  that  he  willingly  forgave  them,  and  would  make 
reasonable  satisfaction  for  any  wrong  done;  and  that  they 
should  have  free  access  to  declare  their  grievances  before 
him ;  and  then  might  safely  depart,  in  case  it  would  appear 
just  and  lawful  they  should.  The  archbishop  upon  this 
thought  he  had  obtained  his  purpose  ;  and  therefore,  with- 
out any  stay,  hastened  to  Snowdon,  where  the  prince  and 
his  brother  David  resided,  and  having  stated  to  them  what 
the  king  had  said,  earnestly  desired  that  they  and  the  rest 
of  the  nobility  of  Wales  would  submit  themselves,  and  by 
him  be  introduced  to  the  king's  presence.  Prince  Lhewelyn, 
after  some  time  spent  in  conference  and  debate,  declared 
that  he  was  ready  to  submit  to  the  king,  with  the  reserve 

only 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  259 

only  of  two  particulars;  namely,  his  conscience,  whereby  he 
was  obliged  to  regard  the  safety  and  liberties  of  his  people; 
and  then  the  decency  of  his  own  state  and  quality.  The 
king,  however,  understanding  by  the  archbishop  that  the 
prince  stood  upon  terms,  positively  refused  to  consent  to 
any  more  treaties  of  peace,  than  that  he  should  simply 
submit  without  any  farther  conditions.  The  archbishop 
had  experience  enough,  that  the  Welsh  would  never  agree 
to  such  proposals ;  arid  therefore  desired  his  Majesty  to  give 
him  leave,  with  the  rest  of  the  English  nobility  present,  to 
confer  and  conclude  upon  the  matter;  which  being  granted, 
they  unanimously  resolved  on  the  following  articles,  and 
sent  them  to  the  prince  by  John  Wallensis,  Bishop  of 
St.  David's: — * 

"  I.  The  king  will  have  no  treaty  of  the  four  cantreds, 
"  and  other  lands  which  he  has  bestowed  upon  his  nobles ; 
"  nor  of  the  isle  of  Anglesey. 

((  II.  In  case  the  tenants  of  the  four  cantreds  submit 
"  themselves,  the  king  purposeth  to  deal  kindly  and  honour- 
"  ably  with  them ;  which  we  are  sufficiently  satisfied  of,  and 
"  will,  what  in  us  lies,  endeavour  to  further. 

"  III.  We  will  do  the  like  touching  Prince  Lhewelyn, 
"  concerning  whom  we  can  return  no  other  answer,  than  that 
"  he  must  barely  submit  himself  to  the  king,  without  hopes 
' '  of  any  other  conditions." 

These  were  the  publick  articles  agreed   upon  by  the 
English  nobility,  and  sent  to  Prince  Lhewelyn;    besides 
which  they  sent  some  private  measures  of  agreement,  relat- 
ing both  to  him  and  his  brother  David ;  promising,  that  in 
case  he  would  submit,  and  put  the  king  in  quiet  possession 
of  Snowdon,  his  Majesty  would  bestow  an  English  county 
upon  him,  with  the  yearly  revenue  of  a  thousand  pounds 
sterling.     And  moreover,  his  daughter  should  be  provided 
for  suitable  to  her  birth  and  quality,  and  all  his  subjects 
according  to  their  estate   and  condition ;    and  in  case  he 
should  have  male   issue  by  a  second  wife,  the  aforesaid 
county   and  one  thousand  pounds  should   remain    to  his 
posterity  for  ever.     As  for  David,  the  prince's  brother,  if 
he  would  consent  to  go  to  the  Holy  Land,  upon  condition 
not  to  return  but  upon  the  king's  pleasure,  all  things  should 
be  honourably  prepared  for  his  journey  with  respect  to  his 
quality ;  and  his  child  maintained  and  provided  for  by  the 
king.     To  these  the  archbishop  added  his  threats,  that  in 
case  they  did  not  comply,  and  submit  themselves  to   the 
king's  mercy,  there  were  very  severe  and  imminent  dangers 


s  2 


hanging 


260  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

hanging  over  their  heads  ;  a  formidable  army  was  ready  to 
make  an  inroad  into  their  country,  which  would  not  only 
harass  and  oppress  them,  but  in  all  probability  totally 
eradicate  the  whole  nation:  besides  which,  they  were  to 
expect  the  most  severe  censure  and  punishment  by  the 
church. 

All  this  could  not  force  so  unlimited  a  submission  from 
the  prince,  but  that  he  would  stand  upon  some  certain  con- 
ditions ;    and  therefore  by  letter  he  acquainted  the  arch- 
bishop, '  that  he  was  with  all  willingness  desirous  to  submit 
himself  to  the  king;  but  withal,  that  he  could  not  do  it  but 
in  such  a  manner  as  was  safe  and  honest  for  him.     And 
because  the  form  of  submission  contained  in  the  articles  sent 
to  him,  were  by  himself  and  his  council  thought  pernicious 
and  illegal  for  him  to  consent  to,  as  tending  rather  to  the 
destruction  than  the  security  of  himself  and  his  subjects,  he 
could  in  no   wise  agree   to   it;  and  in  case  he  should  be 
willing,  the  rest  of  his  nobility   and  people  would  never 
admit  of  it,  as  knowing  for  certain  the  mischief  and  incon- 
veniency  that  would  ensue  thereby.     Therefore  he  desired 
his  lordship,  that  for  a  confirmation  of  an  honest  and  a 
durable  peace,  which  he  had  all  this  while  earnestly  la- 
boured for,  he  would  manage  matters  circumspectly,  and 
with  due  regard  to  the  following  articles :  for  it  was  much 
more  honourable  for  the  king,  and  far  more  consonant  to 
reason,  that  he  should  hold  his  lands  in  the  country  where 
he  was  born  and  dwelt  in,  than  that,  by  dispossessing  of  him, 
his  estate  should  be  bestowed  upon  strangers.'     With  this 
was  sent  the  general  answer  of  the  Welsh  to  the  archbishop's 
articles,  viz. — 

"  I.  Though  the  king  would  not  consent  to  treat  of  the 
c '  four  cantreds,  nor  of  the  isle  of  Anglesey ;  yet  unless 
"  these  be  comprehended  in  the  treaty,  the  prince's  council 
"  will  not  conclude  a  peace  ;  by  reason  that  these  cantreds 
<(  have,  ever  since  the  time  of  Camber  the  son  of  Brutus, 
"  properly  and  legally  belonged  to  the  Princes  of  Wales ; 
' '  besides  the  confirmation  which  the  present  prince  obtained 
"  by  the  consent  of  the  king  and  his  father,  at  the  treaty 
"  before  Cardinal  Ottobonus,  the  Pope's  legate,  whose 
fe  letters  patent  do  still  appear.  And  more,  the  justice  of 
"  the  thing  itself  is  plainly  evident,  that  it  is  more  reason- 
"  able  for  our  heirs  to  hold  the  said  cantreds  for  money,  and 
"  other  services  due  to  the  king,  than  that  strangers  enjoy 
"  the  same,  who  will  forcibly  abuse  and  oppress  the  people. 
"  II.  All  the  tenants  of  the  cantreds  of  Wales  do  unani- 
"  mously  declare  that  they  dare  not  submit  themselves  to 

"the 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  261 

"  the  king's  pleasure ;  by  reason  that  he  never  from  the 
((  beginning  took  care  to  observe  either  covenant,  oath,  or 
"  any  other  grant  to  the  prince  and  his  people ;  and  because 
"  his  subjects  have  no  regard  to  religion,  but  most  cruelly 
"  and  unchristianly  tyrannize  over  churches  and  religious 
' '  persons ;  and  then,  for  that  we  do  not  understand  our- 
' '  selves  any  way  obliged  thereunto,  seeing  we  be  the  prince's 
"  tenants,  who  is  willing  to  pay  the  king  all  usual  and 
f(  accustomed  services. 

tf  III.  As  to  what  is  required,  that  the  prince  should 
"  simply  commit  himself  to  the  king's  will,  we  all  declare, 
"  that,  for  the  aforesaid  reasons,  none  of  us  dare  come, 
"  neither  will  we  permit  our  prince  to  come  to  him  upon 
"  those  conditions. 

"  IV.  That  some  of  the  English  nobility  will  endeavour 
"  to  procure  a  provision  of  a  thousand  pounds  a-year  in 
"  England ;  we  would  let  them  know,  that  we  can  accept 
"  of  no  such  pension ;  because  it  is  procured  for  no  other 
"  end  that  the  prince  being  disinherited,  themselves  may 
"  obtain  his  lands  in  Wales. 

"  V.  The  prince  cannot  in  honesty  resign  his  paternal 
"  inheritance,  which  has  for  many  ages  been  enjoyed  by  his 
"  predecessors,  and  accept  of  other  lands  among  the  Eng- 
' '  lish,  of  whose  customs  and  language  he  is  ignorant ;  and 
"  upon  that  score,  may  at  length  be  fraudulently  deprived 
"  of  all  by  his  malicious  and  inveterate  enemies. 

"  VI.  Seeing  the  king  intends  to  deprive  him  of  his 
"  antient  inheritance  in  Wales,  where  the  land  is  more 
(e  barren  and  untilled,  it  is  not  very  probable  that  he  will 
"  bestow  upon  him  a  more  fruitful  and  an  arable  estate  in 
"  England. 

"  VII.  As  to  the  clause  that  the  prince  should  give  the 
"  king  a  perpetual  possession  of  Snowdon,  we  only  affirm, 
"  that  seeing  Snowdon  essentially  belongs  to  the  principality 
"  of  Wales,  which  the  prince  and  his  predecessors  have 
"  enjoyed  since  Brute,  the  prince's  council  will  not  permit 
"  him  to  renounce  it,  and  accept  another  estate  in  England, 
"  to  which  he  has  not  equal  right. 

' '  VIII.  The  people  of  Snowdon  declare,  that  though  the 
"  prince  should  give  the  king  possession  of  it,  they  would 
"  never  own  and  pay  submission  to  strangers ;  for  in  so 
"  doing  they  would  bring  upon  themselves  the  same  misery 
"  that  the  people  of  the  four  cantreds  have  for  a  long  time 
"  groaned  under:  being  most  rudely  handled  and  unjustly 
"  oppressed  by  the  king's  officers,  as  woefully  appears  by 
"  their  several  grievances. 

"IX. 


262  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

"  IX.  As  for  David,  the  prince's  brother,  we  see  no 
(f  reason  why  against  his  will  he  should  be  compelled  to 
"  take  a  journey  to  the  Holy  Land  ;  which  if  he  happens  to 
"  undertake  hereafter  upon  the  account  of  religion,  it  is  no 
"  cause  that  his  issue  should  be  disinherited,  but  rather 
"  encouraged. 

"  Now  seeing  neither  the  prince  nor  any  of  his  subjects 
(<  upon  any  account  whatsoever  have  moved  and  begun  this 
"  war,  but  only  defended  themselves,  their  properties,  laws, 
"  and  liberties  from  the  encroachments  of  other  persons  ; 
*'  and  since  the  English,  for  either  malice  or  covetousness 
"  to  obtain  our  estates,  have  unjustly  occasioned  all  these 
"  troubles  and  broils  in  the  kingdom,  we  are  assured  that 
"  our  defence  is  just  and  lawful,  and  therein  depend  upon 
<(  the  aid  and  assistance  of  heaven ;  which  will   be  most 
"  cruelly  revenged  upon    our    sacrilegious    and  inhuman 
•f  enemies,  who  have  left  no  manner  of  enormities,  in  re- 
"  lation  to  God  and  man,  uncommitted.     Therefore  your 
ff  Grace  would    more  justly  threaten  your    ecclesiastical 
"  censures  against  the  authors  and   abettors  of  such   un- 
-(  paralleled  villainies,  than  the   innocent  sufferers.     And 
"  besides,  we  much  admire  that  you  should  advise  us  to 
f  (  part  with  our  own  estates,  and  to  live  among  our  enemies ; 
*'  as  if,  when  we  cannot  peaceably  enjoy  what  is  our  own 
"  unquestionable  right,   we    might   expect  to  have  quiet 
((  possession  of  another  man's :  and  though,  as  you  say,  it 
^  be  hard  to  live  in  war  and  perpetual  danger ;    yet  much 
"  harder  it  is,  to  be  utterly  destroyed  and  reduced  to  no- 
"  thing ;  especially  when  we  seek  but  the  defence  of  our 
"  own  liberties  from  the  insatiable  ambition  of  our  enemies. 
f '  And  seeing  your  Grace  has  promised  to  fulminate  sentence 
<{  against  all  them  that  either  for  malice  or  profit  would 
"  hinder  and  obstruct  the  peace ;  it  is  evident  who  in  this 
'*  respect  are  transgressors  and  delinquents ;  the  fear  and 
"  apprehension  of  imprisonment  and  ejection  out  of  our 
"  estates,  the  sense  of  oppression  and  tyrannical  govern- 
<f  ment,  having  compelled  us  to  take  up  arms  for  the  security 
"  of  our  lives  and  fortunes.     Therefore,  as  the  English  are 
"  not  dispossessed  of  their  estates  for  their  offences  against 
"  the  king,  so  we  are  willing  to  be  punished,  or  make  other 
< '  satisfaction  for  our  crimes,  without  being  disinherited ; 
< '  and  as  to  the  breach  of  the  peace,  it  is  notorious  that  they 
"  were  the  authors,  who  never  regarded  either  promise  or 
"  covenant,  never  made  amends  for  trespasses,  nor  remedy 
"  for  our  complaints." 

When  the  archbishop  saw  there  was  no  likelihood  of  a 

mediation, 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  263 

mediation,  and  that  it  was  impossible  to  conclude  a  peace 
as  long  as  the  Welsh  stood  upon  conditions,  he  relinquished 
his  pretended  affection  towards  them,  and  denounced  a 
sentence  of  excommunication  against  the  prince  and  all  his 
adherents.  It  was  a  subject  of  no  small  wonder,  that  a 
person  of  such  reputed  sanctity,  who  esteemed  the  several 
grievances  done  to  the  Welsh  to  be  intolerable,  should  now 
condemn  them  for  refusing  an  unlimited  submission  to  the 
King  of  England ;  whereas  he  had  already  owned  it  to  be 
unreasonable  :  but  this  ecclesiastical  censure  was  only  a 
prologue  to  a  more  melancholy  scene;  for  King  Edward, 
immediately  upon  its  being  issued,  sent  an  army  by  sea  to 
Anglesey,  which,  without  any  great  opposition,  conquered 
the  island,  and  without  any  mercy  put  all  that  withstood 
him  to  the  sword.  From  thence  designing  to  pass  over  to 
the  continent,  he  caused  a  bridge  of  boats  covered  with 
planks  to  be  built  over  the  Menai  (being  an  arm  of  the  sea 
which  parteth  the  isle  from  the  main  land)  at  a  place  called 
Moel  y  don,*  not  far  from  Bangor,  where  the  water  is 
narrowest.  The  bridge  being  finished,  which  was  so  broad 
as  that  threescore  men  might  pass  it  a-breast,f  William 
Latimer,  with  a  strong  party  of  the  best  experienced 
soldiers,  and  Sir  Lucas  de  Tancy,  commander  of  the 
Gascoigns  and  Spaniards,  whereof  a  great  number  served 
the  king,  passed  over,  but  could  discover  no  sign,  nor  the 
least  intimation  of  an  enemy  :  but  as  soon  as  the  tide  began 
to  appear,  and  the  sea  had  overflown  each  side  of  the 
bridge,  the  Welsh  came  down  fiercely  out  of  the  mountains, 
and  attacking  the  disheartened  English,  killed  or  drowned 
their  whole  number,  excepting  Latimer,  who  by  the  swim- 
ming of  his  horse  got  safely  to  the  bridge.  In  this  action, 
several  worthy  soldiers  of  the  English  side  were  lost ; 
among  whom  were  Sir  Lucas  de  Tancy,  Robert  Clifford, 
Sir  Walter  Lyndsey,  two  brothers  of  Robert  Burnel,  Bishop 
of  Bath,  with  many  others ;  in  all  to  the  number  of  thirteen 
knights,  seventeen  young  gentlemen,  and  two  hundred 
common  soldiers.^  A  little  after,  or  as  some  say  before, 
another  engagement  passed  between  the  English  and  the 
Welsh,  wherein  the  former  lost  fourteen  colours,  the  Lords 
Audley  and  Clifford  the  younger  being  slain,  and  the  king 
himself  forced  to  retreat  for  safety  to  the  castle  of  Hope. 

While 

*  From  the  shore  opposite  this  place,  it  is  supposed,  the  German  forces  under 
Agricola  passed  over  into  Mona. 

f  Welsh  Chron.  p.  372.  Holinshead,  p.  281.  Annales  Waverleiensis,  p.  235. 
Polidore  Vergil,  p.  324.  Hen.  de  Knyghton  de  Event.  Ang.  p.  2464. 

J  The  Lord  Latimer,  who  commanded  the  English  in  this  detachment,  bad  the  good 
fortune  to  recover  the  bridge  by  the  stoutness  of  his  horse.  Holinshead,  p.  281,  says, 
that  only  200  foot  soldiers  perished.  Mattk.  Westminster,  176. 


264  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

"While  these  things  passed  in  North  Wales,  the  Earl  of 
Gloucester  and  Sir  Edmund  Mortimer  acted  vigorously 
with  their  forces  in  South  Wales  ;  and  lighting  the  Welsh 
at  Lhandeilo  Fawr,  overthrew  them  with  the  loss  of  no 
considerable  person,  saving  William  de  Valence  the  king's 
cousin-german,  and  four  knights  besides.  Prince  Lhewelyn 
was  all  this  while  in  Cardigan,  wasting  and  destroying  all 
the  country,  and  principally  the  lands  of  Rhys  ap  Mere- 
dith, who  very  unnaturally  rield  with  the  King  of  England 
in  all  these  wars.  Being  at  length  tired  with  exertion,  he 
with  a  few  men  privately  separated  himself  from  his  army, 
and  came  to  Buelht,  thinking  to  recreate  and  refresh  him- 
self there  undiscovered:  but  coming  to  the  river  Wye,  he 
met  with  Edmund  Mortimer  and  John  Giftbrd,  with  a 
considerable  party  of  the  people  of  that  country  of  which 
Mortimer  was  the  lord.  Neither  party  ventured  to  assail 
the  other;  and  Prince  Lhewelyn  with  one  servant  only 
retired  to  a  private  grove  in  a  neighbouring  valley,  there  to 
.consult  with  certain  lords  of  the  country,  who  had  appointed 
to  meet  him.  In  the  mean  time  Mortimer  descended  from 
the  hill,  with  intention  to  fall  upon  Lhewelyn's  men ;  which 
they  perceiving,  betook  themselves  to  the  bridge  called 
Pont  Orewyn,*  and  manfully  defended  the  passage  he  was 
to  cross.  Mortimer  could  effect  nothing  against  them,  till 
he  had  gained  the  bridge,  the  river  being  impassable;  and 
to  force  them  to  quit  if,  seemed  altogether  impracticable  : 
but  ai;  last,  the  river  was  discovered  to  be  fordable  a  little 
below,  and  so  Helias  Walwynf  was  detached  with  a  party 
through  the  river,  who  unexpectedly  attacking  the  rear  of 
the  defendants,  he  easily  forced  them  to  leave  the  bridge, 
and  save  themselves  by  flight.  Prince  Lhewelyn  during 
this  time  in  vaip  expected  the  lords  of  Buelht,  and  in  the 
end  continued  to  wait  so  long,  that  Mortimer  having  passed 
over  the  bridge,  surrounded  the  wood  in  which  he  was  with 
armed  men.  The  prince,  perceiving  himself  to  be  betrayed, 
thought  to  make  his  escape  to  his  men  ;  but  the  English  so 
closely  pursued  him,  that  before  he  could  come  in,  one 
Adam  Francton,  not  knowing  who  lie  was,  run  him  through 
with  his  sword,  being  unarmed^  The  Welsh  still  ex- 
pected the  arrival  of  their  prince,  and  though  but  a  few  in 
number,  so  gallantly  maintained  their  ground,  that  in  spite 
of  the  far  greater  number  of  the  English,  they  were  not 
Without  much  exertion  put  to  flight.  The  battle  being  over, 

Francton 

*  Holin$head,  p.  281.  f  Ibid.     Welsh  Chron.  373. 

$  Henry  de  Knyghton,  p.  2464.    Humffrey  Lhuyd's  Brev.  p.  60»     Welsh  Chron.  p.  374. 
Holinshead,  p.  281. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  265 

Francton  returned  to  plunder  his  dead;*  but  perceiving  him 
to  be  the  Prince  of  Wales,  he  thought  that  he  had  obtained 
a  sufficient  prize,  and  thereupon  immediately  cut  off  his 
head,  and  sent  it  to  King  Edward  at  Conway,  who  very 
joyfully  caused  it  to  be  placed  upon  the  highest  pinnacle  of' 
the  Tower  of  London.  Thus  fell  this  worthy  prince,  the 
greatest,  though  the  last  of  the  British  blood,  betrayed  most 
basely  by  the  lords  of  Buelht,  and  being  dead,  most  un- 
worthily dealt  with  by  the  King  of  England;  who,  contrary 
to  all  precedents,  treated  a  lawful  prince  like  a  traitor,  and 
exposed  his  crowned  head  to  the  derision  of  the  multitude. 


THE  PRINCES  OF  WALES  OF  ENGLISH 
BLOOD. 

J_  RINCE  Lhewelyn  and  his  brother  David  being  so 
basely  taken  off,  and  leaving  no  one  to  lay  any  fair  claim  to 
the  principality  of  Wales;  King  Edward,  by  a  statute  made  Anno  12 
at  Rhuddlan,  incorporated  and  annexed  it  to  the  crown  of  Edw>  lm 
England,  constituting  several  new  and  wholesome  laws,  as 
concerning  the  division  of  Wales  into  several  counties,  the 
form  and  manner  of  writs  and  proceeding  in  trials,  with 
many  others  not  very  unlike  the  laws  and  constitutions  of  the 
English  nation. f  All  this,  however,  did  not  win  the  affec- 
tion of  the  Welsh  towards  him,  for  they  would  not  by  any 
means  own  him  as  their  sovereign,  unless  he  would  consent 
to  live  and  reign  among  them.  They  had  not  forgot  the 
cruel  oppressions  and  intolerable  insolencies  of  the  English 
officers;  and,  therefore,  they  positively  told  him,  they 
would  never  yield  obedience  to  any  other  than  a  prince  of 
their  own  nation,  of  their  own  language,  and  whose  life  and 
conversation  was  spotless  and  unblameable.  King  Edward, 
perceiving  the  Welsh  to  be  resolute  and  inflexible,  and 

absolutely 

*  This  action  happened  on  the  10th  of  December,  1282.  Tradition  says,  that  Lhewelyn 
caused  his  horse's  shoes  to  be  reversed  in  order  to  deceive  his  pursuers,  as  the  snow  was 
on  the  ground;  but  the  circumstance  was  made  known  by  the  treachery  of  the  smith. 
Thus  died  Lhewelyn  ap  Gruffydh,  after  a  reign  of  36  years,  leaving  only  one  daughter, 
who,  with  the  daughter  of  his  brother  David,  were  confined  in  a  nunnery  in  England,  as 
an  order  was  sent  by  Edward,  seven  years  after  the  death  of  their  parents,  to  Thomas  de 
Normanville,  to  enquire  minutely  into  the  state  and  safe  custody  of  the  said  princess. 
This  daughter  of  Lhewelyn  and  of  Eleanor  de  Montford,  called  Catherine  Lackland,  was 
sent  by  Edward,  attended  by  her  nurse,  to  be  educated  in  England.  She  was  afterwards 
married  to  Malcolm,  Earl  of  Fife.  Lhewelyn  is  also  said  to  have  had  a  son  of  the  name 
of  Madoc;  but  he  certainly  must  have  been  illegitimate,  as  that  prince  had  been  only 
once  married. — Mills's  Catalogue  of  Honour,  p.  310.  It  is  most  probable  that  David's 
daughter  remained  in  England,  and  died  a  nun. 

t  Brady,  vol.  ii.  p.  11.     Matth,  Wcstm.  177. 


266  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

absolutely  bent  against  any  other  prince,  than  one  of  their 
own  country,  happily  thought  of  this  politic,  though 
dangerous  expedient.  Queen  Eleanor  was  now  great  with 
child,  and  near  the  time  of  her  delivery ;  and  though  the 
season  was  very  severe,  it  being  the  depth  of  winter,  the 
king  sent  for  her  from  England,  and  removed  her  to  Caer- 
narvon castle,  the  place  designed  for  her  lying-in.  When 
the  time  of  her  delivery  was  come,  King  Edward  summoned 
all  the  barons  and  chief  persons  throughout  all  Wales  to 
attend  him  at  Rhuddlan,  there  to  consult  about  the  public 
good  and  safety  of  their  country,  and  being  informed  that 
his  queen  was  delivered  of  a  son,  he  told  the  Welsh  nobility, 
that  whereas  they  had  oftentimes  intreated  him  to  appoint 
them  a  prince,  and  he  had  at  this  time  occasion  to  depart 
out  of  the  country,  he,  according  to  their  request,  and  to 
the  conditions  they  had  proposed,  would  name  a  prince  for 
their  obedience.  The  Welsh  readily  agreed  to  the  motion, 
only  with  the  same  reserve,  that  he  should  appoint  them  a 
prince  of  their  own  nation.  King  Edward  assured  them,  he 
would  name  such  an  one  as  was  born  in  Wales,  could  speak 
no  English,  and  whose  life  and  conversation  no  body  could 
stain;  and  the  Welsh  agreeing  to  own  and  obey  such  a 
prince,  he  named  his  own  son  Edward,  just  then  before 
born  in  Caernarvon  castle. 

King  Edward  having  by  these  means  deluded  the  Welsh, 
and  reduced  the  whole  country  of  Wales  to  obedience, 
began  to  reward  his  followers  with  other  men's  properties, 
and  bestowed  whole  lordships  and  towns  in  the  midst  of  the 
country  upon  English  lords,  among  whom  Henry  Lacy 
Earl  of  Lincoln  obtained  the  lordship  of  Denbigh;  and 
Reginald  Grey,  second  son  to  John  Lord  Grey  of  Wilton, 
the  lordship  of  Ruthyn.  This  Henry  Lacy  was  son  to 
Edmund  Lacy,  the  son  of  John  Lacy,  Lord  of  Halton 
Pomfret,  and  constable  of  Chester,  who  married  Margaret 
the  eldest  daughter,  and  one  of  the  heirs  of  Robert  Quincy 
Earl  of  Lincoln.  This  Henry  Lacy  Lord  of  Denbigh 
married  the  daughter  and  sole  heir  of  William  Longspear 
Earl  of  Salisbury,  by  whom  he  had  issue  two  sons,  Edmund 
and  John,  who  both  died  young,  one  by  a  fall  into  a  very 
deep  well  within  the  castle  of  Denbigh ;  and  a  daughter 
named  Alicia,  who  was  married  to  Thomas  Plantagenet 
Earl  of  Lancaster,  who  in  right  of  his  wife  was  Earl  of 
Lincoln  and  Sarum,  Lord  of  Denbigh,  Halton  Pomfret,  and 
constable  of  Chester.  After  his  death,  King  Edward  II. 
bestowed  the  said  lordship  of  Denbigh  upon  Hugh  Lord 
Spencer  Earl  of  Winchester,  upon  whose  decease,  King 

Edward 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  267 

Edward  III.  gave  it,  together  with  many  other  lordships  in 
the  marches,  to  Roger  Mortimer  Earl  of  March,  in  per- 
formance of  a  promise  he  had  made,  whilst  he  remained 
with  his  mother  in  France,  that  as  soon  as  he  should  come 
to  the  possession  of  the  crown  of  England,  he  would  bestow 
upon  the  said  Earl  of  March  to  the  value  of  £1000  yearly 
in  lands.  But  within  a  few  years  after,  Mortimer  being 
attainted  of  high  treason,  King  Edward  bestowed  the  said 
lordship  of  Denbigh  upon  Montague  Earl  of  Salisbury ;  but 
it  was  quickly  restored  again  to  the  Mortimers,  in  which 
house  it  continued  till  the  whole  estate  of  the  Earls  of 
March  came  with  a  daughter  to  the  house  of  York,  and  so 
to  the  crown,  Richard  Duke  of  York,  grandfather  to 
Edward  the  Fourth,  having  married  the  sole  daughter  and 
heir  of  the  house  of  Mortimer.  Hence  it  continued  in  the 
crown  to  Queen  Elizabeth's  time,  who,  in  the  sixth  year  of 
her  reign,  bestowed  the  said  lordship  upon  her  great 
favourite  Robert  Earl  of  Leicester,  who  was  then  created 
Baron  of  Denbigh.  After  him  it  returned  again  to  the 
crown,  where  it  continued  to  the  year  1696,  when  King 
William  the  Third  granted  a  patent  under  the  Great  Seal  to 
William  Earl  of  Portland,  for  the  lordships  of  Denbigh, 
Bromfield,  and  Yale.  Some  of  the  Welsh  representatives, 
perceiving  how  far  such  a  grant  encroached  upon  the 
properties  and  privileges  of  the  subject,  disclosed  their 
grievances  to  the  honourable  House  of  Commons,  who, 
after  some  consideration,  resolved  fnemine  contradicente) 
that  a  petition  should  be  presented  to  his  Majesty  by  the 
body  of  the  whole  House,  to  request  him  to  recall  his  grant 
to  the  said  Earl  of  Portland,  which  was  accordingly  done  in 
the  manner  following : 

' '  May  it  please  Your  Most  Excellent  Majesty, 

"  We,  Your  Majesty's  most  dutiful  and  loyal  subjects, 
"  the  knights,  citizens,  and  burgesses  in  parliament  assem- 
"  bled;  humbly  lay  before  Your  Majesty,  That  whereas 
"  there  is  a  grant  passing  to  William  Earl  of  Portland,  and 
"  his  heirs,  of  the  Manors  of  Denbigh,  Bromfield,  and 
"  Yale,  and  divers  other  lands  in  the  principality  of  Wales ; 
"  together  with  several  estates  of  inheritance,  enjoyed  by 
"  many  of  Your  Majesty's  subjects  by  virtue  of  ancient 
"  grants  from  the  crown : 

"  That  the  said  manors,  with  the  large  and  extensive 
"  royalties,  powers,  and  jurisdictions  to  the  same  belonging, 
se  are  of  great  concern  to  Your  Majesty  and  the  crown  of 
"  this  realm :  and  that  the  same  have  been  usually  annexed 
"  to  the  principality  of  Wales,  and  settled  on  the  Princes 

of 


268  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

"  of  Wales  for  their  support:  and  that  a  great  number  of 
"  Your  Majesty's  subjects,  in  those  parts,  hold  their  estates 
"  by  royal  tenure,  under  great  and  valuable  compositions, 
"  rents,  royal  payments,  and  services  to  the  crown  and 
"  princes  of  Wales  ;  and  have  by  such  tenure  great  depend- 
"  ance  on  Your  Majesty  and  the  crown  of  England;  and 
t(  have  enjoyed  great  privileges  and  advantages  with  their 
"  estates  under  such  tenure : 

"  We  therefore  most  humbly  beseech  Your  Majesty,  to 
"  put  a  stop  to  the  passing  this  grant  to  the  Earl  of  Port- 
"  land,  of  the  said  manors  and  lands,  and  that  the  same 
<{  may  not  be  disposed  from  the  crown  but  by  consent  of 
"  parliament;  for  that  such  grant  is  in  diminution  of  the 
"  honour  and  interest  of  the  crown,  by  placing  in  a  subject 
"  such  large  and  extensive  royalties,  powers,  and  jurisdic- 
"  tions,  which  ought  only  to  be  in  the  crown ;  and  will 
"  sever  that  dependance  which  so  great  a  number  of  Your 
"  Majesty's  subjects  in  those  parts  have  on  Your  Majesty 
<(  and  the  crown  by  reason  of  their  tenure,  and  may  be  to 
"  their  great  oppression  in  those  rights  which  they  have 
<(  purchased  and  hitherto  enjoyed  with  their  estates ;  and 
f(  also  an  occasion  of  great  vexation  to  many  of  Your 
"  Majesty's  subjects,  who  have  long  had  the  absolute 
"  inheritance  of  several  lands  (comprehended  in  the  said 
' '  grant  to  the  Earl  of  Portland)  by  ancient  grants  from  the 
<(  crown." 

His  Majesty's  Answer. 
((  Gentlemen, 

"  I  have  a  kindness  for  my  Lord  Portland,  which  he  has 
"  deserved  of  Me,  by  long  and  faithful  services ;  but  I 
"  should  not  have  given  him  these  lands,  if  1  had  imagined 
<(  the  House  of  Commons  could  have  been  concerned ; 
"  I  will  therefore  recall  the  grant,  and  find  some  other  way 
"  of  shewing  My  favour  to  him." 

The  lordship  of  Ruthyn  continued  in  the  possession  of 
the  Greys  till  the  reign  of  Henry  VII.  when  George  Grey, 
Earl  of  Kent  and  Lord  of  Ruthyn,  upon  some  bargain, 
passed  the  same  over  to  the  king ;  after  which  it  was  in  the 
possession  of  some  of  the  Earls  of  Warwick,  and  subse- 
quently came  to  the  family  of  Myddelton  of  Chirk  Castle, 
in  the  county  of  Denbigh,  in  which  family  it  still  continues ; 
being  now  enjoyed  by  Miss  Myddelton,  one  of  the  sisters 
and  co-heirs  of  the  late  Richard  Myddelton,  Esq. 

Besides  Henry  Lacy  and  Reginald  Grey,  several  other 
gentlemen  of  quality  came  at  this  time  with  King  Edward  to 
North  Wales,  who  subsequently  became  men  of  great  pos- 
sessions 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  269 

sessions  and  sway  in  the  country,  and  whose  posterity  enjoy 
the  same  to  this  time  :  but  he  that  expected  to  have  the 
largest  share  in  the  distribution  of  these  lordships  and 
estates  in  Wales,  was  one  Rhys  ap  Meredith,  a  Welshman, 
and  one  that,  contrary  to  the  allegiance  sworn  to  his  prince 
and  his  duty  to  his  native  country,  had  served  the  king  of 
England  in  all  these  wars,  and  done  the  greatest  hurt  of  any 
man  to  the  interest  of  Prince  Lhewelyn.  For  these  great 
services  done  to  King  Edward,  Rhys  expected  no  less  than 
to  be  promoted  to  the  highest  preferments  ;  and  the  king, 
after  the  Prince  of  Wales's  overthrow,  dubbed  him  knight, 
but  subsequently  gave  him  little  else,  except  fair  words  and 
great  promises. 

When  Rhys,  and  all  his  neighbours  and  countrymen,  had 
thus  submitted  themselves  to  the  government  of  the  king  of 
England,  it  happened  that  the  Lord  Pain  Tiptoft,  warden 
of  the  king's  castles  which  joined  to  Rhys's  country,  and  the 
Lord  Alan  Plucknet,  the  king's  steward  in  Wales,  cited  Sir 
Rhys  ap  Meredith,*  with  all  the  rest  of  the  country,  to  the 
king's  court  ;  which,  however,  he  refused  to  attend,  alleging 
his  ancient  privileges  and  liberties,  together  with  the  king's 
promises  to  him.      The  aforesaid  officers,  therefore,  pro-  A.  D.  1290. 
ceeded  against  him  according  to  law  :  whereupon  Sir  Rhys, 
being   much  annoyed  to  be  thus  served  by  those  whose 
interest  he  had  so  warmly  espoused,  thought  to  be  revenged 
of  Pain  Tiptoft,  and  the  rest  of  the  English.     To  that  end, 
having  drawn  together  some  of  his  tenants  and  countrymen, 
he  fell  upon  the  said  Pain  Tiptoft;    with  whom  several 
.skirmishes  afterwards  happened,  and  several  men  were  slain 
on  both  sides.     King  Edward  was  now  gone  to  Arragon,  to 
compose  the  differences  between  the  kings  of  Arragon  and 
Naples  ;  but  being  informed  of  the  disturbances  which  had 
happened  in  Wales  between  his  ministers  there  and  Sir 
Rhys  ap  Meredith,  he  wrote  to  the  latter,  requiring  him  to 
keep  the  peace  till  his  return  ;  at  which  time  he  would  re- 
dress all  grievances,  and  reduce  matters  to  proper  order. 
Sir  Rhys,  having  already  waited  sufficiently  upon  the  king's 
promises,  and  being  now  in  a  good  condition  to  offend  his 
enemies  by  force  of  arms,  would  not  give  over  the  enterprize 
he  saw  so  promising,  but,  marching  with  his  forces  to  his 
enemies'  lands,  burnt  and  destroyed  several  towns  belonging 
to  the  English.     Upon  this,  the  king  sent  to  the  Earl  of 
Cornwall,  whom  he  had  appointed  his  deputy  during  his 
absence,  to  march  with  an  army  into  Wales,  to  repress  the 

insolencies, 


p.  283 


Welsh  Chron.  p.  379.    Henry  de  KriygMon  de  Event.  Ang.  p.  2465.     Holinshead, 
3, 


270  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

insolencies,  and  to  prevent  any  farther  disorderly  attempts  of 
the  Welsh.  The  Earl  accordingly  prepared  an  army,  and 
went  against  Sir  Rhys,  whose  army  he  quickly  dispersed, 
and  overthrew  his  castle  of  Drefolan,  but  not  without  the 
loss  of  some  of  his  chief  men :  for  as  they  besieged  and 
undermined  the  said  castle,  the  walls  unexpectedly  fell 
down,  by  which  unluckly  accident  several  of  the  English 
were  bruised  to  death,  among  whom  were  the  Lord  Strafford, 
and  the  Lord  William  de  Monchency.  Within  a  while 
after,  Robert  Tiptoft,  Lord  Deputy  of  Wales,  raised  a  very 
powerful  army  against  Sir  Rhys,  and  after  a  slaughter  of 
4000  of  the  Welsh,  took  him  prisoner,  and  the  Michaelmas 
following,  at  the  king's  going  to  Scotland,  Sir  Rhys  was 
condemned  and  executed  at  York.* 

A.D.  1293.      The  death  of  Sir  Rhys  did  not  put  a  final  period  to  all 
the  quarrels  between  the  English  and  Welsh,  for  in  a  short 
time  after  there  happened  a  new  occasion  of  murmuring  on 
the  part  of  the  Welsh,  and  fof  their  upbraiding  the  govern- 
ment of  the  English  over  them.     King  Edward  was  now  in 
actual  war  with  the  kins:  of  France ;  and  to  carry  on  this 
warfare,  he  required  a  liberal  subsidy  and  supply  from  his 
subjects.     This  tax  was  with  much  resistance  paid  in  divers 
places  of  the  kingdom,  but  more  especially  in  Wales,  the 
Welsh  being  previously  unused  to  such  large  contributions, 
1294  violently  resisted  and  exclaimed  against  it :   but  not  being 
satisfied  with  maligning  the  king's  command,  they  took  their 
own  captain,  Roger  de  Puleston,  who  was  appointed  col- 
lector of  the  said  subsidy,  and  hanged  him  up,  together  with 
divers  others  who  abetted  the  collecting  of  the  tax.     Then 
the  men  of  West  Walesf  chose  Maelgon  Fychan  for  their 
captain,   and  entering  into   Caermardhyn  and  Pembroke 
shires,  they  cruelly  harassed  all  the  lands  that  belonged  to 
the  English,  and  returned  laden  with  considerable  booty. 
The  men  of  Glamorganshire  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
southern  parts,  chose  one  Morgan  for  their  leader,   and 
attacked  the  Earl  of  Gloucester,  whom  they  forced  to  make 
his  escape  out  of  the  country  ;    and  Morgan  was  put  in 
possession  of  those  lands  which  the  ancestors  of  the  Earl 
of  Gloucester  had  forcibly  taken  away  from  Morgan's  fore- 
fathers.    On  the  one  side,  the  men  of  North  Wales  set  up 
one  MadocJ  related  to  the  last  Lhewelyn  slain  at  Buelht, 
who  having  drawn  together  a  great  number  of  men,  came  to 

Caernarvon 

*  Agreeable  to  the  new  mode  of  punishment,  by  being  drawn  at  tbe  tail  of  a  horse, 
and  afterwards  hanged  and  quartered.— Folklore  Vergil,  p.  236.  Matth.  Westm.  p. 
184»  says,  he  was  executed  at  Berwick. 

•f-  Pembrokeshire. 
J  He  was  an  illegitimate  SOD.— Milk's  Catalogue  of  Honour,  p.  310. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  271 

Caernarvon*  and  attacked  the  English,  who  in  great 
multitudes  had  then  resorted  thither  to  a  fair,  slew  a  great 
many,  and  afterwards  spoiled  and  ransacked  the  whole 
town.  King  Edward,  being  informed  of  these  different 
,  insurrections  and  rebellions  in  Wales,  and  desirous  to  quell 
the  pride  and  stubbornness  of  the  Welsh,  but  most,  of  all  to 
revenge  the  death  of  his  great  favourite  Roger  de  Puleston, 
recalled  his  brother  Edmund  Earl  of  Lancaster,  and  Henry 
Lacy  Earl  of  Lincoln  and  Lord  of  Denbigh,  who  with  a 
considerable  army  were  ready  to  embark  for  Gascoign,  and 
countermanded  them  into  Wales.  Being  arrived  there,  they 
passed  quietly  forward,  till  they  came  to  Denbigh,  and  as 
soon  as  they  drew  near  unto  the  castle,  upon  St.  Martin's 
day,  the  Welsh  with  great  fury  and  courage  confronted 
them,  and  joining  battle,  forced  them  back  with  a  very 
considerable  loss.  Polidore  Vergil  says,  (but  upon  what 
authority  we  are  not  informed,)  that  the  Welsh  obtained  this 
victory  rather  upon  the  account  that  the  English  army  was 
hired  with  such  money  as  had  been  wrongfully  taken  out  of 
the  abbies  and  other  religious  places,  so  that  it  was  a 
judgment  from  above,  more  than  the  force  of  the  Welsh, 
that  overcame  the  English  army.  Be  the  cause  what  it 
will,  it  is  certain  the  English  were  vanquished,  upon  which 
account  King  Edward  came  in  person  to  Wales,  and  kept 
his  Christmas  at  Aberconway,  where  Robert  Winchelsey 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  being  returned  from  Rome, 
came  to  him,  and  having  done  homage,  returned  honourably 
again  to  England.  As  the  king  advanced  farther  into  the 
country,  having  but  one  part  of  his  army  with  him,  the 
Welsh  attacked  and  took  most  of  his  carriages,  which 
contained  a  great  quantity  of  victuals  and  provision,  so  that 
the  king  with  all  his  followers  were  constrained  to  endure 
many  hardships,  insomuch  that  at  last  water  mixed  with 
honey,  and  very  coarse  and  ordinary  bread,  with  the  saltest 
meat,  were  accounted  the  greatest  delicacies  for  his  Majes- 
ty's own  table.  Their  misery  would  have  been  much 
greater,  had  not  the  other  part  of  the  army  come  in  time, 
because  the  Welsh  forces  had  surrounded  the  king  and  part 
of  his  army,  in  the  hope  of  reducing  him  to  the  utmost 
distress,  because  the  water  was  so  much  risen,  that  the  rest 
of  his  army  could  not  get  to  him :  but  the  water  within  a 
short  time  abating,  the  remainder  of  the  army  came  in, 
whereupon  the  Welsh  retired,  and  made  their  escape. 
One  thing  is  very  remarkable  of  King  Edward  during  his 
distress  at  Snowdon,  that  when  the  army  was  reduced  to 

very 

*  Matthew  Paris,  p.  190.    Welsh  Chron.  p.  380. 


272  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

very  great  extremity,  a  small  quantity  of  wine  was  found, 
which  they  purposed  to  reserve  for  the  king's  own  use  :  but 
he,  to  prevent  any  discontent,  which  might  thereupon  be 
raised  among  his  soldiers,  absolutely  refused  to  taste 
thereof,  telling  them,  '  That  in  time  of  necessity  all  things 
should  be  common,  and  as  he  was  the  cause  and  author 
of  their  distress,  he  would  not  be  preferred  before  them  in 
his  diet.' 

Whilst  the  king  remained  in  Snowdon,  the  Earl  of  War- 
wick being  informed  that  a  great  number  of  Welsh  were 
assembled,  and  had  lodged  themselves  in  a  certain  valley 
betwixt  two  wroods,  chose  out  a  troop  of  horse,  together 
with  some  cross-bowmen  and  archers,  and  attacked  them  in 
the  night-time.  The  Welsh  being  thus  surprised  and 
unexpectedly  encompassed  by  their  enemies,  made  the 
utmost  haste  to  oppose  them,  and  pitching  their  spears  in 
the  ground,  and  directing  their  points  towards  their 
enemies,  endeavoured  by  such  means  to  keep  off  the  horse. 
But  the  Earl  of  Warwick  having  so  disposed  his  forces,  that 
between  every  two  horses  there  stood  a  cross-bow,  so 
annoyed  the  Welsh  with  their  discharges,  that  the  spear- 
men fell  apace,  and  then  the  horse  breaking  easily  in  upon 
the  rest,  bore  them  down  with  a  degree  of  slaughter  that  the 
Welsh  had  never  before  experienced.  After  this,  King 
Edward,  to  prevent  any  more  rebellious  attempts  of  the 
Welsh,  cut  down  all  the  woods  in  Wales,  wherein,  in  any 
time  of  danger,  they  were  wont  to  hide  and  save  themselves. 
For  a  farther  security,  he  repaired  and  fortified  all  the 
castles  and  places  of  strength  in  Wales,  and  built  the  castle 
of  Beaumaris,  in  the  isle  of  Anglesey,  and  having  thus  put 
all  things  in  a  settled  posture,  and  punished  those  that  had 
been  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  Roger  de  Puleston,  he 
returned  with  his  army  into  England.  As  soon  as  the  king 
had  quitted  Wales,  Madoc,  who,  as  it  is  said  before,  was 
chosen  captain  by  the  men  of  North  Wales,  gathered  some 
forces  together  and  came  to  Oswestry,  which  immediately 
surrendered  to  him  :  and  then  meeting  with  the  Lord 
Strange  near  Knockin,  who  with  a  detachment  of  the 
marchers  came  to  oppose  him,  he  gave  him  battle,  van- 
quished his  forces,  and  ravaged  his  country.  The  like 
success  he  obtained  in  a  second  engagement  against  the 
marchers  ;  but  at  last  they  brought  together  a  very  great 
number  of  men,  and  met  Madoc  marching  towards  Shrews- 
bury, upon  the  hills  of  Cefn  Digolh,  not  far  from  Caurse 
castle,*  where,  after  a  bloody  fight  on  both  sides,  Madoc 

was 
*  It  is  said  by  others  that  Madoc  was  delivered  up  to  Edward  by  his  own  army. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  273 

was  taken  prisoner,  and  his  army  vanquished  and  put  to 
flight.  He  was  then  sent  to  London,  and  there  sentenced 
to  remain  in  perpetual  imprisonment  in  the  Tower,*  though 
others  affirm  that  Madoc  was  never  taken,  but  that  after 
several  adventures  and  severe  conflicts,  whereby  the  Welsh 
were  reduced  to  great  extremities,  he  came  in  and  sub- 
mitted himself  to  the  king,  who  received  him  upon  condition 
he  would  not  desist  from  the  pursuit  of  Morgan,  captain  of 
the  men  of  Glamorganshire,  till  he  brought  him  prisoner 
before  him.  Madoc  having  performed  this,  and  the  whole 
country  being  peaceable  and  undisturbed,  several  hostages 
from  the  chief  nobility  of  Wales  for  their  orderly  and  quiet 
behaviour  were  delivered  to  the  kin<r,  who  disposed  of  them 
by  placing  them  in  divers  castles  in  England,  where  they 
continued  in  safe  custody  till  the  end  of  the  war  which  was 
soon  afterwards  commenced  with  Scotland. 

Tn  the  29th  year  of  King  Edward's  reign,  the  prince  of  A.  D.  1301. 
Wales  came  down  to  Chester,  and  received  homage  of  all 
the  freeholders  in  Wales  as  follows :— Henry  Earl  of  Lan- 
caster, for  Monmouth;  Reginald  Grey,  for  Ruthyn;  Foulke 
Fitzwarren,  for  his  lands;  the  Lord  William  Martyn,  for 
his  lands  in  Cemaes;   Roger  Mortimer,   for  his  lands  in 
Wales;  Henry  Lacy,  Earl  of  Lincoln,  for  Rhos  and  Rhy- 
fonioc;  Robert  Lord  Montalt,  for  his  lands;  and  Gruffydh 
Lord  of  Poole,  for  the  lordship  of  Powys.     At  the  same 
time  paid   their  homage  Tudor   ap  Grono,  of  Anglesey; 
Madoc  ap   Tudor,  Archdeacon   of  Anglesey;    Eineon  ap 
Howel,  of  Caernarvon  ;  Tudor  ap  Gruffydh  ;  Lhewelyn  ap 
Ednyfed ;  Gruffydh  Fychan,  son  of  Gruffydh  ap  lorwerth  ; 
Madoc   Fychan   d'Englefield ;    Lhewelyn,    Bishop    of  St. 
Asaph ;    and    Richard    de    Pulesdon ;    which    last-named 
person,  in  the  twelfth  year  of  King  Edward,  was  constituted 
sheriff  of  Caernarvon   for  life,   with  the  stipend  of  forty 
pounds  sterling  yearly.     At  the  same  place,  G nifty dh  ap 
Tudor,  Ithel  Fychan,  Ithel  ap  Blethyn,  with  many  more, 
did  their  homage.      Then  the  prince  came  to  Ruddlan, 
where  the  Lord  Richard  de  Sutton,  Baron  of  Malpas,  did 
homage  and  fealty  for  the  said  barony  of  Malpas.     Thence 
the  prince  removed  to  Con  way,   where  Eineon   bishop   of 
Bangor,  and  David  abbot  of  Maynan,  did  their  homage ;  as 
did  Lewis  de  Felton,  son  of  Richard  Felton,  for  the  lands 
which  his  father  held  of  the  prince  in  Maelor  Saesneg,  or 
English  Maelor.     John  Earl  Warren  swore  homage  for  the 
lordships  of  Brornfield  and  Yale,  and  for  his  lands  in  Hope- 
Dale, 
T 

*  Welsh  Chron.  p.  381. 


274  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

Dale,  at  London,  in  the  chapel  of  the  Lord  John  de 
Kirkby,  who  was  some  time  bishop  of  Ely ;  as  also  a  while 
after,  Edmund  Mortimer,  for  his  lands  of  Ceri  and 
Cydewen. 

Besides  all  these,  there  paid  homage  to  the  prince  of 
Wales,  at  Chester,  Sir  Gruffydh  Llwyd,  son  of  Rhys  ap 
Gruffydh  ap  Ednyfed  Fychan,  a  stout  and  valiant  gentle- 
man, though  not  very  fortunate,  and  as  Florus  says  of 
Sertorius,  he  was  magnce  quidem,  sed  calamitosce.  virtu tis. 
He  was  knighted  by  King  Edward  the  First,  upon  his 
bringing  the  first  news  of  the  queen's  safe  delivery  of  a  son 
at  Caernarvon  castle,  the  king  holding  then  a  parliament  at 
Ruddlan.  This  Sir  Gruffydh  continued  for  some  time  on 
the  best  terms  with  the  king  of  England,  but  observing  at 
length  the  intolerable  oppression  and  tyranny  exercised  by 
the  English  officers,  especially  by  Sir  Roger  Mortimer, 
Lord  of  Chirk  and  Justice  of  North  Wales,  towards  his 
countrymen  the  Welsh,  he  became  so  much  concerned  and 
discontented  at  these  unwarrantable  practices,  that  he 
broke  out  into  open  rebellion  against  the  English ;  and  the 
better  to  effect  what  he  purposed,  he  treated  with  Sir 
Edward  Bruce,  brother  to  Robert,  then  king  of  Scotland, 
who  had  conquered  Ireland,  to  bring  or  send  over  some 
forces  to  assist  him  in  his  design  against  the  English. 

Nothing,  however,  was  concluded  upon,  and  the  whole 
treaty  came  to  nothing :  yet  Sir  Gruffydh,  though  without 
any  hopes  of  assistance  from  the  Scots,  would  not  lay  aside 
what  he  had  once  undertaken;  and  therefore,  having  ga- 
thered all  the  forces  he  could,  he  commenced  a  desperate 
warfare,  and  almost  in  an  instant  over-ran  all  North  Wales 
and  the  Marches,  seizing  upon  the  various  castles  and 
strongholds  through  the  country:  but  all  this  was  to  no 
purpose ;  for  as  the  most  violent  storm  is  quickly  over,  so 
Sir  Gruffydh's  army  became  spent,  and  then  being  met 
with  by  a  strong  detachment  of  English,  his  party  was 
easily  discomfited,  and  himself  taken  prisoner. 

A.  D.  1322.  The  same  year,  being  the  15th  of  the  reign  of  King 
Edward  the  Second,  his  eldest  son  Edward,  born  at  Wind- 
sor, in  a  parliament  holden  at  York  was  created  Prince  of 
Wales,  Duke  of  Aquitaine,  and  Earl  of  Chester.  This 
prince  succeeded  his  father  in  the  kingdom  of  England,  by 
the  name  of  Edward  the  Third,  one  of  the  greatest  and 
most  powerful  monarchs  that  ever  sat  upon  the  English 
throne. 

1343.      Edward,  born  at  Woodstock,  eldest  son  and  heir  to  King 
Edward  the  Third,  was  created  Prince  of  Wales  upon  the 

12th 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  275 

12th  day  of  May,  in  the  17th  year  of  his  father's  reign, 
being  then  about  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  was  a  prince  of 
incomparable  qualifications,  but  so  much  superior  in  martial 
affairs,  that  upon  account  of  the  several  actions  he  was  en- 
gaged in,  and  the  circumstance  of  his  wearing  black  armour, 
he  was  always  mentioned  by  the  name  of  Black  Prince.  He 
took  John  the  French  king  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Poic- 
tiers,  and  in  a  most  signal  manner  defeated  the  French 
army  in  the  battle  of  Cressy.  He  did  not  live  to  enjoy  the 
crown,  but  died  one  year  before  his  father  in  the  forty-sixth 
year  of  his  age ;  no  prince  was  in  his  life-time  more  beloved, 
nor  after  his  death  more  lamented  by  the  English  nation ; 
and  had  he  lived  to  ascend  the  throne,  no  one  doubted  but 
that  he  would  have  exceeded,  as  to  all  qualifications,  the 
most  glorious  renown  of  the  greatest  of  his  ancestors. 

In  the  time  of  Edward  the  Third  lived  Sir  Tudor 
Vaughan  ap  Grono,  descended  lineally  from  Ednyfed 
Vaughan,  a  person  as  to  estate,  power,  and  interest,  one  of 
the  chief  in  North  Wales.  Upon  some  motive,  either  of 
ambition  or  fancy,  he  assumed  to  himself  the  honour  of 
knighthood,  requiring  all  people  to  call  and  style  him  Sir 
Tudor  ap  Grono,  as  if  he  had  prognosticated  and  foreseen, 
that  out  of  his  loins  should  arise  those  that  should  have 
power  to  confer  that  honour.  King  Edward,  being  in- 
formed of  his  unparalleled  presumption,  sent  for  Sir  Tudor, 
and  asked  him  with  what  confidence  he  durst  invade  his 
prerogative,  by  assuming  the  degree  of  knighthood  without 
his  authority :  Sir  Tudor  replied,  that  by  the  laws  and 
constitution  of  King  Arthur,  he  had  the  liberty  of  taking 
upon  himself  that  title,  in  regard  he  had  those  three  qualifi- 
cations, which  whosoever  was  endued  with,  could  by  those 
laws  claim  the  honour  of  a  knight.  First,  he  was  a  gentle- 
man :  secondly,  he  had  a  sufficient  estate :  and  thirdly,  he 
was  valiant  and  adventurous;  adding  this  withal,  "If  my 
valour  and  hardiness  be  doubted  of,  lo,  here  I  throw  down 
my  glove,  and  for  due  proof  of  my  courage,  I  am  ready  to 
fight  with  any  man,  whatever  he  be."  The  king,  approving 
and  liking  well  the  man's  boldness  and  resolution,  was 
easily  persuaded  to  confirm  the  honour  of  knighthood  upon 
him.  From  this  Sir  Tudor  was  lineally  descended  Henry 
the  Seventh,  king  of  England,  who  was  the  son  of  Edmund 
Earl  of  Richmond,  the  son  of  Sir  Owen  Tudor,  son  to 
Meredith,  the  son  of  this  Sir  Tudor  ap  Grono. 

After  the  death  of  the  Black  Prince,  his  son  Richard, 
born  at  Bourdeaux  in  France,  being  but  ten  years  of  age, 

was 
T  2 


276  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

was  created  prince  of  Wales  at  Havering-at-Boure,  on  the 
A.D.  1377.  twentietli  day  of  November,  and  in  the  fiftieth  year  of  the 
reign  of  his  grandfather,  Edward  the  Third,  whom  he  suc- 
ceeded in  the  crown  of  England. 

Henry  born  at  Monmouth,  son  and  heir  to  Henry  the 
Fourth,  King  of  England,  upon  the  fifteenth  of  October,  in 
the  first  year  of  his  father's  reign,  was  created  prince  of 
Wales  at  Westminster,  who  succeeded  his  father  in  the 
English  crown  by  the  name  of  Henry  the  Fifth. 

Whilst  Richard  the  Second  reigned,  one  Owen*  ap 
Gruflfydh  Fychan,  descended  of  a  younger  son  of  Gruffydh 
ap  Madoc  Lord  of  Bromfield,  excited  great  national  interest. 
This  Owen  had  been  educated  in  one  of  the  Inns  of  Court, 
where  he  became  barrister  at  law,  and  was  afterwards  in 
very  great  esteem  and  credit,  served  King  Richard,  and 
continued  with  him  at  Flint  Castle,  till  at  length  the  king 
was  taken  by  Henry  Duke  of  Lancaster.  Between  this 
Owen  and  Reginald  Lord  Grey  of  Ruthyn  there  happened 
much  difference  touching  a  common  lying  between  the 
lordship  of  Ruthyn,  whereof  Reginald  was  owner,  and  the 
lordship  of  Glyndyfrdwy  in  the  possession  of  Owen,  whence 
he  borrowed  the  name  of  Glyndwr.f  During  the  reign  of 

Richard 

*  He  was  the  son  of  Gruffydh  Fychan  ap  Gruffydh  o  Rnddalt  ap  Madog  Fychan  ap 
Madog  Glof  ap  Gruffydh  Varwn  Gwyn  Arglwydd  Dinas  Bran  ap  Madog  ap  Gruffydh 
Maelor  ap  Madog  ap  Meredydd  ap  Bleddjn  ap  Cynvyn,  Prince  of  Powys.  His  mother 
was  named  Helen,  and  was  the  eldest  daughter  of  Thomas  ap  Lhewelyn,  a  lineal 
descendant  of  Rhys  ap  Tewdwr,  Prince  of  South  Wales,  hy  Eleanor  G»">ch,  daughter  of 
Philip  ap  Ivor,  Lord  of  Iscoed,  in  Cardiganshire,  by  Catherine,  daughter  of  the  last 
Lhewelyn,  hy  Eleanor,  daughter  of  Simon  de  Montford. 

f  Mr.  Pennant  describes  the  estate  to  which  Owen  Glyndwr  retired,  as  situate  in  the 
valley  of  the  Dee,  three  miles  below  Corwen,  and  states,  that  the  spirited  chieftain  was 
there  visited  by  lolo  Goch,  and  gives  the  Bard's  description  (in  his  invitation  poem)  of 
Sycbarth,  the  seat  of  Glyndwr,  as  referring  to  the  above  estate.  *'  lolo  Goch,"  he  says, 
"  the  celeb. ated  poet  of  this  period  resided  here  for  some  time.  He  came,  on  a  pressing 
invitation  from  Owain,  who,  knowing  the  mighty  influence  of  this  order  of  men  over  the 
ancient  Britons,  made  his  house,  as  lolo  says,  a  sanctuary  for  bards.  He  made  them  the 
instruments  of  his  future  preparations,  and  to  prepare  the  minds  of  the  people  against  the 
time  of  his  intended  insurrection.  From  lolo  I  borrow  the  description  of  the  seat  of  the 
chieftain  when  it  was  in  full  splendour.  He  compares  it  in  point  of  magnificence  to 
Westminster  Abbey  ;  and  informs  us,  that  it  had  a  gate  house,  and  was  surrounded  with 
a  moat;  that  within  were  nine  halls,  each  furnUhed  with  a  wardrobe,  I  imagine  filled 
with  the  clothes  of  his  retainers,  according  to  the  custom  of  those  days.  Near  the  house, 
on  a  verdant  bank,  was  a  wooden  house,  supported  on  posts  and  covered  with  tiles  :  it 
contained  four  apartments,  each  subdivided  into  two,  designed  to  lodge  the  guests.  Here 
was  a  church,  in  form  of  a  cross,  with  several  chapels.  The  seat  was  surrounded  with 
every  convenience  for  good  living  and  every  support  to  hospitality  ;  a  park,  warren,  and 
pigeon  house;  a  mill,  orchard,  and  vineyard;  and  fish-pond,  filled  with  pike  and 
gwyniads — the  last  introduced  from  the  lake  at  Bala ;  a  heronry,  which  was  a  concomitant 
to  the  seat  of  every  great  man,  supplied  him  and  his  guests  with  game  for  the  sport  of 
falconry.  A  place  still  remains  that  retains  the  name  of  his  park:  it  extends  about  a  mile 
or  two  beyond  the  scite  of  his  house,  on  the  left-hand  of  the  valley.  The  vestiges  of  the 
house  are  small ;  the  moat  is  very  apparent ;  the  measurement  of  the  area  it  inclosed  is 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  277 

» 

Richard  the  Second,  Owen,  as  being  a  courtier,  and  in  no 
mean  esteem  with  the  king,  overpowered  Reginald,  who  was 
neither  so  well  befriended  at  court,  nor  so  much  beloved  in 
the  country  as  Owen  was  ;  but  after  King  Richard  had  been 
deposed,  the  scene  was  altered,  and  Reginald  being  then 
better  befriended  than  Owen,  entered  upon  the  common, 
which  occasioned  Owen,  in  the  first  year  of  Henry  the 
Fourth,  to  make  his  complaint  in  parliament  against  him, 

for 

46  paces  by  26  paces.  There  is  the  appearance  of  a  wall  on  the  outside,  which  was 
continued  to  the  top  of  a  great  mount,  on  which  stood  the  wooden  house.  On  the  other 
side,  but  at  a  greater  distance,  1  had  passed  by  another  mount  of  the  same  kind,  called 
Hendom,  which  probably  might  have  had  formerly  a  building  similar  to  that  described 
by  the  bard.  This,  perhaps,  was  a  station  of  a  guard,  to  prevent  surprise  or  insult  from 
the  English  side.  He  had  much  to  apprehend  from  the  neighbouring  fortress  of  Dinas 
Bran  and  its  appendages,  possessed  by  the  Earl  of  Arundel,  a  strenuous  supporter  of  the 
house  of  Lancaster.  The  bard  speaks  feelingly  of  the  wine,  the  ale,  the  braget,  and  the 
white  bread,  nor  does  he  forget  the  kitchen,  nor  tire  important  officer  the  cook ;  whose 
life  (when  in  the  foyal  service)  was  estimated  by  our  laws  at  a  hundred  and  twenty-six 
cows.  Such  was  the  hospitality  of  this  house,  that  the  place  of  porter  was  useless,  nor 
were  locks  or  bolls  known.  To  sum  up  all,  no  one  could  be  hungry  or  dry  at  Sycharth, 
the  name  of  the  place.  The  bard  pays  all  due  praise  to  the  lady  of  the  house  and  her 
offspring." 

A  gwraig  orau  o'r  gwragedd'! 
Gwynn  y  myd,  o'i  gwin  a'i  medd. 
Merch  eglur,  Llin  marchawglyw, 
Urddol,  hael,  o  reiol  ryw. 
A'i  blant,  a  ddeuant  bob  ddau 
Nythod  teg  o  bennaethau. 

His  wife  .the  best  of  wives ! 

Happy  am  I  in  her  wine  and  methrglin. 

Eminent  woman  of  a  knightly  family, 

Honorable,  beneficent,  noble. 

His  children  come  in  pairs, — 

A  beautiful  nest  of  chieftains. 

The  Reverend  Walter  Davies,  in  an  interesting  notice  of  the  parish  of  Llausilin,  states, 
4hat  Mr.  Pennant  is  incorrect  as  to  the  loco-position  of  the  Sycharth  of  lolo  Goch.  He 
says  that  "  Sycharth,1'  the  seat  of  Owain  Glyndwr,  described  by  lolo  Goch,  is  in  the 
parish  of  Llansilin,  about  12  miles  to  the  south  by  east  of  Glyndy/rdwy.  As  Owain  was 
baron  of  two  lordships,  no  one  will  deny  his  having  a  seat  in  each;  one  on  the  Dee,  in 
Glyndyfrdwy,  the  other  on  the  Cynllaith,  in  this  parish.  The  only  question  to  be 
decided  is — «  In  which  of  the  two  mansions  the  chieftain  resided  when  he  was  visited  by 
the  bard  who  wrote  the  poem  so  fully  descriptive  of  tire  house  and  its  appendages?  The 
scite  of  his  seat  in  Llansilin  has  been  called  Sycharth  time  out  of  mind,  and  is  not  known 
by  any  other  name:  the  whole  township  is  called  Sycharth  in  every  court  leet,  and  in 
every  parochial  document.  The  scite  of  his  -residence  in  Glyndyfrdwy,  or  the  moat 
surrounding  it,  is  called  Pwll  Eingl.  Since  the  publication  of  Mr.  Pennant's  tour  through 
Wales  in  the  year  1773,  the  idea  may  have  been  considerably  circulated,  that  this  spot  at 
Pwll  Eingl  must  have  been  the  Sycharth  described  by  loloGofh,  as  it  was  never  suspected 
that  the  illustrious  chieftain  had  any  other  baronial  mansion  than  that  in  the  valley 
which  gave  him  his  surname  of  .Glyndyfrdwy,  and  contractedly  Glyndwr.  At  both 
places  the  scite  is  surrounded  by  a  moat :  on  the  Dee  the  area  enclosed  by  it  is  46  paces 
by  26  paces.  "  It  is  not  on  a  tumulus  .but  the  ground  is  a  little  raised."  At  Sycharth 
the  scite  is  a  circle  of  30  paces  diameter,  on  the  summit  of  an  artificial  tumulus,  which  is 
surrounded  by  a  moat,  six  yards  wide  and  about  the  same  in  depth  from  the  top  of  the 
mound.  To  the  west,  bordering  on  the  moat,  is  a  propugnaculum  (or  rampart),  about  300 

paces 


278  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

for  thus  divesting  him  of  his  right.  No  redress  being  found, 
the  bishop  of  St.  Asaph  wished  the  lords  to  take  care,  that 
by  thus  slighting  his  complaint,  they  did  not  irritate  arid 
provoke  the  Welsh  to  an  insurrection,  to  which  some  of  the 
lords  replied,  that  they  did  not  fear  those  rascally  bare- 
footed people.  Glyndwr  therefore  perceiving  how  his  peti- 
tion was  slighted  in  parliament,  and  finding  no  other  method 
to  redress  himself,  having  several  friends  and  followers,  put 
himself  in  arms  against  Reginald,  and  meeting  him  in  the 
field,  overcame  and  took  him  prisoner,  and  spoiled  his 
lordship  of  Rnthyn.  Upon  this  many  resorted  to  him  from 
all  parts  of  Wales,  some  thinking  him  to  be  in  as  great 
favour  now  as  in  King  Richard's  days ;  others  persuading 
him  that  now  the  time  was  come  when  the  Britons  by  his 
means  might  again  recover  the  honour  and  liberties  of  their 
ancestors.  Reginald  being  thus  kept  prisoner,  was  very 
severely  treated  by  Owen,  to  terrify  him  into  compliance 
with  his  rebellious  proceedings,  and  was  not  permitted  to 
have  his  liberty  until  ten  thousand  marks  were  paid  for  his 
ransom,  whereof  six  thousand  were  to  be  paid  upon  the 
feast  of  St.  Martin,  in  the  fourth  year  of  Henry  the  Fourth ; 
and  he  was  also  to  deliver  up  his  eldest  son  with  some  other 
persons  of  quality  as  hostages  for  the  remainder.  The  king, 
at  the  humble  suit  of  Reginald,  seeing  no  other  way  for  his 
enlargement,  acceded  thereto,  authorising  Sir  William  de 

Roos, 

paces  from  point  to  point  and  about  30  paces  over,  for  the  purpose  of  defending  the 
bridge  over  the  moat  when  necessary ;  the  whole  on  the  summit  of  a  natural  round 
hillock  shelving  on  all  sides.  «  On  the  Dee,  adjoining  the  scite  of  the  palace,  are  two 
inclosures;  one  is  called  Pare  Isa,  the  other  Pare.  The  Pare  Isa  is  small,  but  the  other 
Pare  is  from  70  to  80  acres.  In  Cynllaith,  the  next  house  to  Sycharth,  on  the  south-east, 
is  a  place  called  Pare  Sycharth,  with  a  far.m  attached  to  it.  This  is  at  the  southern  end 
of  an  extensive  wood,  which  (occupies  the  escarpment  of  a  rocky  hill,  called  Pare 
Sycharth,  and  may  be  the  parccwning  (the  rabbit  warren)  of  the  bard.  At  the  northern 
end  of  the  same  wood  are  a  few  houses  called  Pentre  y  Cwn,  where  the  master  of  the 
buck-hounds  to  his  barony  resided,  also  his  assistants.  At  Sycharth  there  is,  on  the 
rivulet  jCynliaith,  close  at  the  foot  of  the  hillock,  whereon  the  palace  stood,  a  mill,  formerly 
called  Melin  Sycharth,  but,  owing  to  the  grist-mill  being  lately  converted  into  a  fulling- 
miJl,  it  is  now  called  Pandy-Sycharth.  On  the  Dee  there  are  no  traces  of  fish-ponds;  at 
Sycharth,  between  the  palace  and  the  wood,  the  ichnography  of  two  fish-ponds,  one  above 
the  other,  is  still  visible,  though  now  much  filled  with  an  accumulation,  in  a  state  of  transi- 
tion from  aquatic  vegetables  into  an  imperfect  peat :  this  matter  is  several  feet  deep  on 
the  original  base  of  the  ponds.  The  water  could  not  be  very  abundant ;  and  what 
formerly  supplied  the  ponds  has  now  been  diverted  uito  other  channels  by  the  operation 
of  draining.  I  trust  that  it  will  now  be  conceded  by  our  neighbours  on  the  banks  of  the 
Dec  that  Owain  Glyndwr  was,  at  least,  an  inhabitant  of  Cjinllaith  ;  especially  at  the  time 
he  was  visited  by  lolo  Goch,  who,  in  after  times,  by  his  war  songs,  roused  the  hero  and 
his  countrymen  to  arms.  How  long  his  mansions  stood  at  Glyndyfrdwy  and  Cynllaith 
after  the  fall  of  the  owner  is  not  known  ;  as  they  were  of  timber,  and  not  inhabited,  they 
must  soon  have  fallen  to  decay.  There  are  no  vestiges  at  either  place.  The  scite  at 
Sycharth  has  of  late  been  ploughed  many  times,  without  having  any  relics  discovered. 
A  few  nails  and  fragments  of  stones,  bearing  the  marks  of  ignition,  are  the  only  remains 
that  I  saw.  It  is  not  probable  that  the  house  was  burned,  as  the  ploughed  soil  contains 
no  fragments  of  charcoal. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  279 

Roos,  Sir  Richard  de  Grey,  Sir  William  de  Willoughby,  Sir 
William  le  Zouche,  Sir  Hugh  Huls,  as  also  John  Harvey, 
William  Vans,  John  Lee,  John  Langford,  Thomas  Payne, 
and  John  Elnestow,  to  treat  with  Owen  and  his  council,  and 
to  determine  as  to  what  they  should  conceive  most  expedient 
and  necessary  to  be  done  for  his  redemption :  whereupon, 
they  consenting  to  give  the  sum  demanded  by  Glyndwr  for 
his  deliverance,  the  king  gave  licence  to  Robert  Braybroke 
bishop  of  London,  as  also  to  Sir  Gerard  Braybroke  the 
father,  and  Sir  Gerard  the  son,  then  feoffees  of  divers  lord- 
ships for  this  Reginald,  to  sell  the  manor  of  Herteleigh,  in 
the  county  of  Kent,  towards  the  raising  of  that  money :  and 
the  better  to  enable  him  to  pay  so  great  a  fine,  the  king  was 
pleased  to  grant,  that  whereas  it  was  enacted,  that  such 
persons  who  were  owners  of  lands  in  Ireland,  and  did  not 
there  reside,  should  for  such  their  neglect  forfeit  two  parts 
of  the  profits  of  them  to  the  king ;  that  notwithstanding  this 
act,  he  should  forfeit  nothing  for  non-residence  there  during 
the  term  of  six  years  next  ensuing. 

This  success  over  the  Lord  Grey,  together  with  the 
numerous  resort  of  the  Welsh  to  him,  and  the  favourable 
interpretation  of  the  prophecies  of  Merlin,  which  some  con- 
strued to  the  advantage  of  Owen,  made  the  swelling  mind  of 
Glyndwr  overflow  its  banks,  and  gave  him  some  hopes  of 
restoring  the  dominion  of  this  island  again  to  the  Britons. 
Wherefore  he  attacked  the  Earl  of  March,  who  met  him 
with  a  numerous  party  of  Herefordshire  men;  and  when 
they  came  in  contact,  the  Welshmen  proved  too  powerful, 
and  having  killed  above  a  thousand  men  of  the  English, 
they  took  the  Earl  of  March  prisoner.  King  Henry,  upon 
this,  was  frequently  requested  to  ransom  the  Earl,  but  to  no 
purpose ;  for  whether  by  reason  that  Mortimer  had  a  better 
title  to  the  crown  than  himself,  he  being  the  next  heir  in 
blood  after  King  Richard,  who  was  as  yet  living,  or  because 
of  some  other  private  reason,  the  king  would  never  give  ear 
to  any  proposal  for  his  redemption,  alleging  that  he  wilfully 
threw  himself  into  the  hands  of  Glyndwr.  About  the 
middle  of  August,  however,  to  correct  the  presumptuous 
attempts  of  the  Welsh,  the  king  went  in  person  with  a  great 
army  into  Wales ;  but  by  reason  of  the  extraordinary  con- 
tinuance of  bad  weather,  which  some  attributed  to  the  magic 
of  Glyndwr,  he  was  glad  to  return  safe. 

The  Earl  of  March  perceiving  that  he  was  not  likely  to 
obtain  his  liberty  by  the  means  of  King  Henry,  either  out  of 
compliance,  by  reason  of  his  tedious  captivity,  or  on  account 
of  affection  to  the  young  lady,  agreed  to  take  part  with 

Owen 


280  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

Owen   against   the   King  of  England,   and   to   marry   his 
daughter;  with  them  joined  the  Earl  of  Worcester,  and  his 
brother  the  Earl  of  Northumberland,  with  his  son  the  valiant 
Lord  Percy ;  who  conspiring  to  depose  the  King  of  Eng- 
land, in  the  house  of  the  archdeacon  of  Bangor,  by  their 
deputies    divided    the    realm    amongst   them,    causing    a 
tripartite  indenture  to  be  made,  and  to  be  sealed  with  each 
one's  seal :  by  which  covenant  all  that  country  lying  between 
the  Severn  and  the  Trent,  southward,  was  assigned  to  the 
Earl  of  March  ;  all  Wales,  and  the  lands  beyond  the  Severn, 
westward,  were  appointed  to  GJyndwr;  and  all  from  the 
Trent  northward  to  the  Lord  Percy.     This  was  done  (as 
some  said)   through  a  foolish  credit  they  gave  to  a  vain 
allegorical  prophecy,  as  though  King  Henry  was  the  exe- 
crable mouldwarp,  and  they  three  the  dragon,  the  lion,  and 
the  wolf  which  should  pull  him  down,  and  distribute  his 
Jdngdom   among  themselves.      After    they  had  exhibited 
articles  of  their  grievances  to  King  Henry,  and  divulged 
their  reasons  for  taking  up  arms,  they  at  length  marched 
with  all  their  power  towards  Shrewsbury  to  fight  the  king 
and  his  forces,  depending  mainly  upon  the  arrival  of  Glyn- 
dwr  and  his  Welshmen :  but  the  matter  was  gone  so  far, 
that  whether  he  came  in  or  no  they  must  fight,  and  so  both 
armies  being  confronted,  the  king's  party  prevailed,  young 
Percy  being  slain  upon  the  spot,  and  besides  most  of  the 
English  of  quality,  Douglas,  who  with  a  party  of  Scotch 
had  come  to  the  aid  of  the  confederates,  was  taken  prisoner, 
but  afterwards  honourably  set  at  liberty  by  the  intercession 
of  the  prince  of  Wales.      In  the  mean  time  the   Earl   of 
Northumberland    was    marching    forward    with    a    great 
party  from  the  North;    but  the  king  having  settled   mat- 
ters about  Shrewsbury,  proceeded  to  York,  and  sending 
to  him  to  lay  down  his  arms,  he  voluntarily  submitted  and 
dismissed  his  forces.     Then  the  king,  returning  from  York- 
shire, determined  to  pass  over  to  North  Wales  to  chastise 
the  presumptuous  practices  of  the  disobedient  Welsh,  who, 
after  his  departure  from  Shrewsbury,  had  made  inroads 
into  the  marches,  and  done  much  injury   to  his  English 
subjects;  but  other  business  of  greater  consequence  inter- 
vening, he  detached  his  son  the  prince  of  Wales,  who  took 
the  castle  of  Aberystwyth,  which  was  soon  again  retaken  by 
Owen   Glyndwr,    who   placed  in  it  a  strong  garrison  of 
Welshmen.      In    the   battle  of  Huske,  fought  upon    the 
fifteenth  of  March,  the  Welsh  received  a  very  serious  blow 
from  the  prince's  men,  Glyndwr's  son  being  taken  prisoner, 
jbesides  fifteen  hundred  others  taken  and  slain.     After  this, 

we 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  281 

hear  little  of  Glyndwr,  excepting  that  he  continued  to  vex 
and  harass  the  English  upon  the  marches,  to  the  tenth  year 
of  King  Henry's  reign,  when  he  is  stated  to  have  miserably 
ended  his  life;  being,  as  Hollingshed  reporteth,  towards 
his  latter  days,  driven  to  such  extremity,  that,  despairing  of 
all  comfort,  he  fled  and  lurked  in  caves  and  other  the  most 
solitary  places,  fearing  to  shew  his  face  to  any  creature,  till 
at  length  being  starved  for  hunger  and  lack  of  sustenance, 
he  miserably  ended  his  life.* 

These  rebellious  practices  of  Glyndwr,  highly  exasperated 
King   Henry   against    the   Welsh,    insomuch   that   several 
unmerciful  laws  were  enacted,  relating  to  Wales,  which  in 
effect  destroyed  all  the  the  liberties  of  the  Welsh  subjects. 
They  were  made  incapable  of  purchasing  any  lands,  or  to 
be  elected   members   of  any  county  or   borough,  and   to 
undertake  any  office,  whether  civil  or  military,  in  any  town 
incorporated.      If  any   suit  at  law   happened  betwixt  an 
Englishman   and  a  Welshman,   the  former   could   not  be 
convicted,  but  by  the  sentence  of  an  English  judge,  and  the 
verdict  of  an  English  jury ;    besides  that  any  Englishman 
who  married   a  Welshwoman   was  thereby  forthwith  dis- 
franchised from  all  the  liberties  of  an  English  subject.     It 
was   further  enacted,    that    no    Welshman    should  be  in 
possession  of  any  castle,  or  other  place  of  strength,  and  that 
no  victuals  or  armour  should  be  brought  into  Wales,  with- 
out a  special  warrant  from  the  king  or  his  council ;    and 
further,  that  no  Welshman  was  capable  of  undertaking  the 
office  of  justice,  chamberlain,  sheriff,  or  any  other  place  of 
trust  in  any  part  of  Wales,   notwithstanding  any  patent  or 
license  heretofore  given  to  the  contrary  :   these,  with  many 
other  most  rigorous  and  unjust  laws,  particularly  that  forbid- 
ding any  Welshman  to  bring  up  his  children  to  learning,  or 
to  bind  them  apprentices  to  any  trade  or  occupation,  were 
enacted  by  the  king  against  the  Welsh;   so  that  nothing 
appeared  to  satisfy  his  displeasure,  but  that  a  whole  nation 
should  be  wrongfully   oppressed,  for  the  fault  and  mis-  „ 

carriage  of  one  person.  It  might  have  been  supposed  that 
this  was  not  a  politic  method  of  securing  a  nation  in  its 
allegiance,  which,  upon  slighter  affronts,  had  been  ac- 
customed to  defend  its  privileges ;  and,  therefore,  the  quiet 
disposition  of  the  Welsh  about  this  time  has  been  attributed 
to  the  moderation  of  Henry  the  Fifth,  who  within  a  little 
time  succeeded  his  father  in  the  crown  of  England. 

Contemporary 

*  There  is,  however,  good  authority  for  believing  that  Owain,  passing  his  time  in, 
seclusion,  ended  his  days  with  one  of  his  daughters,  who  was  married  and  resided  in  the 
marches  of  South  Wales,  on  the  Herefordshire  border. 


282  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

Contemporary  with  Glyndwr  was  Sir  David  Gam,  (so  called 
because  he  had  but  one  eye,)  the  son  of  Lhewelyn  ap  Howel 
Vaughan,  of  Brecknock,  by  Mawd,  the  daughter  of  lefan  ap 
Rhys  ap  Ifor  of  Elvel.  He  was  a  staunch  partizan  of  the 
Duke  of  Lancaster,  and  for  that  reason  became  a  mortal 
enemy  to  Glyndwr,  who  having  been  educated,  as  before 
stated,  at  one  of  the  inns  of  Court,  was  preferred  to  the 
service  of  King  Richard  the  Second,  who,  as  Walsingham 
says,  made  him  his  Scutifer,  or  shield-bearer:  and  being 
informed  that  his  master  Richard  was  deposed  and  mur- 
dered, and  withal  being  provoked  by  several  wrongs  and 
affronts  done  him  by  his  neighbour  the  Lord  Grey,  of 
Ruthyn,  whom  King  Henry  greatly  countenanced,  and 
looking  upon  Henry  as  an  usurper,  he  caused  himself  to  be 
proclaimed  Prince  of  Wales.  To  give  a  better  colour  to 
the  matter,  he  feigned  himself  to  be  descended,  by  a 
daughter,  from  Lhewelyn  ap  Gruffydh,  the  last  prince; 
whereas,  in  truth,  he  came  paternally  but  from  a  younger 
brother  of  the  house  of  Powys  :  and,  as  ambition  has  no 
moderation,  so  Glyndwr  for  a  time  acted  the  part  of  a 
prince,  and  summoned  a  parliament  to  meet  at 
Machynlleth,*  whither  the  nobility  and  gentry  of  Wales 
appeared,,  and  among  the  rest  Sir  David  Gam,  but  not 
upon  the  same  design  with  the  rest,  for  it  was  his  intention 
in  this  meeting  to  murder  Glyndwr :  but  the  plot  being 
discovered,  and  Sir  David  secured,  he  would  have  been 
immediately  executed,  had  not  Glyndwr's  best  friends,  and 
the  greatest  supporters  of  his  cause,  pleaded  in  his  behalf, 
by  whose  intercession  he  was  prevailed  upon  to  grant  Sir 
David  both  his  life  and  liberty,  on  condition  he  would  ever 
after  continue  true  and  loyal  to  him.  Sir  David  promised 
very  loudly,  but  with  the  reservation  never  to  perform ;  for 
as  soon  as  he  came  to  his  own  country,  where  he  was  a 
person  of  very  considerable  sway  and  interest,  he  greatly 
annoyed  and  molested  those  that  in  any  way  favoured  or 
adhered  to  Glyndwr.  While  Sir  David  lay  in  prison  at 
Machynlleth,  for  his  attempt  against  Owen's  life,  this 
Englyn  was  made  upon  him. 

Dafydd  Gam  dryglam  dreigl,  iti  yn  wan  frwydr, 

Fradwr  Rissiart  Bhrenin, 

Llwyr  y  rhoes  Diawl  (hawn  hwyl  Flin 

Y  fath  ystad)  ei  fys  ith  Din. 

i.  e.     David  Gam  thou  wilt  be  a  wanderer  and  an  ill  end 

will 

*  The  building,  now  converted  into  a   stable,  in  which  this  memorable  synod   was 
convened,  is  still  to  be  seen. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  283 

will  come  to  tliee.  Thou  wilt  be  weak  in  battle,  thou 
traitor  to  King  Richard.  So  eagerly  vexatious  in  thy 
station  that  the  devil  wholly  entered  thy  heart. 

Glyndwr  having  received  information  that  Sir  David 
Gam,  contrary  to  the  promise  he  had  made  at  his  release, 
endeavoured  by  all  means  to  destroy  his  interest  among  the 
Welsh,  entered  the  marches,  and,  among  other  tokens  of  his 
indignation,  burned  the  house  of  Sir  David,  and  as  the 
report  goes,  calling  to  him  one  of  Sir  David's  tenants,  spake 
to  him  thus  merrily  in  verse : — 

O  Gvveli  di  wr  coeh  Gam 
Yn  ymofyn  y  Girnigwen 
Dywed  ei  bod  hi  Tan  y  Lan 
A  nod  y  glo  ar  ei  Phenn. 

i.  e.  If  thou  seest  a  red-haired,  squint-eyed*  man  looking 
for  the  lost  sheep,  tell  him  she  is  below  the  hill,  and  he  may 
know  her  as  she  is  marked  with  fire. 

But  Sir  David  had  the  good  fortune  to  escape  his 
vengeance,  and  was  constrained  to  retire  to  England,  where 
he  lived  for  the  most  part  at  court,  till  the  death  of  Glyn- 
dwr. 

When  King  Henry  the  Fifth  went  with  an  army  to  France 
against  the  French  king,  Sir  David  Gam  brought  into  his 
service  a  numerous  party  of  stout  and  valourous  Welshmen, 
who  upon  all  occasions  evinced  their  courage  and  resolution. 
In  the  battle  of  Agincourt,  news  being  brought  to  the  king 
that  the  French  army  was  advancing  towards  him,  and  that 
they  were  exceedingly  numerous,  he  detached  Captain 
Gam,  to  observe  their  motions,  and  to  review  their  number. 
The  Captain,  having  narrowly  eyed  the  French,  found  them 
to  be  twice  the  number  of  the  English,  but  not  being  in  the 
least  dismayed  at  such  a  multitude,  he  returned  to  the  king, 
who  enquiring  of  him  what  the  number  of  the  French  might 
be,  he  made  answer,  "  An't  please  you  my  liege,  they  are 
enough  to  be  killed,  enough  to  run  away,  and  enough  to  be 
taken  prisoners."  King  Henry  was  well  pleased,  and  much 
encouraged  with  this  resolute  and  undaunted  answer  of  Sir 
David,  whose  tongue  did  not  express  more  valour  than  his 
hands  performed:  for  in  the  heat  of  battle,  the  king's 
person  being  in  danger,  Sir  David  charged  the  enemy 
with  that  eagerness  and  masculine  bravery,  that  they  were 
glad  to  give  way,  and  thus  secured  the  king,  though  with 
the  loss  of  much  blood,  and  also  with  the  loss  of  his  life, 

himself 

*  Squint-eyed  is  Gam  in  Welsh,  from  which  he  took  his  name,  and  his  family  continues 
it  to  this  day,  and  all  squint  with  one  eye.  Sir  David  Gam  was  the  person  whom  Shak- 
speare  described  in  the  character  of  Captain  Fluelin. — Note  to  the  original  edition. 


284  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

himself  and  his  son-in-law  Roger  Vaughan,  with  his  kins- 
man Walter  Llwyd  of  Brecknock,  having  received  their 
mortal  wounds  in  that  encounter.  When  the  king  heard  of 
their  condition,  and  that  they  were  past  all  hope  of  recovery, 
he  came  to  them,  and  in  recompense  of  their  good  services, 
knighted  them  all  three  in  the  field,  where  they  soon  after 
died ;  and  thus  ended  the  life,  but  not  the  fame,  of  the 
signally  valiant  Sir  David  Gam. 

Edward  of  Westminster,  the  sole  issue  of  that  unfortunate 
prince  King  Henry  the  Sixth,  by  Margaret,,  the  daughter 
of  Rayner  Duke  of  Anjou,  and  titular  king  of  Jerusalem, 
Sicily,  and  Arragon,  was  created  Prince  of  Wales,  in  a 
parliament  held  at  Westminster  on  the  fifteenth  day  of 
March,  in  the  thirty-second  year  of  his  father's  reign. 
When  the  battle  was  lost  at  Tewkesbury,  this  young  prince 
purposed  to  have  made  his  escape  by  flight,  but  being 
unfortunately  taken,  and  brought  to  the  presence  of  King 
Edward  the  Fourth,  who  then  sat  upon  the  throne,  he  made 
such  resolute  and  unexpected  replies  that  he  smote  him  on 
the  mouth  with  his  gauntlet ;  and  then  tvis  brother  Richard 
(the  Crook-back)  ran  him  into  the  heart  with  his  dagger.* 

Edward,  born  in  the  Sanctuary  at  Westminster,  the 
eldest  son  of  King  Edward  the  Fourth,  was,  after  his 
father's  expulsion  out  of  England,  in  the  forty-ninth  year  of 
King  Henry  the  Sixth,  created  Prince  of  Wales  and  jCarl  of 
Chester,  in  the  eleventh  year  of  his  father's  reign.  On  the 
death  of  Edward  the  Fourth,  this  young  prince  being  then 
at  Ludlqw,  in  the  marches  of  Wales,  was  immediately  ,sent 
for  to  London,  and  proclaimed  king  of  England,  but  never 
lived  to  be  crowned;  for  his  uncle  Richard  Duke  of  Glou- 
cester, who  was  appointed  his  protector,  most  villainously 
procured  that  he  should  be  murdered,  together  with  his 
brother  the  Duke  of  York,  and  afterwards  was  himself 
proclaimed  and  crowned  king, 

Edward  the  Fourth,  in  his  wars  against  Henry  the  Sixth, 
was  very  much  assisted  by  the  Welsh;  in  recompense  of 
which  service  he  purposed  to  reform  matters  in  Wales,  so 
that  the  intolerable  oppression  which  they  had  hitherto 
endured  should  be  removed:  to  which  end  he  meant  to 
establish  a  court  within  the  said  Principality,  and  consti- 
tuted John  bishop  of  Worcester  president  of  the  prince's 
council  in  the  marches ;  who,  together  with  Anthony  Earl 
of  Rivers,  sat  in  the  town-hall  of  Shrewsbury,  and  consti- 
tuted certain  ordinances  for  the  public  good  and  tranquillity 

of 

*  This  account,  the  reader  will  observe,  differs  from  that  of  the  English  historians  in  a 
slight  degree,  inasmuch  as  they  make  the  Duke  of  Clarence  and  others  participators  in 
this  murderous  tragedy. 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  285 

of  that  place:  but  the  matter  proceeded  no  farther,  for  the 
troubles  and  disquietness  of  his  kingdom  coming  heavily 
upon  him,  and  the  brevity  of  his  reign  after  his  establish- 
ment not  permitting,  he  was  forced  to  leave  that  to  others 
which  he  had  himself  intended  to  bring  about. 

Edward,  born  at  Middleham,  near  Richmond,  in  the 
county  of  York,  the  only  son  of  King  Richard  the  Third, 
was  at  ten  years  of  age  created  by  his  father  Prince  of 
Wales,  but  he  died  soon  after. 

Arthur,  the  eldest  son  of  King  Henry  the  Seventh,  born 
at  Winchester,  was  in  the  seventh  year  of  his  father's  reign 
created  Prince  of  Wales.  About  the  fifteenth  year  of  his 
age,  being  then  newly  married  to  Katherine  the  Infanta  of 
Spain,  he  was  sent  by  his  father  into  Wales,  that  by  his 
presence  he  might  the  better  keep  that  country  in  awe.* 
With  him  King  Henry  sent  Dr.  William  Smith,  afterwards 
made  Bishop  of  London,  as  president  of  his  council,  to- 
gether with  Sir  Richard  Pool,  his  chamberlain,  Sir  Henry 
Vernon,  Sir  Richard  Crofts,  Sir  David  Philip,  Sir  William 
Udal,  Sir  Thomas  Englefield,  Sir  Peter  Newton,  and 
others,  to  be  his  counsellors  and  directors  in  his  manage- 
ment of  affairs;  but  the  prince  had  not  continued  long 
there  before  he  fell  sick  at  his  castle  at  Ludlow,  of  which 
indisposition  he  shortly  after  died,  and  wras  buried  with 
great  solemnity  in  the  cathedral  church  of  Worcester.  The 
creating  of  his  brother  Henry  (Duke  of  York)  Prince  of 
Wales  in  his  stead  was  deferred  for  about  the  space  of  a 
month,  to  discover  whether  the  Lady  Katherine  was  with 
child  by  Prince  Arthur :  but  when  it  was  ascertained  that 
she  had  not  conceived,  on  the  eighteenth  day  of  February, 
in  the  nineteenth  year  of  his  father  King  Henry  the  Seventh's 
reign,  Henry  Duke  of  York  was  created  Prince  of  Wales. 

King  Henry  the  Seventh,  being  by  his  grandfather  Owen 
Tudor  of  Welsh  descent,  and  having  sufficiently  experi- 
enced the  affection  of  the  Welsh  towards  him,  first  of  those 
who,  upon  his  first  landing,  opportunely  joined  him  under 
Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas,  and  then  of  those,  who  under  the 
command  of  Sir  William  Stanley,  Lord  of  Bromfield,  Yale, 
and  Chirkland,  aided  him  in  Bosworth  Field,  could  not  in 
honour  and  equity  but  bear  some  regard  to  the  miserable 
state  and  condition  of  the  Welsh  under  the  English  govern- 
ment :  and  therefore  this  prudent  prince,  finding  the  calami- 
ties of  the  Welsh  to  be  insupportable,  and  seeing  what 
grievous  and  unmerciful  laws  were  enacted  against  them  by 
his  predecessors,  took  occasion  to  redress  and  reform  the 

same, 

*  Wokins,  p.  789. 


28G  HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

same,  and  granted  to  the  Welsh  a  charter  of  liberty  and 
immunity,  whereby  they  were  released  from  the  cruel  op- 
pression which,  since  their  subjection  to  the  English 
government,  they  had  most  cruelly  sustained.  Seeing  also 
that  the  birth  and  quality  of  his  grandfather  (Owen  Tudor) 
was  called  in  question,  and  that  he  was  by  many  upbraided 
of  being  of  mean  and  ignoble  parentage,  King  Henry 
directed  a  commission  to  the  Abbot  of  Lhan  Egwest,  Dr. 
Owen  Pool,  Canon  of  Hereford,  and  John  Kins:,  Herald  at 
Arms,  to  make  inquisition  concerning  the  pedigree  of  the 
said  Owen ;  who  coming  to  Wales,  made  a  diligent  enquiry 
into  this  matter,  and  by  the  assistance  of  Sir  John  Leyaf, 
Guttyn  Owen  (Bardh),  Gruffydh  ap  Lhewelyn  ap  Efan 
Fychan,  and  others,  in  the  consultation  of  the  British  books 
of  pedigrees,  they  drew  up  an  exact  genealogy  of  Owen 
Tudor,  which  upon  their  return  they  presented  to  the  king. 

Edward,  son  to  Henry  the  Eighth  by  the  Lady  Jane 
Seymour,  his  third  wife,  was  born  at  Hampton  Court  on 
the  twelfth  of  October;  and  upon  the  eighteenth  of  the  said 
month  was  created  Prince  of  Wales,  Duke  of  Cornwall,  and 
Earl  of  Chester. 

King  Henry  the  Seventh  had  already  abrogated  those 
intolerable  laws  which  the  former  kings  of  England,  particu- 
larly Henry  the  Fourth,  had  made  against  the  Welsh  ;  and 
now,  King  Henry  the  Eighth,  willing  to  make  a  complete 
reformation  of  what  his  father  had  wisely  begun,  thought  it 
necessary,  for  the  good  and  tranquillity  of  both  nations,  to 
make  the  Welsh  subject  to  the  same  laws  and  the  same  form 
of  government  with  the  English.  He  understood  that  the 
usual  hostilities  and  depredations  were  still  continued  and 
kept  up  by  both  sides  upon  the  borders ;  and  though  his 
father  had  eased  the  yoke  of  the  Welsh,  yet  he  perceived 
that  it  contributed  but  little  towards  the  abolition  of  that 
inveterate  and  implacable  envy  and  animosity  which  raged 
in  the  marches:  therefore,  to  remedy  this  otherwise  una- 
voidable evil,  he  concluded  that  the  only  effectual  method 
was  to  incorporate  the  Welsh  with  the  English,  so  that 
they,  being  subject  to  the  same  laws,  might  equally  fear  the 
A.D.  1536.  violation  of  them.  Accordingly,  in  the  twenty-seventh  year 
of  his  reign,  an  Act  of  Parliament  passed  for  that  purpose, 
which,  together  with  another  Act  in  the  thirty-fifth  year  of 
his  reign,  made  a  complete  incorporation  of  the  Welsh  with 
the  English,  which  union  has  had  that  blessed  effect  that  it 
has  in  course  of  time  dispelled  all  those  unnatural  differ- 
ences which  were  previously  so  frequent  and  irreconcilable. 

When  the  Reformation  was  first  established  in  Wales  it 

was 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  287 

was  a  great  inconvenience  to  the  common  people,  who  were 
nearly  all  unacquainted  with  the  English  tongue,  that  the 
Bible  was  not  transtated  into  their  native  language.  Queen 
Elizabeth  was  soon  aware  of  the  inconvenience  which  the 
Welsh  suffered  for  want  of  such  a  translation;  and  therefore, 
in  the  eighth  year  of  her  reign,  an  Act  of  Parliament  was  A.D.  1569. 
passed,  whereby  the  Bishops  of  Hereford,  St.  David,  St. 
Asaph,  Bangor,  and  Llandaff,  were  ordered  to  take  care 
that  the  Bible,  containing  the  Old  and  New  Testaments, 
with  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  and  Administration  of 
the  Sacraments,  should  be  truly  and  with  precision  trans- 
lated into  the  British  or  Welsh  tongue,  and  that  the  same 
so  translated,  being  by  them  perused  and  approved,  should 
be  printed  to  such  a  number  at  least,  as  that  every  cathedral, 
collegiate  and  parish  church,  and  chapel  of-ease,  within 
those  dioceses  where  that  tongue  was  vulgarly  spoken, 
might  be  supplied  before  the  first  of  March,  in  the  year 
1576 :  and  from  that  time  forward  that  the  Welsh  Divine 
Service  should  be  used  in  the  British  tongue  in  all  places 
throughout  those  dioceses,  where  the  Welsh  was  commonly 
spoken,  after  the  same  manner  as  it  was  used  in  the  English 
tongue ;  and  that  the  charge  of  procuring  the  said  Bible 
and  Common  Prayer  should  be  equally  apportioned  betwixt 
the  parson  and  the  parish,  each  of  those  two  parties  being 
obliged  to  pay  one-half  of  the  expense ;  and  that  the  price 
of  the  book  should  be  set  by  the  aforesaid  bishops,  or  by 
three  of  them  at  the  least.  This  act  of  parliament  was  not 
punctually  observed ;  for  the  Old  Testament  was  wholly 
omitted,  and  only  the  New,  with  the  Book  of  Common 
Prayer  and  Administration  of  the  Sacraments,  then  trans- 
lated, which  translation  was  chiefly  owing  to  Richard  bishop 
of  St.  David,  who  was  assisted  by  William  Salusbury,  a 
perfect  critic  in  the  Welsh  tongue,  and  one  excellently  con- 
versant in  all  British  antiquities:  but  in  the  year  1588, 
Dr.  William  Morgan,  first  bishop  of  Llandaff,  and  then  of 
St.  Asaph,  undertook  the  translation  of  the  whole  Bible; 
and  by  the  help  of  the  Bishops  of  St.  Asaph  and  Bangor, 
Gabriel  Goodman,  Dean  of  Westminster,  David  Powel, 
D.  D.  Edmund  Price,  Archdeacon  of  Merioneth,  and 
Richard  Vaughan,  he  effectually  finished  it.  This  was  of 
great  advantage  to  the  Welsh,  who  could  now  read  the  whole 
Scripture  in  their  own  native  tongue ;  by  which  means  they 
received  a  clearer  demonstration  of  the  corruptions  of  the 
Church  of  Rome,  when  they  saw  many  of  their  principles 
apparently  contradicting,  and  others  not  very  firmly  founded 
upon,  the  Holy  Scriptures:  and  on  the  other  hand  they 

perceived 


HISTORY  OF  WALES. 

perceived  the  necessity  and  advantage  of  the  Reformation, 
for  they  easily  discovered  that  the  whole  doctrine  of  the 
Church  of  England  was  sound  and  orthodox,  and  that  they 
were  now  happily  delivered  from  that  popish  slavery  under 
which  their  forefathers  ignorantly  laboured ;  and  therefore, 
being  convinced  of  the  truth  of  their  religion,  they  became, 
and  continued  generally,  very  strict  adherents  to,  and  firm 
observers  of,  the  doctrine  and  discipline  of  this  church. 

Here,  by  the  bye,  I  cannot  but  observe  what  a  reverend 
writer  has  lately  insinuated,  relating  to  the  Christian  religion 
planted  in  Wales :  for  that  learned  person,  in  his  funeral 
sermon  upon  Mr.  Gouge,  would  fain  induce  the  world  to 
believe  that  Christianity  was  very  corrupt  and  imperfect 
among  the  Welsh,  before  it  was  purified  by  that  (whom  he 
terms  apostolical)  man :  whereas  it  is  notoriously  evident, 
that  since  the  Reformation  was  settled  in  that  country,  and 
the  Bible,  with  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  was  translated 
into  the  Welsh  tongue,  no  pla^e  has  been  more  exact  in 
keeping  to  the  strict  rubrick  and  constitution  of  the  Church 
of  England,  both  as  to  the  substance  and  form  of  worship. 
But  what  may  more  truly  be  attributed  to  Mr.  Gouge  is, 
that  since  his  travels  into  Wales,  and  the  propagating  of  his 
doctrine  among  the  ignorant  of  that  country,  dissent,  which 
before  had  scarcely  taken  root,  hath  as  it  were  daily 
increased. 

Henry,  eldest  son  of  King  James  the  First,  being  arrived 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  was  created  prince  of  Wales 
on  the  thirtieth  of  May,  in  1610,  but  he  dying  of  a  malig- 
nant fever  about  two  years  after,  his  brother  Charles,  then 
fifteen  years  of  age,  was  created  Prince  in  his  room  in  1615. 
This  new  creation  was  celebrated  in  the  town  of  Ludlow, 
and  in  the  city  of  London,  with  great  triumph ;  and  the 
more  to  honour  this  solemnity,  the  king  made  twenty-five 
Knights  of  the  Bath,  all  of  them  peers  or  the  sons  of  peers; 
and  the  Inns  of  Court,  to  express  their  joy,  elected  out  of 
their  body  forty  of  the  principal  gentlemen  to  perform 
solemn  justs  and  barriers,  as  in  the  tournaments  of  former 
times. 

Charles,  eldest  son  of  King  Charles  the  First,  by 
Henrietta  Maria,  daughter  to  King  Henry  the  Fourth  of 
France,  was  born  May  29,  1630,  and  afterwards  created 
Prince  of  Wales. 

Subsequent  to  this  period,  the  title  of  Prince  of  Wales 
has  been  borne  by  several  of  the  British  Princes  when  next 
in  succession  to  the  Throne ;  and  having  been  borne  by  our 
late  most  gracious  Sovereign  King  George  the  Fourth,  until 

he 


HISTORY  OF  WALES.  289 

he  commenced  his  reign  on  the  death  of  his  revered  father, 
which  took  place  the  29th  day  of  January,  1820,  it  has 
since  that  period  remained  in  abeyance. 

Since  the  happy  incorporation  of  the  Welsh  with  the 
English,  the  history  of  both  nations  as  well  as  the  people 
is  united;  and  therefore  I  shall  not  repeat  that  which  is  so 
copiously  and  frequently  delivered  by  the  English  his- 
torians ;  but  shall  conclude  with  Dr.  Heylyn,^-"  That  since 
the  Welsh  have  been  incorporated  with  the  English,  they 
have  shelved  themselves  most  loyal,  hearty,  and  affection- 
ate subjects  of  the  state;  cordially  devoted  to  their  king, 
and  zealous  in  defence  of  their  laws,  liberties,  and  reli- 
gion, as  well  as  any  of  the  best  of  their  fellow -subjects." 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES, 

&c. 


CAERNARVONSHIRE. 

I  HIS  county  is  the  most  rugged  and  truly  alpine  district  in 
Wales :  it  is  surrounded  by  the  sea  on  all  sides  except  the  east,,  where 
it  joins  Denbighshire,  and  a  part  of  the  south  contiguous  to  Meri- 
onethshire. Its  figure  is  very  irregular,  with  a  great  peninsulated 
point  running  out  to  the  south-west  or  Irish  sea,  and  separated  from 
Anglesea  by  the  isthmus  of  Menai.  The  general  surface  of  the 
country  is  very  mountainous,  and  the  vales  for  the  most  part  narrow, 
with  hills  rising  very  abruptly  from  the  skirts  of  small  vallies  into 
stupendous  mountains,  intersecting  each  other  in  all  directions,  af- 
fording, however,  an  ample  sustenance  for  numerous  herds  of  cattle 
and  sheep,  which  are  fed  in  great  numbers  on  the  mountains,  being 
attended  by  their  owners,  who  for  the  season  reside  in  temporary  huts, 
wherein  they  make  butter  and  cheese,  which,  with  a  little  oatmeal 
and  the  produce  of  the  dairies,  constitute  their  daily  food.  The 
prospects  around  are  rude  and  savage  in  the  extreme,  yet  not  entirely 
destitute  of  some  mixture  of  beauty,  particularly  the  vales,  which 
admit  the  common  varieties  of  wood,  water,  and  meadow.  In  some 
of  the  lakes  are  found  the  char,  and  the  gwiniad  (another  alpine  fish), 
with  many  rare  vegetables  found  on  the  most  elevated  parts  of  Snow- 
don.  Some  parts  of  the  county  afford  lead  and  copper,  and  some 
excellent  quarries  of  stone  for  hones  and  slates,  while  other  parts  are 
celebrated  for  the  produce  of  oats,  barley,  and  black  cattle,  of  which 
vast  numbers  are  exported  annually ;  together  with  great  quantities 
of  fish,  especially  herrings,  which  are  caught  on  the  shores  of  the 
county. 

CAERNARVON,    OR   CAER    YN    ARVON, 

Is  the  ancient  Segontium  of  the  Romans,  mentioned  by  Antoninus  as 
a  Roman  station  in  the  time  of  Constantine.  Matthew  Paris  informs 
us  that  the  body  of  Constantius,  the  father  of  that  emperor,  was  found 
buried  therein  1283.  The  town  is  situate  in  the  parish  of  Llan- 
beblig,  a  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Peblic,  who  lived  about  the 
middle  of  the  fifth  century  ;  and  here  is  a  new  chapel  built,  dedicated 
to  Saint  Mary.  The  church  is  a  large  building  in  the  form  of  a 
cross,  and  is  situate  near  the  walls  of  Old  Segontium,  a  short  distance 
to  the  south-east  of  the  town.  Richard  the  Second  bestowed  this 

v  2  church 


A  TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES. 

church,  and  the  chapel  of  Caernarvon,  on  the  nuns  of  Saint  Mary's  in 
Chester,  in  consequence  of  their  poverty.*  In  the  church  is  an  altar- 
tomb  to  the  memory  of  William  Griffith,  Esq.  son  of  Sir  William 
Griffith,  of  Penrhyri,  and  his  wife  Margaret,  daughter  of  John  Wynn 
ab  Meredith,  Esq.  of  Gwydir.  The  figures  are  in  white  marble,  and 
very  well  sculptured :  he  died  Nov.  28,  1587,  and  she  in  1593,  when 
the  tomb  was  erected  by  her  father.  It  is  probable  that  the  large 
nouse  called  Plas  Mawr,  in  the  town  of  Caernarvon,  was  built  by  him, 
as  the  initials  of  his  name,  W.  G.  and  those  of  his  wife,  M.  G.  are 
over  the  south-west  door.  It  appears  that  Caer-Segorit  (or  Old 
Caernarvon)  was  anciently  the  seat  of  the  Princes  of  Wales,  for  King 
Cadvan  resided  here  in  650,  where  also  Cadwallo  his  son,  who  was 
so  great  a  scourge  to  the  Saxons,  and  his  grandson  Cadwaladr,  suc- 
cessively resided.  Caradog  also,  and  his  son  Octavius,  who  was 
made  Governor  of  Britain  by  Constantine  the  Great,  resided  here 
prior  to  that  time ;  and  Helen,  wife  of  the  Emperor  Maximus,f  and 
daughter  of  the  said  Octavius,  was  born  at  Caer-Segont.  Publicius,. 
the  founder  of  Llanbeblig,  is  said  to  have  been  the  son  of  the  said 
Maximus  and  Helen  ;  and  Cynan  Meriadog,  cousin  to  the  said 
Helen,  succeeded  his  uncle  Octavius  as  Duke  of  Cornwall.  It  is  also 
said  that  Prince  Roderic  resided  here  in  A.  D.  750.  It  is  probable 
that  Old  Caer  yn  Arvon,  prior  to  the  time  of  Edward  the  First,  was 
situate  near  Hen  Waliau. 

The  town  is  built  in  the  form  of  a  square,  and  enclosed  on  three 
sides  by  an  embattled  stone  wall :  the  streets  are  at  right  angles  with 
the  principal  one,  in  which  is  the  town  hall.  The  chief  object  which 
attracts  our  attention  is  the  noble  castle,  the  most  magnificent  in 
Wales,  built  by  Edward  the  First,  and  probably  the  town  at  the  same 
time,  with  the  revenues  of  the  see  of  York,  then  vacant.  The  castle 
defends  the  town  on  the  south,  and  has  a  narrow  deep  ditch  in  front 
on  the  north  side  :  in  its  west  wall  are  three  round  towers,  and  two 
more  on  each  side,  with  a  narrow  gate  or  entrance,  over  which  is 
placed  a  bareheaded  figure  with  flowing  locks,  holding  in  his  left  hand 
a  sword,  which  he  draws  with  his  right,  or  perhaps  is  sheathing,  in 
allusion  to  the  termination  of  the  Welsh  war,  and  a  defaced  shield  is 
under  his  feet.  This  gate  leads  to  a  narrow  oblong  court :  at  the  west 
end  is  a  polygon  tower,  with  three  hexagon  towers  above,  on  the 
embattlements  of  which  are  eagles,  whence  it  had  the  name  of  Eagle 
Tower,  which  is  the  admiration  of  all  lovers  of  architecture:  the 
eagles  on  the  tower  are  supposed  to  be  Roman,  and  to  have  been 
found  at  Segontium  by  Edward.  John  de  Havering  was  the  first 
governor,  and  Adam  d&  Wetenhall  succeeded.  The  constable  and 
the  captain  had  twenty-four  soldiers  allowed  them  for  the  defence  of 
the  place :  this  small  garrison  was  only  during  peaceable  times.  In 
Cromwell's  time,  Captain  Swanley,  a  parliament  man,  took  the  town. 

In 
*  Pennant,  and  Sebright  MSS.  f  Called  by  the  Welsh  Macsen  Wledig. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  3 

In  1644  the  royalists  retook  the  place  ;  finally  General  Mytton  and 
Colonels  Mason,  Carter,  and  Twisleton,  retook  it  in  1648,  when  Sir 
John  Owen  was  defeated  near  Llandegai,  after  which  North  Wales 
entirely  submitted  to  the  parliament.  In  the  Eagle  tower  before 
alluded  to  is  a  room  eleven  feet  by  seven,  in  which  the  unfortunate 
Edward  the  Second,  the  first  English  Prince  of  Wales,  was  born  on 
the  25th  of  April,  1284.  A  passage  only  separates  this  room  from 
another  semi-circular  apartment,  called  the  Nursery.  On  the  south 
side,  next  the  river  Seiont,  are  three  hexagon  and  octagon  towers, 
with  three  others  on  the  north ;  to  the  east  is  a  magnificent  entrance, 
with  a  lofty  round  arch,  and  towers  communicating  all  round  by  noble 
galleries,  several  of  which  are  surrounded  by  small  towers,  peculiar 
to  this  castle.  In  the  north-east  corner  is  a  deep  well,  now  nearly 
filled  up,  having  near  it  a  round  tower,  formerly  a  dungeon.  Such  is 
the  external  delineation  of  Caernarvon  castle,  founded  on  a  rock,  and 
now  almost  entire.  The  outer  walls  are  of  white  hewn  stone,  with  an 
edging  of  red  about  the  corners  and  windows,  which  have  a  very 
pretty  effect.  There  were  several  English  gentlemen  introduced  into 
this  town  as  governors  and  officers  of  the  castle,  by  the  Kings  of 
England,  after  the  conquest,  a  few  of  whose  posterity  still  remain. 
Of  this  number,  no  doubt,  were  the  Spicers,  Pulestons,  Bowmans, 
and  Bolds ;  and  the  old  houses  where  they  lived  still  go  by  their 
respective  names,  such  as  Plas  Pilstwn,  the  present  King's  Head  inn ; 
Plas  Bowman,  the  corner  of  Church-street ;  and  Plas  Spicer,  in 
Church-street.  The  town  of  Caernarvon  is  increasing  in  size  and 
opulence  :  two  large  chapels  and  several  new  streets  have  lately  been 
built ;  the  Sportsman's  Arms  Inn  and  the  New  Hotel  afford  every 
accommodation  of  elegance  and  convenience.  The  corporation,  about 
the  year  1808,  built  an  elegant  town-hall  and  market-house  in  the 
centre  of  the  town.  Very  commodious  hot  and  cold  baths,  with 
reading  rooms  attached,  have  been  recently  erected  by  the  Marquis  of 
Anglesea,  who  is  mayor  of  the  town,  and  constable  of  the  castle  for 
life.  This  town  is  much  frequented  by  strangers  in  the  summer 
season.  On  the  outside  of  the  town  walls  is  a  broad  and  pleasant 
terrace  along  the  side  of  the  Menai,  extending  from  the  quay  to  the 
north  end  of  the  town  walls  ;  and  in  the  evening  it  is  a  fashionable 
promenade  for  persons  of  all  descriptions. 

The  port  of  Caernarvon  is  rather  dangerous,  from  the  extensive 
banks  adjacent  thereto  ;  but  the  harbour  is  very  commodious,  and 
vessels  of  six  or  seven  hundred  tons  ride  in  security.  The  quay  is 
also  peculiarly  convenient,  as  large  vessels  can  ride  close  to  it,  and 
deliver  or  take  in  their  cargoes.  The  trade  is  annually  considerably 
increasing.  Near  the  quay  is  the  custom-house,  well  situated  for 
vessels  trading  in  slates,  of  which  many  thousands  are  exported  to 
different  parts  of  the  empire,  and  procured  from  the  quarries  in  the 
mountains  of  Llanberis. 

From 


4  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 

From  the  top  of  a  rock  behind  the  hotel  is  a  fine  view  of  the  town 
and  castle  ;  and  on  a  clear  day  the  Isle  of  Anglesea,  Holyhead,  and 
Paris  Mountains  may  be  distinctly  seen,  like  a  good  map  before  the 
eyes.     On  the  east  end  of  the  town  is  a  large  suburb,  with  a  wide 
street  leading  to  the  bridge  and  ditch,  sided  with  two  round  towers, 
and  over  the  gate  an  assembly  room.      On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river   Seiont,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  town,   are  the  ruins  of  a 
Roman  fort,  called  Hen  Waliau,  with  the  walls  entire  on  three  sides, 
built  of  rough  stones  strongly  cemented  together,  ten  feet  high  by 
four  thick,  enclosing  an  area  of  about  eighty  yards  from  east  to  west ; 
but  the  west  side,  which  overhangs  the  steep  bank  of  the  river,  has 
no  trace  of  a  wall.     The  remains  of  a  Roman  road  are  still  visible 
from  this  place  to  Dinorwig,  and  a  single  stone  bears  the  inscription 
S.  V.  C.  probably  Segontium  Urbis  Constantine.     Here  Helen,  the 
wife  of  Constantius,  had  a  chapel,  and  her  name  is  preserved  in  a 
well  half  a  mile  below  On  the  river  side.     Near  this  place  was  found, 
a  few  years  ago,  a  pot  full  of  coins,  buried  under  a  tree  ;    afterwards 
there  were  found  a  large  coin  of  Vespasian  in  July,  1821,  a  small 
silver  one  of  Anton  ins  Pius  in  1808,  and  another  silver  one  of  Valerian 
in   1827.     Near  Moel  y  Don  is  a  large  bed  of  a  beautiful  small- 
grained  white  free-stone,  which  supplies  this  part  of  the  country  with 
whet-stones  :  it  is  of  the  hardest  kind,  and,  if  used  with  oil,  is  little 
inferior  to  the  Turkey  oil-stone. 

On  leaving  Caernarvon  we  proceed  in  an  easterly  direction,  and,  at 
the  distance  of  about  ten  miles,  pass  through  the  village  of  Llanberis, 
commonly  called  Nantberis  :  the  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Peris, 
a  saint  and  cardinal,  who  lived  about  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century  ; 
he  was  the  son  of  Helig  ab  Glanog,  and  retired  here  to  lead  a  holy 
life.     There  is  a  well  near  the  church,  called  Ffynnon  Peris,  in  which 
ricketty  children  and  scrofulous  and  rheumatic  persons  are  bathed  ; 
and  a  poor  woman,  who  lives  in  a  cottage  near  the  spring,  has  a  few 
pence  given  her  by  strangers  for  shewing  one  or  two  large  trout  which 
she  feeds  in  the  well.     The  vale  of  Llanberis  is  straight,  and  nearly 
of  an   equal   breadth   throughout,    with    two  lakes  or  pools ;    the 
upper  one  is  about  a  mile  in  length  and  half  a  mile  broad,  wherein 
the  char  fish  used  to  be  caught,  but  the  copper  works,  which  are 
carried  on  here  to  a  great  extent,  have  long  since  destroyed  them. 
The  vale  was  formerly  covered  with  wood,  but  at  present  few  trees 
remain,  though  within  the  memory  of  old  people  there  wrere  extensive 
woods  of  oak  ;  and  Leland,  in  his  Itinerary,  makes  particular  mention 
of  it.     In  the  time  of  Howel  Dda,  Prince  of  Wales,  in  the  year  940, 
the  whole   county  was   nearly  covered  with  wood;    for  we  find   it 
ordered,  in  the  Welsh  laws  framed  by  him,  that  whoever  cleared  away 
the  timber  from  any  land  should  possess  the  ground  so  cleared  for  five 
years,  independent  of  the  owner.     The  mountains  also  abounded  in 
rlrer,  which  continued  in  great  numbers  till  the  end  of  Henry  the 

Eighth's 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  O 

Eighth's  reign.  On  a  rocky  eminence  stands  an  old  building,  called 
Dolbadarn  Castle,  consisting  of  a  round  tower  of  26  feet  in  diameter 
within,  and  also  shewing  a  few  fragments  of  the  walls,  and  offices  on 
the  summit  of  a  steep  hill.  The  construction  of  this  castle  evidently 
proves  it  to  be  of  British  origin,  perhaps  as  early  as  the  sixth 
century,  being  mentioned  then  as  being  in  the  possession  of  Mael- 
gwyn  Gwynedd,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  during  his  contention  with 
the  Saxons.  In  this  fortress  Owain  Goch  was  confined  twenty-six 
years,  for  rebellion  against  -his  brother,  Llewelyn  ab  lorwerth.  The 
Earl  of  Pembroke  took  this  castle  from  the  Welsh  in  1238,  after  a 
short  resistance.  A  little  south  of  this  place  is  a  tremendous  cataract, 
called  Ceunant  Mawr,  in  height  about  sixty  feet,  from  which  precipi- 
tates a  mountain  stream  amid  numerous  rocks,  until  it  falls  into  a  deep 
black  pool  below.  North-east  of  the  village  is  a  high  perpendicular 
mountain,  called  Glyder  Vawr :  the  ascent  is  very  steep  and  tiresome, 
because  of  numerous  paths,  continually  obstructed  .by  rocks  and  wet, 
which  render  the  whole  slippery  and  dangerous.  This  mountain  is 
acknowledged  to  be  the  most  lofty  in  Caernarvonshire,  Snowdon 
excepted.  In  a  flat,  about  half  a  mile  up  its  ascent,  is  a  small  pool, 
called  Llyn  y  Cwn,  or  Pool  of  I?ogs,  rendered  remarkable  by 
Giraldus  for  a  singular  kind  of  trout,  perch,  and  eels,  which  were  all 
monocular,  i.  e.  wanting  the  left  eye  :  but  at  present  the  pool  seems 
destitute  of  fish  of  any  description.  Near  the  above  is  Glyder 
Vach,  /having  the  summit  covered  with  groups  of  columnar  stones  of 
vast  size,  with  others  lying  horizontally  upon  them.  Several  pieces 
of  lava  have  also  been  found  here,  which  Mr.  Pennant  conjectures 
.might  have  originated  in  some  mighty  convulsion  of  nature,  which 
probably  left  this  mountain  so  rough  and  strangely  disposed.  A 
Jlittle  tojthe  south  ;of  JLlanberis  js 

SNpwpON, 

Jjhe  etymology  of  the  name  of  which  mountain  .has  given  rise  to  several 
:cur,ious  conjectures ;  but  Snowdon  is  evidently  derived  from  the 
Saxpns,  .implying  a  snowy  hill,  or  hill  covered  with  snow,  which  is  not 
uncqmtnon  ,herie  eve^i  in  the  month  of  June.  Humphrey  Lhwyd 
maintains  its  signification  to  be  eagles' rocks.  ;The  ingenious  Mr. 
Pennant  derives  it  from  a  compound  of  Welsh  words,  as  Creigiau'r 
Eira,  or  snowy  cliffs;  and  perhaps  both  have  an  equal  claim  to 
originality.  From  the  greatness  of  the  object  before  us,  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  give  an  adequate  description  ;  but  according  to  the  best 
authorities,  Snowdon  is,  from  the  quay  at  Caernarvon  to  the  highest 
peak,  one  thousand  three  hundred  yards  in  perpendicular  height 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  chiefly  composed  of  a  very  hard  stone, 
with  large  coarse  crystal,  a  general  attendant  on  alpine  countries. 
The  Welsh  have  also  a  tradition,  that  these  uncouth  and  savage 
mountains  formerly  abounded  with  woods,  and  that  they  were  felled 

by 


6  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

by  Edward  the  First,  on  account  of  affording  a  secure  retreat  to  the 
natives,  and  convenience  for  their  detached  and  ambuscading  parties. 
This  idea  is  confuted  by  Giraldus  Cambrensis,  in  his  description  of 
this  mountain,  written  nearly  one  hundred  years  before  the  time  of 
Edward  the  First,  which,  besides,  perfectly  corresponds  with  its 
present  appearance.  Sir  John  Wynne,  in  his  History  of  the  Gwydir 
Family,  says,  "  Snowdon  was  in  ancient  times  a  royal  forest ;"  and 
still  further  asserts,  that  not  only  Nant-conway  was  wooded,  but  all 
Caernarvon,  Merioneth,  and  Denbigh  shires,  were  originally  but  one 
forest.  This  is  evidently  too  general  an  assertion  ;  for  according  to 
this  author,  Owen  Glyndwr  destroyed  the  whole  in  1400.  The 
distance  of  the  summit  of  Snowdon  from  Caernarvon  is  rather  more 
than  ten  miles,  but  from  Dolbadarn  Castle,  in  the  vale  of  Llanberis, 
where  the  ascent  is  gradual,  a  person  mounted  on  a  Welsh  pony 
may,  without  much  difficulty,  ride  up  nearly  to  the  top.  To  accom- 
plish this,  the  traveller  should  go  from  Caernarvon  to  Dolbadarn 
Castle,  and  after  keeping  on  the  side  of  the  lake  turn  to  the  left  for 
Ceunant  Mawr,  a  noble  cataract ;  from  thence  ascend  a  mountain  to 
a  vale  called  Cwm  Brwynog,  a  very  deep  and  fertile  spot;  from 
thence  pass  through  Bwlch  y  Cwm  Brwynog  :  here  the  ascent 
becomes  very  difficult,  so  that  timid  travellers  are  frequently  obliged 
to  clamber  on  foot,  till,  by  keeping  to  the  right,  they  arrive  at  Llyn 
Glas,  Llyn  Nadroed,  and  Llyn  Coch,  where  the  spaces  between  the 
precipices  form  an  agreeable  isthmus,  leading  to  a  very  verdant  plain, 
where  the  traveller  rests  for  a  short  time.  After  this  a  smooth  path 
leads  almost  to  the  summit,  called  Y  Wyddfa,  or  the  Conspicuous, 
which  rises  to  a  point,  leaving  a  small  space  for  a  circular  wall  of  loose 
stones.  The  mountain  from  hence  seems  propped  up  by  four  buttresses, 
between  which  are  four  deep  Cwms  or  vallies,  with  three  lakes,  and 
almost  a  boundless  view,  taking  in  a  great  part  of  the  counties  of 
Chester  and  York,  with  other  parts  of  the  north  of  England,  Scotland, 
and  Ireland,  the  Isle  of  Man,  and  Anglesea.  From  the  same  situa- 
tion is  a  view  of  between  twenty  and  thirty  lakes,  chiefly  in  this  county 
and  Merionethshire :  of  mountains,  let  it  suffice  to  say  the  most  noted 
are  Moel  y  Wyddfa,  Y  Glyder,  Carnedd  David,  and  Carnedd 
Llewelyn,  which  are  properly  British  Alps,  having  lakes  and  rivers, 
high  and  craggy  precipices,  covered  with  snow  a  considerable  part  of 
the  year,  and  produce  similar  plants.  The  hills  appear,  as  it  were, 
heaped  one  on  the  top  of  the  other  ;  for  after  climbing  up  one  you 
come  to  a  valley,  and  most  commonly  to  a  lake,  and  passing  by  that, 
ascend  another,  and  sometimes  a  third  or  fourth,  before  you  gain  the 
summit.  The  greater  part  of  the  rocks  which  compose  these  moun- 
lains  are  schistose,  hornblende,  mica,  granite,  and  porphyry,  enclos- 
ing considerable  blocks  of  quartz.  The  plants  and  animals  are  nearly 
the  same  as  those  found  about  Cader  Idris. 

To  conclude,  it  may  be  said,  with  Mr.  Bingley,  that  were  the 

traveller's 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  7 

traveller's  expectation  to  soar  above  all  former  ideas  of  magnificence, 
this  mountain  will  infinitely  surpass  all  conception,  as  it  baffles  all 
description,  for  no  colour  of  language  can  paint  the  grandeur  of  the 
rising  sun   observed  from  this  eminence,  which  is  thus  beautifully 
described  by  Mr.  Pennant :-—"  I  took  much  pains  to  see  this  prospect 
to  advantage :  I  therefore  sat  up  up  at  a  farm  house  on  the  west  till 
about  twelve,  and  walked  up  the  whole  way.     The  night  was  remark- 
ably fine  and  starry ;  towards  morn  the  stars  faded  away,  and  left  a 
short  interval  of  darkness,  which  soon  dispersed  by  the  dawn  of  day 
-=-r-the  body  of  the  sun  appearing  most  distinct,  with  the  rotundity  of 
the  moon,  before  it  arose  high  enough  to  render  its  beams  too  bril- 
liant for  our  sight.     The  sea,  which  bounded  the  western  part,  was 
gilt  by  its  beams,  at  first  in  slender  streaks,  but  at  length  it  glowed 
with  redness.     The  prospect  was  disclosed  to  us,  like  the  gradual 
drawing-up  of  a  curtain  in  a  theatre.    We  saw  more  and  more,  till  the 
heat  became  so  powerful  as  to  attract  the  mists  from  the  various 
lakes,  which  in  a  slight  degree  obscured  the  prospect.     The  shadow 
of  the  mountain  was  flung  many  miles,  and  shewed  its  bicapitated 
form ;  the  Wyddfa  making  one,  Crib  y  Distill  the  other  head.     The 
day  proved  so  excessively  hot,  that  the  journey  cost  me  the  skin  of 
the  lower  part  of  my  face  before  I  reached  the  resting  place,  after  the 
fatigue  of  the  morning."     Anothsr  time,  when  Mr.  Pennant  was  on 
Snowdon,  he  says—*-"  A  vast  mist  enveloped  the  whole  circuit  of  the 
mountain.      The  prospect  down  was  horrible  :    it  gave  an  idea  of 
numbers  of  abysses,  concealed  by  a  thick  smoke  furiously  circulating 
around  us :     very  often  a  gust  of  wind  formed  an  opening  in  the 
clouds,  which  gave  a  fine  and  distinct  vista  of  lake  and  valley  ;  some- 
times they  opened  only  in  one  place,  at  others   in  many,  at  once 
exhibiting  a  most  strange  and  perplexing  sight  of  water,  fields,  rocks, 
or  chasms,  in  fifty  different  places.     They  then  closed  at  once,  and 
left  us  involved  in  darkness  :    in  a  small  space  they  would  separate 
again,  and  fly  in  wild  eddies  round  the  middle  of  the  mountains,  rnd 
expose  in  parts  both  tops  and  bases  clear  to  our  view.    We  descended 
from  this  varied  scene  with  great  reluctance ;  and  before  we  reached 
our  horses,  a  thunder  storm  overtook   us:    its  rolling  among  the 
mountains  was  inexpressibly  awful ;  the  rain  uncommonly  heavy ;  so 
that  we  re-mounted  our  horses,  and  gained  the  bottom  with  great 
risque  of  being  swept  away  by  these  sudden  waters." 

SNOWDON    FOREST. 

The  Welsh  princes  were  greatly  attached  to  the  amusements  of  the 
field :  hunting,  fishing,  hawking,  and  fowling,  constituted  their  chief 
pleasure,  exercise,  and  amusement,  and  the  Welsh  court  was  for  a 
great  part  of  the  year  migratory,  or  ambulatory ;  that  is,  the  Prince 
with  his  attendants  took  his  rounds,  or  made  regular  circuits  through 
the  mountainous  parts  of  Gwynedd,  and  provision  was  made  by  law 

for 


8  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

for  the  maintenance  of  his  hounds,  horses,  and  attendants,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Llys,  or  Palace.  In  these  excursions  Creigiau'r 
Eiry,*  or  Snowdon  forest,  claimed  his  chief  attention,  and  seemed  to 
have  been  the  principal  scene  of  attraction,  as  appears  from  a  number 
of  pjaces  still  bearing  the  name  of  Llys,  and  the  different  castles  and 
manors  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Snowdon  which  formerly  belonged  to 
the  Welsh  princes.  One  of  these,  Llys  yn  Dinorwig,  in  the  parish  of 
Llanddeiniolen,was  conferred  on  Sir  Gruffydd  Llwyd,  of  Tregarnedd, 
in  Anglesea,  by  Edward  the  First,  then  at  Rhuddlan  Castle,  when 
he  brought  him  the  news  of  the  birth  of  the  first  Prince  of  Wales  of 
the  English  line  ;  and  the  king's  weir  of  Aberglaslyn,  his  mills  of 
Dwyvor  in  Eivionydd,  and  lands  at  Dolbenmaen,  and  the  constable- 
ship  of  Criccieth  castle,  were  bestowed  upon  Sir  Howel  y  Fywal  (or 
the  Battle-axe),  w7ho  is  reported  to  have  taken  John,  the  French  king, 
prisoner,  and  was  knighted  by  the  Black  Prince  at  the  battle  of 
Poictiers.  The  Welsh  princes  had  also  a  seat  and  castle  at  Aber, 
where  they  frequently  resided ;  another  near  LJyniau  Nantlli,  in  the 
parish  of  Llanllyvni,  called  Bala  Deulyn,  where  Edward  the  First 
spent  several  days  after  his  conquest  of  Wales.  Besides  these  (Conve- 
niences of  hunting,  this  part  of  North  Wales  was  ysry  strong  in  a 
military  point  of  view ;  for  here  we  behold  a  range  of  lofty  mountains, 
extending  from  one  sea  to  the  other,  i.  e.  from  the  great  Ormshead 
and  Penmaenmawr,  near  Conway,  to  the  Rivals,  near  Clynnog,  on  one 
side,  and  Gest,  near  Penmorva,  on  the  other ;  and  having,  in  addition 
to  these,  the  Conway  as  a  barrier  on  the  north,  and  Traethmawr  on 
the  south,  over  which  the  Welsh  usually  retreated  when  they  were 
pressed  by  the  English  arms.  The  principal  defiles,  likewise,  which 
opened  through  that  range  of  vast  mountains  were  secured  by  strong 
fortifications.  The  castle  of  Diganwy  was  placed  on  the  banks  of  the 
Conway,  nearly  opposite  to  the  present  town  of  that  name ;  that  of 
Caer  Rhun  was  situated  at  the  foot  of  Bwlch  y  Ddan  Faen,  on  the 
east  side ;  with  a  fort  at  Aber  on  the  west ;  Dolwyddelan  nearly 
central,  as  a  place  of  safety  between  the  mountains ;  a  watch  tower  at 
Nant  Ffrangcon;  Dolbadarn  Castle  in  Nant  Peris,  and  Castell 
Cidwm  in  Nant  y  Bettws;  with  a  fort  at  Dinas  Emrys,  in  Nant- 
gwynant;  and  the  passes  of  Traethmawr  and  Traethbach,  guarded 
by  the  strong  castles  of  Harlech  on  one  side,  and  Criccieth  on  the 
other  ;  with  a  watoh  tower  at  Penrhyn  Daudraeth,  another  at  Cesaii 
Gyfarch,  and  a  fort  at  Dolbenmaen :  and  all  these  various  fortifi- 
cations, placed  in  the  most  advantageous  situations,  marked,  for  a 
rude  age,  great  military  sagacity. 

Leland  observes,  "  All  Cregeryri  is  forest,  and  no  part  of  Merion- 
ethshire lieth  in  Cregeryri.  The  best  wood  of  Carnarvonshire  is  by 
Glinne  Kledder,  and  by  Glin  Llugwy,  and  by  Capel  Curig,  and  at 

Llan 

*  Creigiau'r  Eiry  :  the  snowy  crags.  Eiry,  and  not  Eira,  is  the  expression  made  use 
of  by  Aneurin  and  Lly  warch  ben  and  other  ancient  bards. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  9 

Llan  Peris.  Meetly  good  wood  about  Conwy  Abbey  and  Penmachno, 
and  about  Coetmore  and  Coit  Park,  near  Bangor,  and  in  many  other 
places.  In  Lleyn  and  Ivioneth  is  little  wood.  Carnarvonshire,  about 
the  shore,  hath  reasonable  good  corn,  as  about  a  mile  upland  from 
the  shore,  near  Carnarvon.  The  more  upward  be  Eryri  hills,  and  in 
them  is  very  little  corn,  except  oats  in  some  places,  and  a  little  barley, 
but  scanty  rye ;  if  there  were,  the  deer  would  destroy  it.  But  in 
Lleyn  and  Hiuionith  is  good  corn,  both  along-shore  and  almost 
through  the  upland." 

Snowdon  being  a  royal  forest,  warrants  were  issued  by  the  English 
Kings  and  Princes  of  Wales  for  the  killing  of  the  deer.  "  I  have 
seen  one,"  says  Mr.  Pennant,  fe  from  the  Duke  of  Suffolk,  dated 
April  30th,  1552,  and  another  in  the  first  year  of  Queen  Elizabeth, 
signed  by  Robert  Townsend,  and  a  third  in  1561  by  Henry  Sidney. 
The  second  was  addressed  to  the  master  of  the  game,  ranger,  and 
keeper  of  the  Queen's  Highness's  Forest  of  Snowdon,  in  the  county 
of  Caernarvon.  The  last  extended  the  forest  into  the  counties  of 
Merioneth  and  Anglesea,  with  the  view  of  gratifying  the  rapacity  of 
the  favourite  Dudley  Earl  of  Leicester,  who  had  by  letters  patent 
been  appointed  chief  ranger  of  the  forest.  In  consequence,  he  tyran- 
nized over  these  counties  with  great  insolence,  A  set  of  informers 
immediately  acquainted  him  that  most  of  the  freeholders'  estates 
might  be  brought  within  the  boundaries :  commissioners  were  ap- 
pointed to  enquire  of  the  encroachments  and  concealments  of  lands 
•within  the  forest ;  juries  were  impannelled,  but  their  returns  were 
rejected  by  the  commissioners,  as  unfavourable  to  the  Earl's  designs. 
The  jurors  performed  an  honest  part,  and  found  a  verdict  for  the 
county.  A  new  commission  was  then  directed  to  Sir  Richard  Bulke- 
ley;  of  Baron  Hill,  Anglesea,  Sir  William  Herbert,  and  others,  but 
this,  by  the  firmness  of  Sir  Richard,  was  likewise  soon  superseded. 
But  in  1578  another  was  appointed,  dependent  upon  the  favourite. 
A  packed  jury  was  directed  to  appear  at  Beaumaris,  who  went  on  the 
same  day  to  view  the  marsh  at  Malldraeth,  ten  miles  distant,  and 
found  that  marsh  to  be  in  the  forest  of  Snowdon!  notwithstanding  it 
was  in  another  county,  and  divided  from  the  forest  by  an  arm  of  the 
sea ;  because  the  commissioners  had  told  them  that  they  had  met 
with  an  indictment  in  the  Exchequer  of  Caernarvon,  by  which  they 
bad  discovered  that  a  stag  had  been  roused  in  the  forest  of  Snowdon, 
in  Caernarvonshire,  was  pursued  to  the  banks  of  the  Menai,  that  it 
swam  over  that  branch  of  the  sea,  and  was  killed  at  Malldraeth — 
Infra  Forestam  nostram  de  Snowdon.  The  Jury  appeared  in  the 
Earl's  livery,  blue,  with  ragged  staves  on  the  sleeves,  and  were  ever 
afterwards  branded  with  the  title  of  the  Black  Jury  who  sold  their 
country.  Sir  Richard,  not  the  least^  daunted  with  the  decision, 
continued  steady  in  his  opposition  to  tKe  tyrant,  and  laid  before  the 
Queen  the  odiousness  of  the  proceedings,  and  the  grievances  her 

loyal 


10  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

loyal  subjects  the  Welsh  laboured  under  by  the  commission ;  so  that 
in  1579  her  Highness  was  pleased,  by  proclamation,  to  recall  it." — 
Leicester,  disappointed  in  his  views,  pursued  Sir  Richard  with  the 
utmost  inveteracy,  but  his  designs  proved  unsuccessful. 

It  appears  from  an  old  Welsh  manuscript,  containing  some  of  the 
poetical  compositions  of  the  three  following  bards,  viz.  Hugh  ab 
Risiart  ab  Davydd,  Morns  Dwyvech,  and  Cadwaladr  Gruffydd,  that 
eight  gentlemen  from  Lleyn,  in  this  county,  were  confined  in  the 
Marshalsea  in  London,  about  this  time,  on  account  of  the  forest  of 
Snowdon  :  viz.  John  Griffith,  Esq.  Griffith  Jones,  of  Nyffryn,  Esq. 
Hugh  Richards,  of  Cefn  Llanfair,  Esq.  William  Griffith,  Esq.  Row- 
land Roberts,  Esq.  Hugh  Gwynn,  of  Bodvel,  Esq.  Robert  Jones, 
Esq.  and  Thomas  Madryn,  Esq.  There  are  fourteen  stanzas  by 
Morus  Dwyvech,  otherwise  ab  Ivan  ab  Eineon,  and  eight  by  Cad- 
waladr Griffith,  expressing  their  own  and  the  general  sorrow  and 
regret  on  account  of  the  confinement  of  those  gentlemen,  and  wishing 
for  their  speedy  release  from  imprisonment :— -? 

I. 

Archa,  ni  chela  wych  hwyliad — tra  alhvy 
Trwy  wyllys,  a  chariad, 
Im  gwir  Ar^lwydd,  rwydd  roddiad ; 
Ystyn,  i  wyr  Lleyn,  wellhad. 

II. 

Arwyth  nid  adwylh  dwediad— di  fethol 
Duw  fytho,  yn  geidwad, 
Wyth  rosyn,  wyth  di-risiad ; 
Wyth  Baun  glew,  wyth  Ben  Gwlad. 

Cadwr.  Griffith,  alias  Cadwaladr  Ce^ail. 

The  Northwallian  pnnces  had,  in  addition  to  their  title,  that  of 
(t  Lord  of  Snowdon."  They  had  five  hardy  barons  within  the  tract, 
who  held  of  them.  Such  was  the  importance  of  this  strong  region, 
that  when  Lly welyn  was  at  the  last  extremity  he  rejected  the  proposal 
of  Edward  the  First,  of  a  thousand  a  year  and  some  honourable 
county  in  England,  wejl  knowing  that  his  principality  must  terminate 
with  the  cession.  No  sooner  had  Edward  effected  his  conquest  than 
he  held  a  triumphal  fair  upon  Snowdon,  and  another  at  Llyniau 
Nantlli,  then  called  Bala  Deulyn,  and  adjourned  to  finish  the  joys  of 
his  victory  by  solemn  tournaments  on  the  plains  of  Nevin. 

The  statement  by  Giraldus  and  others,  that  snow  remains  on  the 
hills  the  whole  year,  is  incorrect.  Sir  John  Wynne  asserts  that 
Eleanor,  King  Edward's  queen,  and  William  Sutton  the  Justice  (who 
dealt  hardly  with  the  gentry  of  North  Wales),  took  by  force,  from 
the  Welsh  princes'  brothers  and  relatives,  many  of  their  manors  and 
possessions  in  the  vicinity  of  Snowdon. 

Further  particulars  respecting  Snowdon,  and  the  appearance  and 
state  of  this  county  in  the  time  of  the  rebellion  of  Owain  Glyndwr, 

and 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  11 

and  the  civil  wars  of  York  and  Lancaster,  are  given  by  Sir  John 
Wynne,  in  his  History  of  the  Gwydir  Family.  Speaking  of  the 
enmities  and  dissentions  between  different  Welsh  families  in  Caernar- 
vonshire, about  the  year  1400,  and  in  particular  of  the  violent  con- 
tentions between  two  petty  chieftains,  viz.  Howel  ab  Ivan  ab  Rh$-s 
Gethin,  who  lived  at  Dolwyddelen  castle,  and  one  David  ab  Jenkin, 
who  occupied  the  rock  of  Carregy  Gwalch,  near  Gwydir,  he  observes, 
that  David  ab  Jenkin,  finding  that  he  was  unable  any  longer  to 
contend  with  his  adversary,  was  compelled  to  leave  the  country  and 
go  to  Ireland,  where  he  remained  for  about  a  year.  "  In  the  end 
(says  Sir  John)  he  returned  in  the  summer  time,  having  himself  and 
all  his  followers  clad  in  green,  who  being  come  into  the  country,  he 
dispersed  them  here  and  there  among  his  friends,  lurking  by  day  and 
walking  by  night,  for  fear  of  his  adversaries.  All  the  whole  country 
was  then  but  a  forest,  rough  and  spacious,  as  it  is  still,  but  then  waste 
of  inhabitants,  and  all  overgrown  with  woods ;  for  Owain  Glyndwr's 
wars  beginning  in  the  year  1400,  continued  fifteen  years,  which 
brought  such  a  desolation  that  green  grass  grew  on  the  market-place 
in  Llanrwst,  called  Bryn  y  Betten,  and  the  deer  fled  into  the  church- 
yard, as  it  is  reported.*  This  desolation  arose  from  Owain  Glyn- 
dwr's policy,  to  bring  all  things  to  waste,  that  the  English  could  find 
no  strength  nor  resting  place.  The  country  being  brought  to  such  a 
desolation,  could  not  be  replanted  in  haste,  and  the  wars  of  York  and 
Lancaster  happening  some  fifteen  years  after,  this  country  being  the 
chiefest  fastness  of  North  Wales,  was  kept  by  David  ab  Jenkin  (a 
captain  of  the  Lancastrian  faction)  fifteen  years  in  Edward  the 
Fourth's  time,  who  sent  divers  captains  to  besiege  him  and  waste 
the  country,  while  he  kept  his  rock  of  Carreg  y  Gwalch,  and  lastly  by 
the  Earl  Herbert,  who  brought  it  to  utter  desolation.  Now  you  are 
to  understand  that  in  these  days  the  country  of  Nantconwy  was  not 
only  wooded,  but  also  Caernarvon,  Merioneth,  and  Denbigh  shires 
seemed  to  be  but  one  forest,  having  few  inhabitants ;  though,  of  all 
others,  Nantconwy  had  the  fewest,  being  the  worst  then,  and  the  seat 
of  the  wars,  to  whom  the  country  paid  contribution.  From  the  town 
of  Conwy  to  Bala,  and  from  Nantconwy  to  Denbigh  (when  wars  did 
happen  to  cease  in  Hiraethog,  the  country  to  the  east  of  Nantconwy), 
there  was  continually  fostered  a  wasp's  nest  which  troubled  the  whole 
country ;  I  mean  a  lordship  belonging  to  Saint  John  of  Jerusalem, 
called  Spyty  Ivan,f  a  large  thing  which  had  privilege  of  sanctuary. 
This  peculiar  jurisdiction  (not  governed  by  the  king's  laws)  became  a 
receptacle  for  a  thousand  murderers,  who  being  safely  warranted  there 
by  law,  made  the  place  thoroughly  peopled.  No  spot  within  twenty 
miles  was  safe  from  their  incursions  and  robberies,  and  what  they  got 

within 

*  This  is  a  proof  that  the  deer  in  SnowrJon  forest  were  numerous  at  that  time. 
f  Hospitium  sive  Sanctuarium— Hospital.     The  word  is  perhaps  derived  from  Ys- 
bwyd-ty,  a  place  of  entertainment  or  refreshment. 


12  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

within  their  limits  was  their  own.  They  had  to  their  backstay  friends 
and  receptors  in  all  the  county  of  Merioneth  and  Powysland.  These 
helping  the  former  desolations  of  Nantconwy,  and  preying  upon  that 
country  as  their  next  neighbours,  kept  most  part  of  tne  country  all 
waste  and  without  inhabitants.  In  this  state  stood  the  hundred  of 
Nantconwy  when  Meredith  ab  levan  (my  ancestor)  removed  his 
dwelling  thither,  being  (as  I  guess)  about  the  four-and-twentieth  year 
of  his  age,  and  in  the  beginning  of  Henry  the  Seventh's  reign. — 
Being  questioned  by  his  friends,  why  he  meant  to  leave  his  ancient 
house  and  habitation  and  dwell  in  Nantconwy,  swarming  with  thieves 
and  bondmen,  whereof  there  are  many  in  the  king's  lordship  and 
towns  in  that  hundred,  he  answered,  that  he  should  find  elbow-room 
in  that  vast  country  among  the  bondmen,  and  that  he  had  rather  tight 
with  outlaws  than  with  his  own  blood  and  kindred ;  '  for  if  I  live  in 
my  own  house  in  Eivionydd*  (said  he),  I  must  either  kill  my  own 
kindred,  or  be  killed  by  them.'" — The  above  narrative  will  be  suffi- 
cient to  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the  miserable  state  of  the  country 
at  that  time. 

The  Marquis  of  Anglesea  is  at  present  the  ranger  of  Snowdon 
forest,  constable  of  the  castle,  and  mayor  of  the  town  of  Caernarvon. 
These  offices  have  been  for  some  years  hereditary  in  the  family. 

It  is  supposed  that  Carnedd  Llywelyn  and  Camedd  Davydd  (two 
of  the  highest  peaks  of  the  Arvonian  range  next  to  Snowdon)  were  so 
denominated  owing  to  their  having  been  the  temporary  retreat  of 
those  princes  during  a  part  of  the  time  that  King  Edward  the  First's 
army  was  in  Wales  ;  and  no  doubt  the  heaps  of  stones  still  visible  on 
the  summits  of  these  and  other  mountains  were  collected  and  placed 
there  as  shelters  from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather,  to  those  who 
fled  to  them  during  that  contest  and  the  rebellion  of  Owain  Glyndwr. 
And  many  of  these  hills  appear  to  have  been  made  use  of  in  former 
times  (as  they  were  also  in  the  late  war)  as  signal-posts,  and  thus  to 
have  formed  a  kind  of  telegraphic  information  of  the  approach  of  an 
enemy. 

About  seven  miles  to  the  east  of  Llanberis  is 

BEDDGELERT,  OR  BETHGELERT, 

(the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary,)  a  small  village 
completely  embosomed  in  mountains,  forming  a  fine  contrast  with  the 
luxuriant  meadows  of  the  vale  below ;  the  houses  are  few  and  irre- 
gular, but  the  church  is  remarkably  neat,  of  the  origin  of  which  we 
have  a  singular  tradition,  which  assigns  the  following : — "  At  a  period 
when  wolves  were  so  formidable  and  numerous  in  Wales,  Llewelyn 
the  Great  came  to  reside  here  for  the  hunting  season,  with  his 
princess  and  children ;  but  while  the  family  were  one  day  absent,  a 
wolf  entered  into  the  house  and  attempted  to  kill  an  infant  that  was 

left 

*  O*sail  Gyfarch  was  the  name  of  his  house. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  13 

left  asleep  in  the  cradle.  The  prince's  favourite  greyhound,  called 
Gelert  (given  him  by  King  John  in  1205),  that  was  watching  by  the 
side,,  seized  the  rapacious  animal  and  killed  it,  but  in  the  struggle  the 
cradle  was  overturned,  and  lay  upon  the  wolf  and  child.  On  the 
prince's  return,  missing  the  infant,  and  observing  the  dog's  mouth 
stained  with  blood,  he  immediately  concluded  Gelert  had  murdered 
the  child,  and  in  a  paroxysm  of  rage  drew  his  sword  and  ran  the 
faithful  animal  through  the  heart ;  but  how  great  was  his  astonish- 
ment when,  on  replacing  the  cradle,  he  found  the  wolf  dead  and  his 
child  alive.  He,  however,  caused  the  grateful  creature  to  be  honour- 
ably interred,  and,  as  a  monument  to  his  memory,  erected  a  church 
on  the  spot,  as  a  grateful  offering  to  God  for  the  preservation  of  his 
child." 

At  Beddgelert  was  a  priory  of  Augustine  monks,  founded  by 
Anian,  Bishop  of  Bangor,  in  the  thirteenth  century,  and  is  supposed 
to  be  the  oldest  religious  house  in  Wales,  except  Bardsey  and  Bangor 
Iscoed.  In  1280  this  monastery  was  much  damaged  by  fire,  but 
rebuilt  soon  after  with  money  obtained  by  Anian,  for  absolving  such 
as  sincerely  repented  of  their  sins,  by  remitting  the  usual  penance  of 
forty  days.  There  is  no  relict  whatever  of  this  place  remaining. 
Near  here  is  a  beautiful  vale  called  Gwynant,  or  more  properly  Nant 
Gwynant,  about  six  miles  long,  and  affords  a  great  variety  of  woods, 
lakes,  and  meadows,  bounded  on  each  side  by  lofty  mountains,  which 
add  considerably  to  the  beauty  of  this  romantic  place.  On  the  left 
hand,  half  a  mile  up  the  vale,  is  a  lofty  rock,  called  Dinas  Emrys, 
the  fort  of  Ambrosius,  and  where  tradition  says  Vortigern  retreated 
after  calling  in  the  Saxons,  by  which  he  for  some  time  avoided  the 
persecution  and  odium  of  his  country.  It  is  probable  that  on  this 
insular  rock  he  erected  a  temporary  residence  of  timber,  which  lasted 
him  till  his  final  retreat  to  Nant  Gwytherny,  or  Vortigern's  valley, 
near  Nevyn.  Here  are  two  beautiful  lakes,  abounding  with  trout : 
Llyn  Gwynant,  the  uppermost,  near  which  are  the  ruins  of  an  old 
chapel,  Capel  Nant  Trwynan  ;  and  Llyn  Dinas,  the  lowermost,  at 
one  end  of  which  is  a  neat  villa  belonging  to  Daniel  Vawdrey,  Esq. 
and  at  the  other  the  ancient  fortress  of  Dinas  Emrys. 

Tanner  ascribes  the  church  to  Llewelyn,  the  last  prince,  but  Mr. 
Rowlands  has  proved  it  to  be  more  ancient  even  than  the  reign  of 
Owain  Gwynedd,  as  it  obtained  grants  of  lands,  &c.  from  that  prince, 
and  also  from  Llewelyn  the  Great.  The  prior  generally  resided  at 
Llanidan,  in  Anglesey,  as  appears  from  several  deeds  which  Mr. 
Rowlands  consulted,  signed  by  one  Kynhelin,  Prior  de  Bethcelert, 
apud  Llan  Idan  in  monasterio  ibidem.  The  townships  of  Berw  and 
TreV  Beirdd  had  been  given  by  Prince  Owain  Gwynedd  to  this 
convent.  The  prior  had  also  for  his  support  the  grange  of  Llech- 
eiddior  in  Eivionydd,  also  the  grange  of  Fentidilt,  and  the  village  of 
Gwernfrelyn ;  he  had  also  an  allowance  of  fifty -two  cows  and  twenty- 
two 


14  TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES. 

two  sheep.*  The  expenses  of  the  house  must  have  been  considerable/ 
as  religious  houses  of  this  description  in  former  times  answered  the 
threefold  purposes  of  inns,  almshouses,  and  hospitals.  In  1.535  it 
was  bestowed  by  Henry  the  Eighth  upon  the  abbey  of  Chertsey,  in 
Surrey.  On  the  dissolution,  the  king  gave  to  the  family  of  the 
Bodvels  all  the  lands  in  Caernarvonshire  which  belonged  to  this 
priory,  and  all  those  in  Anglesey  to  that  of  the  Prydderchs,  except- 
ing the  township  of  Tre'r  Beirdd.  The  daughter  of  Richard  Pry- 
ddefch,  of  Myfyrian,  married  a  Llwyd  of  Llugwy;  and  on  the 
extinction  of  that  family  all  their  estates  were  bought  by  the  late 
Lord  Uxbridge,  who  left  them  to  his  nephew,  Sir  William  Irby,  the 
late  Lord  Boston.  Edward  Conway  is  mentioned  as  the  last  prior. 
The  revenues  of  Beddgelert  were  valued  by  Dugdale  at  twenty  pounds 
three  shillings  and  eight  pence.  This  parish  in  former  days  pro- 
duced two  celebrated  Welsh  bards,  who  both  lived  in  the  township 
of  Nanmor,  in  the  county  of  Merioneth ;  viz.  Rhys  Goch  o  Eryri  and 
Rhys  Nanmor.  Rhys  Goch  is  said  to  have  lived  at  a  place  called 
Havod  Garegog ;  and  a  stone  not  far  from  Pont  Aberglaslyn  is  shewn 
as  his  chair  (Cadair  Rhys  Goch).  The  scene  of  Southey's  '  Madoc* 
is  laid  principally  in  this  parish.  Tradition  affirms,  that  Prince? 
Madoc  ab  Owain  Gwynedd  (who  is  supposed  first  to  have  discovered 
America)  resided  in  this  parish,  and  used  to  attend  divine  service  irt 
Nant  Gwynant  chapel.  Sir  John  Wynne  informs  us,  that  when  the 
Earl  of  Pembroke's  army  took  Harlech  castle,  and  thence  visited 
Nantrwynan  (or  Nant  Gwynant)  in  Beddgelert,  a  noted  chief,  whose 
name  was  Robert  ab  levan,  of  the  Lancastrian  faction,  used  to  lodge 
at  night  in  the  rock  called  Ogo  Velen,  near  Meillionen.  This  was 
about  the  year  1468. 

CONWAY,   OR   ABERCONWAY, 

(Properly  Aber  Cynwy)  is  a  large  picturesque  town  seated  near1  a 
river  of  that  name,  formerly  noted  for  being  a  pearl  fishery  even  in 
the  time  of  the  Romans.  Suetonius  says  the  chief  motive  alleged  by 
the  Romans  for  their  invasion  was  the  British  pearls.  One  presented 
to  the  queen  of  King  Charles  the  Second,  by  Sir  R.  Wynne,  is  now 
honoured  with  a  place  in  the  regal  crown.  The  town  was  strongly 
fortified  by  lofty  walls,  one  mile  in  circumference,  defended  by 
twenty-four  round  towers  and  four  gates,  called  Porth  ueha,  Forth 
issa,  Forth  y  Castell,  and  Porth  y  Felin,  or  the  Mill  Gate.  From 
the  side  towards  the  river  ran  two  curtains,  terminating  with  watcli 
towers,  one  of  which  only  remains.  The  entrance  to  the  castle 
(which  Mr.  Pennant  says  "  is  of  matchless  magnificence")  from  the 
former  gai;e  is  by  a  narrow  paved  gallery,  with  round  towers,  leading 
to  the  High  street,  which  terminates  at  a  similar  gate.  The  walls 

are 

*  There  must  be  some  mistake  here  with  respect  to  the  sheep,  as  the  number  must 
have  been  much  greater, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  15 

are  all  embattled,  and  12  or  15  feet  thick,  built  on  a  solid  rock,  but 
there  is  no  tower  to  the  north.     The  castle,  built  by  Edward  the 
First  in  1284,  who,  it  is  believed,  employed  the  same  architect,  De 
Ellerton,  who  built  Caernarvon  castle,  stands  on  a  high  rock,  com- 
manding the  river,  with  eight  round  towers  in  its  circuit,  and  a  wall 
11  feet  thick.      The  principal  entrance  was  from  the  town  to   the 
north  over  the  bridge,  leading  into  a  large  oblong  area,  with  a  spa- 
cious terrace  on  the  west.     On  the  south,  near  the  river,  is  an  elegant 
hall  139  feet  by  32  feet,  and  30  feet  high,  with  a  chapel  at  one  end. 
Its  roof  was  supported  by  eight  fine  gothic  arches,  and  warmed  by  a 
great  fire-place  at  one  end,  and  another  on  the  side,  and  lighted  by 
nine  windows,  having  underneath  spacious  vaults  for  ammunition. 
Near  the  east  end  the  stranger  passes  into  a  square  court,  surrounded 
by  galleries  and  small  apartments.     On  the  north  is  the  king's  tower, 
a  vaulted  room  with  a  recess  or  cell  of  seven  pointed  and  groined 
arches :  three  are  open,  having  under  them  more  arches,  with  abase- 
ments all  round.     This  is  called  the  King's  Seat,  the  other  is  named 
the  Queen's  Tower.     On  the  south  side  of  the  castle  half  a  tower  is 
fallen  from  its  foundation,  leaving  the  upper  part  suspended,  occa- 
sioned by  the  inhabitants  digging  slate  from  its  foundation.      Many  of 
the  towers  have  smaller  ones  arising  from  them  as  at  Caernarvon. 
The  castle  seems  to  have  been  of  considerable  importance   in  the 
reign  of  Charles  the  First,  when  we  find  it  strongly  fortified,  and  had 
the  principal  effects  of  the  county  lodged  within  its  walls.     However, 
Colonel  Mytton,  a  parliament  general,  got  possession  of  it  in  1646, 
but  it  was  again  restored  to  the  owner:   a  breach  has  lately  been 
made  in  the  town  wall  for  the  road  leading  to  the  elegant  and  admired 
suspension  bridge  lately  erected,  the  east  end  of  which  rests  on  a  small 
rocky  island,  from  which  an  embankment  several  hundred  yards  in 
length  has  been  formed  to  the  Denbighshire  side  of  the  river.     The 
church,  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary,  is  a  very  plain  structure,  with  a 
few  good  monuments  of  the  Wynnes.     The  following  eminent  persons 
were  buried  therein :  Cynan  ab  Owen  Gwynedd,  A.  D.  1200;  its  great 
founder,    Llywelyn   ab   lorwerth,    1240;    Llywelyn   ap   Maelgwyn, 
1230;  Davydd  ab  Llywelyn,  1246;  and  Gruflydd  ab  Llywelyn  ab 
lorwerth,  1248.     At  the  Dissolution,  the  founder's  coffin  was  removed 
to  Llanrwst,  where  it  is  still  to  be  seen.     A  very  rude  figure,  cut  in 
stone,  preserves  the  memory  of  Mary,  the  mother  of  Archbishop 
Williams,  who  died  in  child-birth  of  twins,  October  10,  1585.     In 
the  church -yard  is  an  inscription  on  a  tomb -stone  of  one  Nicholas 
Hookes,  Gent,  importing  that  he  was  the  one-and-fortieth  child  of 
his  father,  William  Hookes,  Esq,  by  Alice  his  wife,  and  the  father  of 
twenty-seven  children;  he  died  20th  March,   1637.     Here  are  like- 
wise some  remains  of  a  college,  founded  in  the  reign  of  Edward  the 
First,  now  in  complete  ruins,  but   still  shewing  some  specimens  of 

curious 


16  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

curious  workmanship,  with  several  sculptured  armorial  bearings, 
some  of  which  relate  to  the  Stanleys.  Among  other  curiosities  of 
this  town  is  shewn  an  antique  house  (lately  inhabited  by  four  fami- 
lies), built  in  a  quadrangular  form  by  Robert  Wynne,  Esq.  of  the 
family  of  Gwydir,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  adorned  in 
the  fantastic  fashion  of  that  period.  The  roof  is  singularly  carved 
with  a  profusion  of  ornaments,  and  the  front  decorated  with  the  arms 
of  England,  and  some  curious  crests,  with  birds  and  beasts,  bearing 
date  1585.  Over  the  door  facing  the  street  are  the  arms  of  Queen 
Elizabeth:  over  the  gateway  is  a  Greek  inscription,  and  in  Latin  the 
words  "  Sustine,  abstine,"  and  on  the  house  "  I.  H.  S.  X.  P.  S." 
in  Greek  unicals  or  capitals.  Richard  the  Second  remained  here 
some  little  time  on  his  return  from  Ireland;  and  was  soon  after 
betrayed  and  delivered  into  the  hands  of  his  enemy,  the  usurper 
Bolingbroke.  The  castle  of  Conway  was  in  the  custody  of  Arch- 
bishop Williams  from  1642  to  1645,  when  he  was  superseded  by 
Prince  Rupert,  who  caused  Sir  John  Owen  to  take  possession  of  it. 
Llywelyn,  the  son  of  lorwerth,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  built  and 
endowed  a  Cistertian  Abbey  here,  to  the  honour  of  the  blessed 
Virgin  and  all  Saints,  in  the  year  1185:  but  about  the  year  1283, 
when  King  Edward  the  First,  out  of  the  ruins  of  the  old  city,  built 
a  new  one,  he  took  this  abbey  into  his  hands,  and  founded  another  at 
Maenan,  in  Denbighshire,  about  three  miles  distant,  and  translated 
the  monks  thither."* 

DIGANWY,  or  Gannoc,  or  Din  Gonwy,  (the  castle  on  the  river 
Conway,)  was  once  a  famous  city,  but  being  destroyed  by  lightning  in 
816,  was  never  afterwards  rebuilt,  so  that  the  name  only  now  remains, 
with  a  tradition  that  Conway  rose  out  of  its  ruins.  Many  battles  are 
said  to  have  been  fought  here  between  the  Britons  and  Saxons. 
About  100  years  ago,  a  number  of  brass  celts  were  found  under  a 
great  stone,  placed  heads  and  points.  At  present  the  only  remains 
of  this  ancient  place  are  on  two  hills,  near  the  shore  of  Conway;  the 
space  between  crossed  by  the  walls  running  up  the  sides.  On  the 
summit  of  one  are  the  vestiges  of  a  round  tower,  and  a  few  foundations 
of  walls  scattered  on  its  accessible  parts.  In  1088,  Robert  Radland 
was  here  overpowered  by  the  Welsh  and  slain.  Soon  after,  Llywelyn 
ab  Gruffydd  destroyed  the  castle;  and  it  was  again  rebuilt  in  the  year 
1210,  by  Randolph  Earl  of  Chester.  King  John  also  lay  under  its 
walls  in  1211,  but  was  afterwards  reduced  to  great  distress  by  Prince 
Llywelyn ;  as  was  Henry  the  Third  on  the  same  spot.  The  castle 
was,  however,  entirely  destroyed  by  Llywelyn  ab  Gruffydd.  Near 
this  place,  on  a  low  hill,  are  the  remains  of  an  ancient  round  tower,  20 
feet  high  and  only  12  broad. 

At  the  distance  of  four  miles  from  Aberconway  is  the  village  of. 
Dwygyfylchi,  the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Gwynin,  who 

flourished 

*  Tanner's  Not.  Mon. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  17 

flourished  about  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century.  A  little  south  of 
Dwygyfylchi  is  Penmaen  Mawr,  a  most  stupendous  mountain,  being 
1400  feet  perpendicular  from  its  base,  and  to  travellers  extremely 
dangerous.  In  1772  a  good  turnpike  road  was  attempted  to  be  car- 
ried over  the  middle  of  it ;  but  from  its  situation,  close  to  a  frightful 
precipice,  it  was  found  impossible  to  render  it  permanent  and  secure; 
therefore  a  stone  wall,  in  many  places  140  feet  high,  was  erected,  to 
defend  the  traveller  from  the  clanger  of  the  horrid  precipice  below 
and  from  the  sea,  which  breaks  just  before  the  wall  close  to  the  road. 
When  proceeding  up  the  side  of  this  mountain,  among  numerous 
fragments  of  stones  falling  or  staring  through  the  rugged  surface,  we 
are,  therefore,  happily  concealed  from  the  perpendicular  declivity  to 
the  sea  by  a  wall  5  feet  high,  erected  on  arches  of  stone  bedded  in 
strong  mortar,  but  with  such  little  foundation,  that  a  large  portion  of 
it  is  continually  falling  into  the  Irish  sea,  or  obstructing  the  road.  A 
new  road  is  now  in  contemplation  to  avoid  this  dangerous  and  horrific 
situation.  On  each  side  of  Penmaen  Mawr  was  a  small  inn,  where 
Dean  Swift  wrote  the  following  lines  on  the  glass  in  one  of  the 
windows : — • 

Before  you  venture  here  to  pass 
Take  a  good  refreshing  glass ; 

and  at  the  other  house, 

Now  you're  over  take  another, 
Your  fainiing  spirits  to  recover. 

On  the  summit  stands  Braich  y  Dinas,  an  ancient  fortification, 
encompassed  with  a  strong  treble  wall,  and  within  each  wall  the 
foundation  of  at  least  100  towers  all  round,  of  equal  size,  being 
about  6  yards  in  diameter,  with,  in  other  places,  from  two  to  three 
yards  thick,  the  castle  seems  to  have  been  impregnable,  there  being 
no  way  to  assault  it,  because  the  hill  is  so  high,  steep,  and  rocky,  and 
the  walls  so  uncommonly  strong.  The  way  or  entrance  to  it  ascends 
by  so  many  turnings  that  100  men  may  defend  themselves  against  a 
legion;  yet  there  appears  room  for  20,000  men  within  its  ruinous 
walls.  At  the  summit  of  the  rock,  within  the  innermost  wall,  is  a 
well,  affording  plenty  of  water,  even  in  the  driest  summer.  Tradi- 
tion makes  this  the  strongest  retreat  the  Britons  had  in  Snowdon ; 
while  the  magnitude  of  the  works  shew  it  to  have  been  a  princely 
fortification,  strengthened  by  nature  and  art,  and  seated  near  the  sea 
on  one  of  the  highest  mountains  in  Caernarvonshire.  Mr.  Pennant, 
in  his  examination  of  this  place,  discovered  four  very  distinct  walls, 
placed  one  above  the  other,  one  of  which  was  six  feet  high  and  one 
and  a  half  thick ;  in  most  places  the  facing  appeared  perfect,  but  all 
dry  work;  between  the  walls,  in  all  parts,  were  innumerable  small 
buildings,  mostly  circular,  regularly  faced  within  and  without,  but 
not  disposed  in  any  certain  order;  though  in  some  places  the  walls 
were  intersected  with  others  equally  strong,  and  very  judiciously 

calculated 
w  2 


18  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

calculated  to  cover  the   passage  into  Anglesea,  being  apparently 
impregnable  to  every  thing  but  famine. 

About  one  mile  from  Braich  y  Dinas  is  Y  Meineu  Hirion,  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  monuments  in  all  Snowdon.     It  is  a  circular 
intrenchment  of  80  feet  diameter,  with  ten  stones  standing  on  the 
outside  placed  endways,  the  whole  enclosed  by  a  stone  wall.     Near 
this   are  four  other  circles,  but  smaller,  one  of  which   shews  the 
remains  of  a  cromlech.     This  tract  has  certainly  been  much  inhabited ; 
for  all  round  are  the  remains  of  small  buildings  made  of  round  stones, 
suited  to   the  rude   simplicity  of  former  ages.      Tradition  says,  a 
bloody  battle  was  fought  here  between  the  Romans  and  Britons,  and 
that  the  carneddau,  now  visible,  are  the  several  graves  where  the 
vanquished  Romans  were  buried.      At  about  the  distance  of  six 
miles  from  Dwygyfylehi   is   Aber    (its  church  dedicated  to  Saint 
Boda,  a  saint  who  lived  about  the  sixth  century),  a  celebrated  little 
village,  situate  at  the  entrance  of  a  deep  glen,  which  runs  about  two 
miles,  bounded  on  one  side  by  a  mountain  covered  with  wood,  and  on 
the  other  side  by  a  tremendous  magnificent  slate  rock,  called  Maes  y 
Gaer.      At  the  extremity  of  this  glen  a  mountain  presents  a  concave 
front,  in  the  centre  of  which  a  vast  cataract  precipitates  itself  above 
60  feet  down  the  face  of  a  rugged  rock.     Near  the  village  is  a  conical 
mount,  on  which  formerly  stood  a  castle,  once  the  residence  of  Lly- 
welyn  the  Great,  and  where  he  received  a  summons  from  Edward  the 
First  to  deliver  up  the  Principality  to  the  Crown  of  England,  with  the 
offer  of  £1000  per  annum  in  the  latter;  which,  like  a  patriotic  prince, 
he  instantly  rejected.      Some  foundations  of  this    castle    are   still 
remaining  on  a  summit,  but  the  superstructure  is  entirely  destroyed. 
This  place  is  chiefly  noticed  for  its  vicinity  and  easy  ascent  to  Pen- 
maen  Mawr.     It  is  also  one  of  the  ferries  to  Anglesea,  with  a  pleasant 
walk  of  four  miles  over  the  Lavan  Sands.     Near  this  place,  it  is  said, 
was  detected  the  intrigue  of  William  de  Breos  (son  of  Reginald),  a 
baron  in  the  time  of  Henry  III.),  with  the  wife  of  Llewelyn.     In  a 
morass,  near  a  mountain  called  Bere,  in  this  parish,  Davydd,  brother 
to  Llewelyn,  the  last  prince,  was  taken,  together  with  his  wife,  two 
sons,  and  seven  daughters.     The  tradition  is  that  he  was  basely 
betrayed  by  some  of  his  pretended  friends,  and  that  he  and  his  family 
were  carried  captives,  and  delivered  into  the  hands  of  the  English 
king  then  at  Ruddlan  castle,  and  from  thence  to  Salop,  where  he  was 
executed. 

BANGOR, 

(From  Ban,  high,  and  Cor,  a  circle,)  which,  though  a  city,  consists  of 
only  one  street,  in  which  is  the  market-house  and  inn.  The  cathedral 
is  the  principal  structure  in  this  place,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been 
erected  in  the  fifteenth  century :  the  choir  was  built  by  Bishop  Dean 
about  1496,  but  the  tower  and  nave  by  Bishop  Skivington  in  1532,  as 
appears  by  an  inscription  over  the  west  door.  The  nave  is  1 10  feet 

long 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  19 

long  by  60,  the  transepts  60  by  25,  and  the  choir  54  by  26.  The 
service  of  this  cathedral  is  performed  with  true  reverential  decorum, 
and  a  regulation  has  been  made  to  accommodate  the  inhabitants  and 
environs,  by  having  the  service  performed  in  Welsh  at  seven  in  the 
morning,  English  at  eleven,  and  Welsh  again  at  four  in  the  evening. 
The  chapter  consists  of  a  dean,  three  archdeacons,  two  precentors, 
two  vicars,  eight  canons,  six  lay  clerks,  and  eight  choristers.  The 
church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Deiniol,  or  Daniel,  a  saint  who  lived  in 
the  former  part  of  the  sixth  -century,  and  who,  about  the  year  525, 
founded  a  college  here,,  where  he  was  abbot,  and  this  place  being 
some  time  after  raised  to  the  dignity  of  a  bishoprick,  he  became  the 
first  bishop  of  it:  he  died  about  the  year  554,  and  was  buried  in  the 
Isle  of  Bardsey.  Here  are  the  monuments  of  Bishops  Glynn,  1558, 
Morgan,  1673^  Robinson,  1584,  Vaughan,  1597,  Rowlands,  1665 
(who  purchased  four  new  bells,  and  new-roofed  the  cathedral). 
Richard  Kyffin,  the  active  Dean  of  this  church  in  the  reigns  of 
Richard  the  Third  and  Henry  the  (Seventh,  was  buried  here  in  1501. 
Bishop  Humphrey  Lloyd  was  buried  in  Bishop  Rowlands'  grave  in 
1688.  There  is  a  monument,  with  a  cross,  on  the  south  transept, 
ascribed  to  Owen  Glyndwr,  who  was  buried  at  Monington,  in  Here- 
fordshire; but  Mr.  Pennant,  with  apparently  better  reason,  ascribes 
it  to  Owain  Gwynedd.  Here  are  also  the  remains  of  a  palace,  built 
by  BishopSkivington,  surrounded  by  embattled  walls,  in  the  garden  of 
which  is  a  mineral  spring  of  common  chalybeate.  The  dean's  .house 
still  remains;  but  the  rest,  with  Saint  Mary's  church,  are  said  to 
have  been  built  by  King  Edgar  in  972.  The  old  castle,  said  to 
be  built  by  Hugh  Lupus  about  the  year  1098,  and  founded  on  a  hill  at 
some  distance  from  the  town,  has  been  down  many  years  agp.  With- 
out the  town  stands  the  Black  Friars,  converted  into  a  free-school 
by  Dr.  Glynn  in  1557,  and  has  long  been  in  high  repute  as  a  training 
seminary  for  Oxford,  and  for  Trinity  College,  Dublin.  Since  the 
foundation  a  very  handsome  school  house  has  been  erected,  with  an 
income  of  £400  per  ann.  Over  the  chimney  is  a  representation  of  one 
Gruffydd,  who  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  founder  of  the  former 
ruins.  The  church  was  burnt  by  the  rebellious  Owen  Glyndwr  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  the  Fourth.  The  whole  of  the  present  fabric  is 
one  of  gothic  architecture,  with  no  particular  ornament  to  distin- 
guish it  from  a  parish  church,  except  some  very  picturesque  beauties 
around  its  ancient  foundation. 

About  18  bishops,  mostly  of  British  extraction,  presided  in  suc- 
cession over  the  see  of  Bangor;  of  whom,  however,  little  information 
can  be  collected  previous  to  the  annexation  of  the  Principality  to 
the  Crown  of  England,  when  Bishop  Anian,  who  was  in  the  interest 
of  Edward  the  First,  obtained  considerable  grants  and  privileges  to 
the  see,  and  re-established  the  discipline  and  services  of  the  church. 
The  grants  included  five  manors  in  the  county  of  Caernarvon,  three  in 

Denbighshire, 


20  TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES. 

Denbighshire,  and  one  in  Montgomeryshire.  From  Anian  till  the 
Reformation  there  were  in  succession  24  bishops  of  English  extrac- 
tion, many  of  whom  were  great  benefactors  to  the  see,  and  expended 
large  sums  on  the  cathedral,  &c.  The  bishops  of  this  see,  under  the 
reformed  church,  were  for  a  length  of  time  chosen  from  some  of  the 
most  respectable  families  in  the  principality. 

About  two  miles  from  Bangor  is  the  magnificent  Suspension  Bridge 
over  the  straits  of  the  Menai.  Some  years  have  elapsed  since  the 
design  of  erecting  a  bridge  over  the  Menai  strait  was  first  con- 
templated, for  the  purpose  of  facilitating  the  intercourse  between  this 
kingdom  and  Ireland.  In  1810  and  1811  several  plans  of  cast-iron 
bridges  were  submitted  to  a  committee  of  the  House  of  Commons, 
and  by  them  approved  of  as  adapted  to  the  object  in  question  :  and 
particularly  one  of  a  single  arch  of  500  feet  in  the  span,  and  100  feet 
above  high  water,  submitted  in  1811  by  Mr.  Telford,  the  expense  of 
which  was  estimated  at  somewhat  more  than  £127,000;  but  the 
difficulty  of ' '  fixing  a  proper  centering,  owing  to  the  rocky  bottom  of 
the  channel  and  the  depth  and  rapidity  of  the  tide- way,"  seems  to 
have  caused  this  project  to  be  abandoned  almost  as  soon  as  it  was 
conceived;  and  accordingly  we  find  Mr.  Telford  sent  in  a  plan  of  the 
cast-iron  bridge,  accompanied  by  the  design  of  one  to  be  constructed 
on  the  principle  of  suspension.  In  the  course  of  a  few  years  after, 
upon  being  engaged  to  execute  a  similar  work  over  the  Mersey  at 
Runcorn,  he  was  enabled  to  improve  very  considerably  upon  his 
former  design.  Inconsequence,  in  the  year  1818,  he  laid  before  a 
Committee  of  the  House  of  Commons  his  new  design.  According  to 
this  the  iron  hanging  bridge  over  the  Menai  was  to  consist  of  one 
opening  of  560  feet  between  the  points  of  suspension ;  in  addition  to 
which  there  were  to  be  seven  arches,  four  on  the  coast  of  Anglesea 
and  three  on  that  of  Caernarvonshire,  each  60  feet  in  the  span, 
making  the  total  length  of  the  bridge  910  feet;  the  height  above  the 
level  of  high  water  line  was  to  be  100  feet.  "The  roadway,"  observes 
Mr.  Telford,  "  will  embrace  two  carriage-ways,  each  12  feet  in 
breadth,  with  a  foot-path  of  four  feet  between  them.  The  whole  is 
to  be  suspended  from  four  lines  of  strong  iron  cables  by  perpendicular 
iron  rods  placed  five  feet  apart,  and  these  rods  will  support  the  road- 
way framing.  The  suspending  power  is  calculated  at  2016  tons,  and 
the  weight  to  be  suspended,  exclusive  of  the  cables,  is  343  tons, 
leaving  a  disposable  power  of  1674  tons.  The  four  sides  of  the  road- 
ways will  be  made  of  framed  ironwork  firmly  bound  together  for  seven 
feet  in  height,  and  there  will  be  a  similar  work  for  five  feet  in  depth 
below  the  cables.  The  weight  of  the  whole  bridge  between  the 
pointsof  suspension  will  be  489  tons.  The  abutments  will  consist  of 
the  masonry  work,  comprising  the  extreme  stone-work,  the  two  piers, 
and  the  seven  arches  before-mentioned:  each  of  the  two  piers  will 
be  60  feet  by  40J  wide  at  high  water-mark,  having  a  foundation  of 

rock. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  21 

rock.     Upon  the  summit  of  the   two  main  piers  will  be  erected  a 
frame  of  cast-iron  work,  of  a  pyramidal  form,  for  the  purpose  of 
raising  the  cables  from  which  the  bridge  is  to  be  suspended."     The 
probable  cost  of  erecting  this   stupendous  structure  Mr.   Telford 
estimated  at  sixty,  or,  allowing  for  any  unforeseen  charges,  at  most 
seventy  thousand  pounds,  about  half  the  calculated  expense  of  the 
cast-iron  bridge  on  the  old  plan.     The  chosen  spot  for  its  site  was 
Ynys  y  Moch,  and  a  little  to  the  westward  of  Bangor  Ferry,  which 
site  had  been  fixed  for  the  work  first  proposed,  and  where  the  oppo- 
site shores  seemed  to  offer  every  advantage  for  the  undertaking.     The 
first  stone  of  this  national  bridge  was  laid,  without  any -ceremony,  at 
noon,  on  Tuesday,  the  10th  of  August,  1820,  by  Mr.  Provis,  resident- 
engineer.     On  the  26th  of  April,   1825,  the  first  chain  of  this  stu- 
pendous work  was  thrown  over  the  straits  of  Menai,  in  the  presence 
of  an  immense  concourse  of  persons.      At   half-past  two  o'clock,  it 
being  then  about  half-flood  tide,  the  raft  prepared  for  the  occasion, 
stationed  on  the  Caernarvonshire  side,  near  Treborth  mill,   which 
supported  the  part  of  the  chain  intended  to  be  drawn  over,  began  to 
move  gradually  from  its  moorings,  towed  by  four  boats,  with  the 
assistance  of  tie  tide,  to  the  centre  of  the  river,  between  the  two 
grand  piers.     When  the  raft  was  adjusted  and  brought  to  its  ulti- 
mate situation,  it  was  made  fast  to  several  buoys  anchored  in  the 
changed  for  that  purpose.     A  part  of  the  chain,  pending  from  the 
apex  of   the   suspending  pier  on   the   Caernarvonshire  side   down 
nearly  to  high  water-mark,  was  then  made  fast  by  a  bolt  to  the  part  of 
the  chain  lying  on  the  raft ;  which  operation  was  completed  in  ten 
ininutes.     The  next  process  was  the  fastening  of  the  other  extremity 
of  the  chain  on  the  raft  to  two  blocks  of  immense  size  and  power, 
for  the  purpose  of  hoisting  it  up  to  its  intended  station,  the  apex  of 
the  suspending  pier  on  the  Anglesea  side.     When  the  blocks  were 
made  secure  to  the  chain  (comprising  25  tons  weight  of  iron),  two 
.capstans,  and  also  two  preventive  capstans  commenced  working,  each 
capstan  being  propelled  by  thirty-two  men.     To  preserve  an  equal 
-tension  in  the  rotatory  evolutions  of  the  two  principal  capstans,  Sfifers 
played  several  enlivening  tunes  to  keep  the  men  regular  in  their 
steps;  for  which  purpose  they  had  been  previously  trained.     At  this 
critical  and  interesting  juncture  the  attention  of  every  one  present 
seemed  rivetted  to  the  novel  spectacle ;  the  chain  rose  majestically, 
and  the  gratifying  sight  was  enthusiastically  enjoyed  by  all  present  in 
"  breathless  silence."     At  ten  minutes  before  five  o'clock  the  final 
bolt  was  fixed,  which  completed  the  whole  line  of  chain,   and  the 
happy  event  was  hailed  by  the  hearty  acclamations  of  the  spectators. 
Not  the  least  accident,  delay,  or  failure,  occurred  in  any  department 
during  the  whole  operation.     From  the  moving  of  the  raft  to  the 
uniting  of  the  chain  only  2  hours  and  25  minutes  transpired.     Upon 
the  completion  of  the  chain,  three  of  the  workmen  passed  along  the 

upper 


22  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

upper  surface  of  the  chain,  which  forms  a  curvature  of  590  feet;  the  versed 
sine  of  the  arch  is  43  feet.  On  the  termination  of  the  day's  proceed- 
ings, the  workmen  (in  number  about  150)  were  regaled,  by  order  of  the 
Right  Hon.  the  Parliamentary  Commissioners  of  the  Holyhcad  Road 
Improvements,  with  a  quart  of  cwrw  da  each.  The  sixteenth  chain, 
completing  the  whole  line  of  suspension,  was  carried  over  on  the  9th 
of  July  following. 

The  general  opening  of  the  bridge  first  took  place  on  Monday, 
January  30,  1826.     The  Royal  London  and  Holyhead  Mail  Coach, 
carrying  the  London  mail  bag  for  Dublin,  passed  over  at  one  o'clock, 
A.M.;  and  the  first  carriage  that  passed  was  that  of  Augustus  Elliot 
Fuller,  Esq.   one  of  the  Commissioners,  drawn  by   four  beautiful 
greys ;  the  first  stage  coach  was  the  Pilot,  a  Bangor  and  Caernarvon 
day  coach ;  the  first  London  stage  coach  was  the  Oxonian.     These 
were  followed  by  the  carriage  of  Sir  David  Erskine,  Bart,  late  pro- 
prietor of  the  Ferry,  drawn  by  four  elegant  greys  decorated  witli 
ribbons,  and  by  several  gentlemen's  carriages,  landaus,  gigs,  cars, 
&c.   &c.  and  horsemen :    numerous  flags  were  flying,   and  cannons 
(stationed  on  each  side  of  the  bridge)  were  discharged  at  intervals  of 
the  day.     The  dimensions  of  the  bridge  are  as  follows  r^The  extreme 
length  of  the  chain  from  the  fastenings  in  the  rocks  is  about  1715 
feet;  the  height  of  the  roadway  from  high  water  line  is  100  feet; 
each  of  the  seven  small  piers  from  high  water  line  to  the  spring  of 
the  arches  is  65  feet ;  the  span  of  each  arch  is  62  feet.     Each  of  the 
suspending  piers  is  52  feet  above  the  road;  the  road  on  the  bridge 
consists  of  two  carriage-ways  of  12  feet  each,  with  a  foot-path  of  4 
feet  in  the  centre ;  the  length  of  the  suspended  part  of  the  road  from 
pier  to  pier  is  553  feet;  the  carriage-road  passes  through  two  arches 
in  the  suspending  piers  of  the  width  of  9  feet  by  15  feet  in  height  to 
the  spring  of  the  arches.     To  counteract  the  attraction  and  expansion 
of  the  iron  from  the  effects  of  the  change  in  the  atmosphere,  a  set  of 
rollers  are  placed  under  cast-iron  saddles  on  the  top  of  the  suspending 
piers  where  the  chains  rest;  the  vertical  rods,  an  inch  square,  sus- 
pended from  the  chains,  support  the  sleepers  for  the  flooring  of  the 
roadway,  the  rods  being  placed  5  feet  from  each  other.     The  chains^ 
16  in  number,  consist  of  5   bars  each ;  length  of  the  bar  9  feet  9 
inches,  width  3  inches  by  1  inch,  with  6  connecting  lengths  at  each 
joint  1  foot  6  inches  by  10  inches  and  1  inch,  secured  by  two  bolts  at 
each  joint,  each  bolt  weighing  about  56  pounds ;  and  the  total  num- 
ber of  the  bars  in  the  cross-section  of  the  chain  is  80. 

From  Bangor,  in  a  south-easterly  direction,  is  the  village  of  Llan- 
dygau;  and  at  the  distance  of  about  14  miles  on  the  right  is  CapeJ 
Curig.  The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Curig,  a  saint  who  came 
into  Wales  about  the  seventh  century,  and  who  has  two  other  churches 
dedicated  to  him  in  Wales.  It  is  a  small  village,  containing  little 
more  than  a  small  church  and  public-house.  It  is  delightfully  situ- 
ated 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  23 

ated  in  a  vale,  bounded  by  Snowdon  and  its  surrounding  mountains, 
and  this  vale  affords  one  of  the  most  picturesque  landscapes  in  the 
whole  county,  consisting  of  a  great  variety  of  wood  and  water,  which 
are  frequently  wanted  in  our  Cambrian  vales  to  render  them  com- 
pletely picturesque.  Here  are  also  two  large  pools,  called  Llyniau 
Mymbu  or  Llyniau  Capel  Curig ;  near  one  of  which  the  late  Lord 
Penrhyn  built  a  comfortable  inn,  from  a  design  of  Mr.  Wyatt.  In  the 
neighbourhood  are  some  quarries,  and  several  remarkable  works, 
well  worth  the  traveller's  observation.  It  is  thought  that  this  part  of 
the  country  was  much  frequented  by  the  Romans,  on  account  of  its 
slate  quarries  and  valuable  lead  and  copper  mines.  There  are  consi- 
derable remains  of  a  large  Roman  building  on  an  estate  belonging  to 
the  Earl  of  Gwydir,  between  Llanrwst  and  Capel  Curig,  near  a  place 
called  Bryn  Gefeiliau  (the  hill  of  the  smithy) ;  and  it  is  probable  that 
a  Roman  road  passed  this  way  from  Trawsfynydd,  Merionethsire,  to 
Caer  Rhun.  Great  quantities  of  building  materials  have  been  taken 
from  these  remains  for  several  years  past.  "  I  distinctly  traced," 
says  Mr.  Lysons,  "  the  walls  of  one  room,  the  dimensions  of  which 
were  60  feet  by  20,  and  of  another,  18  feet  6  inches  square,  in  which 
were  several  short  square  pillars  of  stone,  like  those  of  the  hypocaust 
under  the  Feathers  Inn,  in  Chester." 

A  short  distance  from  Capel  Curig  is  Rhayadr-y-Wenol,  a  cele- 
brated cataract;  the  scenery  round  which  is  extremely  grand,  parti- 
cularly the  upper  part,  where  the  water  is  thrown  in  a  sheet  down  a 
rock  almost  perpendicular,  after  which  it  varies  its  course  and  be- 
comes smooth  and  beautiful,  taking  its  direction  between  high  wooded 
banks,  entwined  by  different  tints  of  oak,  birch,  and  hazel,  which 
hang  from  the  impending  rock. 

About  4  miles  south  of  Capel  Curig  is  Dolwyddelan  Castle,  situate 
in  the  parish  of  that  name,  the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint 
Gwyddelan,  a  saint  of  whom  little  is  known,  situated  on  a  high  en- 
closed rock,  with  square  towers  of  40  feet  by  25,  each  containing  three 
floors.  The  walls  of  the  court,  once  6  feet  thick,  are  now  entirely 
destroyed,  and  only  a  small  part  left  of  the  other  buildings.  Mr, 
Rowland  supposes  this  castle  to  have  been  built  as  early  as  the  time 
of  Maelgwyn  Gwynedd,  who  lived  in  the  sixth  century,  afterwards  the 
residence  of  lorwerth  Drwyndwn  (or  Drwndwn),  and  where  his  son 
Llewelyn  the  Great  was  born.  The  materials  of  this  castle  are  the 
common  stone  of  the  country,  well  squared,  and  the  masonry  ex- 
tremely good.  Howel  ap  levan  ap  Rhys  Gethyn,  a  noted  outlaw, 
once  resided  here.  At  that  period,  after  the  civil  wars,  and  the 
rebellion  of  Owen  Glyndwr,  this  part  of  the  country  was  in  a  very 
lawless  state.  Meredydd  ap  levan,  an  ancestor  of  the  Gwydir  family, 
was,  however,  the  means  of  reforming  it ;  and  according  to  the  ac- 
count given  by  Sir  John  Wynne,  he  established  colonies  of  the  most 
tall  and  able  men  that  he  could  procure,  till  at  last  they  amounted  to 

seven 


24  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 

seven  score  tall  bowmen,  every  one  arrayed  in  a  jacket  or  armlet 
coat,  a  good  steel  cap,  a  short  sword,  and  dagger,  together  with  his 
bow  and  arrows:  many  of  them  had  horses  and  chasing  staves,  and 
all  were  ready  to  answer  the  call  on  all  occasions.  He  also  founded 
the  strong  house  of  Penmanmaen,  a  mile  distant  from  the  castle.  At 
that  period  there  was  a  gang  of  marauders  at  Sputty  levan,  who  used 
to  plunder  the  whole  country  and  put  it  under  contribution.  The 
said  Meredydd,  however,  soon  checked  and  finally  dispersed  this 
dangerous  banditti.  The  church  of  Dolwyddelan,  which  is  small, 
has  in  it  a  monument,  commemorating  such  of  Meredydd's  family  as 
were  buried  there. 

About  two  miles  to  the  north-east  of  Dolwyddelan  village  is  Bettws 
y  Coed,  or  Bettws  Wyrion  Iddon,  a  small  village.  In  the  church, 
which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Michael,  is  an  ancient  monument  to  the 
memory  of  Davydd,  brother  to  Llewelyn,  the  last  Prince  of  Wales. 
Here  the  road  leads  into  the  luxuriant  vale  of  Llanrwst,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  which  are  a  number  of  gentlemen's  seats ;  the  prin- 
cipal of  which  is  Gwydir  House,  an  ancient  seat  of  the  family  of 
Wynne,  built  at  the  foot  of  a  lofty  rock  called  Carreg-y-Gwalch,  well 
clotted  with  wood;  it  consists  of  an  antique  edifice,  erected  round  a 
greater  and  lesser  court,  having  over  a  gateway  I.  W.  (for  John 
Wynne),  with  the  date  1558.  Gwydir  derives  its  name  from  Gwaed- 
dir,  or  the  Bloody  Land,  in  allusion  to  the  battle  fought  here  by 
Llywarch  Hen  about  the  year  610.  On  the  rock,  above  Lower 
Gwydir,  stood  another  mansion,  called  Upper  Gwydir,  built  in  a 
beautiful  situation,  amidst  rich  meadows  watered  by  the  Conway. 
The  mansion  was  erected  by  Sir  John  Wynne  in  1604  with  classical 
taste.  On  the  walls  were  many  inscriptions,  particularly  over  the 
entrance,  where  was  read  this  panegyric, — 

Fryn  Gwydir  gwelir  golcu  adeilad 

Uch  dolydd  a  cbaurau. 
Bryn  gweich  adail  yn  ail  ne; 
Bron  wen  Henllys  bron  liinlle. 

The  entrance  has  been  of  late  demolished;  but  the  family  chapel, 
standing  near  the  site  of  the  old  house,  is  still  preserved,  and  has 
service  performed  in  it  four  times  a-year.  This  ancient  seat  continued 
in  the  family  of  Wynne  till  1678,  when  it  first  passed  into  that  of 
Ancaster,  by  marriage  of  Mary,  the  heiress  of  Sir  Richard  Wynne,  to 
the  Marquis  of  Lindsay,  and  was  afterwards  possessed  by  Sir  Peter 
Burrell,  Knight,  in  right  of  his  wife  the  Baroness  Willoughby, 
eldest  daughter  of  the  late  Duke  of  Ancaster,  in  whose  family  it  now 
remains,  and  hence  its  possessor  derives  the  title  of  Earl  of  Gwydir. 

About  two  miles  to  the  north  is  Trevrew  or  Trevrhiw,  the  church 
of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary.  Llewelyn  had  a  palace  here, 
and  some  hewn  stones  have  been  found  in  ploughing  a  field  contijgu- 
ous,  called  Gardd-y-Neuodd.  The  Welsh  princes  had  a  hunting 
seat  here,  and  also  some  lands,  which,  after  the  conquest,  became  the 

property 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  25 

property  of  the  Crown.  Llewelyn  is  stated  to  have  built  the  church 
for  the  convenience  of  his  princess.  Dr.  Thomas  William,  a  native 
of  this  place,  was  the  author  of  part  of  the  Welsh  Latin  Dictionary  : 
he  was  first  a  clergyman,  afterwards  practised  as  a  physician,  and  was 
related  to  Sir  John  Wynne,  of  Gwydir,  by  whom  he  was  patronised. 
Clynogvawr  is  rendered  remarkable  by  being  the  place  where  Beuno 
(the  son  of  a  nobleman  of  Powys-land)  settled  in  616,  and,  as  the 
tradition  goes,  raised  Saint  Winifred  to  life.  He  built  the  church, 
which  is  dedicated  to  him,  and  which  was  conventual,  St.  Beuno 
himself  being  the  first  abbot.  It  presents  the  remains  of  a  very  mag- 
nificent stone  building  132  feet  in  extent,  and  was  chiefly  kept  in 
repair  by  oblations  at  Beuno's  tomb  on  Trinity  Sunday,  until  the 
decayed  state  of  the  roof  made  a  brief  for  that  purpose  necessary. 
The  chancel  windows  were  adorned  with  pictures  of  Beuno  and 
Winifred,  but  the  ornaments  are  now  reduced  to  three  whole-length 
saints.  By  the  steeple  on  the  south  side  is  a  very  ancient  vault; 
likewise  Beuno's  chapel,  measuring  41  feet  by  24;  in  the  middle  is 
his  monument,  a  plain  altar-tomb,  on  which  country  people  lay  their 
children  after  bathing  them  in  his  well.  There  were  formerly  brought 
to  it  lambs  with  Beuno's  mark,  either  redeemed  or  left  for  the  abbot. 
This  custom  is  still  continued  to  the  churchwardens,  but  greatly 
reduced  in  number,  as  is  the  money,  kept  in  an  old  chest  called  Cyflf 
St.  Beuno,  which  used  to  be  applied  to  the  repair  of  the  church.  It 
is  now  a  sinecure,  worth  upwards  of  £200  a  year,  in  the  gift  of  Jesus' 
College,  Oxford.  The  church  is  the  most  magnificent  of  its  kind  in 
North  Wales  ;  it  is  built  in  the  shape  of  a  cross,  the  length  from  east 
to  west  38  feet,  from  north  to  south  70.  Colonel  Twistleton,  who 
took  Sir  John  Owen  prisoner  in  the  time  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  married 
the  heiress  of  William  Glynn,  of  Leiar,  in  this  parish.  The  old 
.church  where  Saint  Beuno  lieth  is  close  by  the  new  one. 

About  6  miles  from  Clynogfawr  is  the  village  of  Llanhaiarn,  a 
place  of  no  note ;  6  miles  to  the  south-west  of  which,  on  the  right- 
hand  of  the  road,  is  Nevyn  (the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to 
Saint  Mary),  a  small  town  contributory  to  Caernarvon,  bestowed  on 
Nigel  de  Lohareyn  by  Edward  the  Black  Prince,  and  made  a  free 
borough,  with  a  hall  and  every  privilege  attendant  on  free  boroughs. 
Here  Edward  the  First^  in  1284,  held  his  triumph  on  the  conquest  of 
Wales,  and,  in  imitation  of  Arthur,  held  a  round  table,  with  a  dance 
and  tournaments.  The  concourse  of  nobility  and  gentry  that  as- 
sembled here  on  this  occasion  was  prodigious. 

Near  Nevyn  is  Nant-y-Gwrtheryn,  or  Vortigern's  Valley ,  an  im- 
mense hollow,  where  Vortigern  is  said  to  have  fled  from  the  rage  and 
persecution  of  his  countrymen,  for  inviting  the  Saxons  into  Britain, 
and  where  the  monks  inform  us  that  his  castle  was  destroyed  by 
lightning.  Indeed  fancy  cannot  frame  a  place  more  fit  for  a  retreat 
from  mankind,  being  embosomed  in  lofty  mountains,  with  an  opening 

only 


26  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

only  to  the  sea.  The  glen  is  at  present  only  tenanted  by  three 
families,  who  raise  oats  and  keep  a  few  sheep  and  cattle,  produced 
and  maintained  with  great  difficulty.  Just  above  the  sea  is  a  verdant 
mount,  natural  except  the  top  and  sides,  which  appear  worked  on  by 
art ;  having  the  first  flatted,  and  the  sides  worked  or  marked  with 
eight  prominent  ribs  from  top  to  bottom.  On  this  might  have  been 
the  residence  of  the  unfortunate  Vortigern,  of  which  time  has 
destroyed  every  other  vestige.  Till  about  the  beginning  of  the  last 
century,  a  tumulus  of  stone  within  and  externally  covered  with  turf, 
was  to  be  seen  here,  and  known  by  the  name  of  Bedd-Gwrtheryn, 
tradition  having  regularly  delivered  down  the  report  of  this  having 
been  the  place  of  his  interment.  The  inhabitants  of  this  parish, 
some  time  since,  dug  into  the  earn  or  tumulus,  and  found  within  it  a 
stone  coffin,  containing  the  bones  of  a  tall  man.  This  gives  a  degree 
of  credibility  to  the  tradition,  especially  as  no  other  bones  were  found 
with  it,  neither  is  there  any  other  tumulus  near  the  spot,  which  is  at 
least  a  proof  of  respect  to  the  rank  of  the  person ;  and  that  the  place 
was  deserted  after  the  interment  of  our  royal  fugitive  in  the  year  465 
is  highly  credible.  Near  Vortigern's  Valley  is  Tre  Jr  Caeri,  or  the 
Town  of  the  Fortresses,  which  runs  from  one  side  of  the  Eifl 
mountains  to  the  other,  and  consists  of  an  immense  rampart  of  stones, 
or  perhaps  the  ruins  of  a  wall  made  to  block  up  the  pass,  and  appears 
to  have  been  a  very  strong  British  post.  The  accessible  side  is 
defended  by  three  walls;  but  the  lowest  is  very  imperfect,  the  next 
tolerably  entire,  with  a  magnificent  entrance :  this  wall  in  one  part 
points  upwards  towards  the  third  wall,  which  runs  round  the  top  of 
the  hill :  the  second  wall  unites  with  the  first,  which,  running  into  a 
point,  joins  the  highest  in  a  place  where  the  hill  is  inaccessible.  The 
facings  on  the  two  upper  walls  are  in  good  preservation,,  especially 
that  of  the  uppermost.  The  space  on  the  top  is  an  irregular  area ; 
one  part  is  steep,  the  other  flat,  and  in  some  places  covered  with 
heath  ;  but  the  whole  is  almost  filled  with  cells,  which  are  best  seen 
from  the  summit,  where  they  appear  disposed  with  much  art,  and  of 
various  forms,  round,  oval,  oblong,  and  square,  lying  scattered  about 
the  plain ;  others  contiguous  to  the  wall,  but  all  on  the  inside.  The 
upper  wall  was  in  many  places  15  feet  high  on  the  outside,  and  often 
16  feet  broad.  On  the  south  of  Tre  'r  Caer  is  Moelrgarn  Guwch,  a 
hill  of  conical  form,  having  on  its  summit  a  prodigious  heap  of  stones, 
seemingly  a  shapeless  ruin,  called  by  the  country  people  Arffedoged- 
y-Cowres,  or  "  The  apron-full  of  stones  flung  down  by  the  Giantess," 
— a  tradition  very  common  among  the  illiterate  of  Caernarvon,  Meri- 
oneth, and  Radnorshire. 

On  the  road,  at  the  distance  of  about  8  miles  from  Llanhaiarn,  is 
Pwllheli  (the  chapel  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Beuno),  a  consi- 
derable market  town  and  magazine  for  goods,  which  are  sent  from 
hence  to  most  parts  of  this  county ;  it  has  also  a  good  harbour  for 

vessels 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  27 

vessels  of  about  60  tons.  Edward  the  Black  Prince  made  this  place 
a  free  borough,  by  charter  dated  in  the  twelfth  year  of  his  princi- 
pality, and  granted  the  fee-farm  of  it  and  of  Nevyn  to  one  of  the 
gentlemen  of  his  bed-chamber  (Nigel  de  Loryngor  Lohrayne),  in  con- 
sideration of  his  services  in  Gascony,  and  particularly  at  Poictiers. 
Giraldus  Cambrensis,  in  company  with  Baldwin,  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  who  was  on  a  tour  through  the  principality  in  the  year 
1 185,  in  order  to  obtain  contributions  towards  the  Crusade,  remained 
a  night  in  this  town. — About  five  miles  distant  is  Cam  Madryn,  a 
strong  fortress  of  the  sons  of  Owen  Gwynedd :  the  bottom,  sides, 
and  top  are  filled  with  cells  of  different  shapes,  once  covered ;  many 
of  which  are  now  pretty  entire,  as  is  a  wall  which  surrounded  the 
summit.  About  three  miles  east  of  Pwllheli  is  the  village  of  Aber- 
erch,  where,  as  some  Welsh  manuscripts  assert,  Thomas  Puleston, 
Esq.  brother  to  Sir  Roger  Puleston,  was  buried,  soon  after  the 
conquest  of  Wales  by  Edward  the  First. 

About  8  miles  beyond  is  Criccieth  (the  church  of  which  is  dedi- 
cated to  Saint  Catherine),  a  market  town  and  borough,  united  with 
Caernarvon,  and  governed  by  two  bailiffs.  The  castle  has  been  its 
chief  ground  of  importance,  though  only  a  small  building,  and  at 
present  in  a  very  ruinous  condition.  It  is  situated  on  an  eminence 
jutting  into  the  sea,  from  whence  is  a  fine  view  across  the  bay  to 
Harlech  and  its  once  magnificent  castle.  From  the  architecture 
of  this  castle  it  may  be  pronounced  to  be  of  British  origin,  although 
Edward  the  First  is  the  reputed  founder;  but  he  seems  to  have 
done  no  more  than  build  the  two  towers  at  its  entrance,  and  after- 
wards appoint  William  de  Leybourn  constable,  with  a  salary  of  £100, 
out  of  which  he  was  to  maintain  30  men,  and  a  chaplain,  surgeon, 
carpenter,  and  mason.  From  what  now  remains,  it  appears  originally 
to  have  consisted  of  four  square  courts,  and  on  each  side  the, entrance 
a  round  tower ;  it  had  also  the  honour  of  being  the  residence  of  the 
valiant  Sir  Howel  y  Fwyal,  who  disputed  the  honour  of  taking  the 
King  of  France  prisoner  at  Poictiers  with  a  Knight  of  Artois. 

In  the  parish  of  Llanllechid  is  a  cave,  in  a  field  called  Caer 
Gwillim  Ddu,  where,  according  to  tradition,  William  de  Breos  was 
buried,  after  being  executed  on  suspicion  of  too  great  familiarity 
with  Joan,  the  consort  of  Llewelyn  the  Great.  In  the  parish  of 
Dwygyfylchi,  above  a  place  called  Gwyddwg  Glas,  are  numerous 
circles  of  stones  at  unequal  distances  from  each  other,  the  largest  of 
which  is  8  feet  3  inches  high :  on  the  ground  is  another,  1 1  feet 
2  inches  high ;  the  diameter  of  this  circle  is  80  feet.  Near  this  are 
four  others,  far  inferior  in  size :  in  the  centre  of  one  is  a  flat  stone, 
seemingly  the  remains  of  a  cromlech.  About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from 
these  is  a  large  carnedd,  composed  of  small  stones ;  and  not  far  from 
it  a  rude  stone,  standing  upright,  called  Maen  y  Campiau,  or  Stone  of 
the  Games.  Some  of  the  British  games,  of  which  the  Welsh  had 

twenty-four, 


28  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

twenty-four,  may  probably  have  been  celebrated  here :  the  principal 
of  these  were,-^l.  Strength  to  raise  weights;  2.  Running;  3.  Leap* 
ing;  4.  Wrestling;  5.  Riding.  The  last  (Marchogaeth)  probably 
included  driving  small  cars  or  chariots.  In  the  parish  of  Bryncroes, 
on  the  lands  of  Tymawr,  was  discovered,  some  years  ago,  a  cistvaen, 
or  stone  coffin,  containing  an  urn  with  burnt  bones  and  ashes;  and 
near  a  house  called  Monachdy  there  was  formerly  a  cromlech,  but  at 
present  there  is  only  one  stone  remaining.  There  are,  however, 
several  cromlechs  in  different  parts  of  this  county. 

Aberdaron  (the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Howyn,  a 
saint  of  the  island  of  Bardsey)  is  situate  on  the  river  Daron,  which 
discharges  itself  into  Saint  George's  Channel.  Aberdaron  was  for- 
merly much  resorted  to,  being  the  place  where  devotees  usually  took 
boat  for  the  island  of  Bardsey.  There  is  a  house  in  this  parish  still 
known  by  the  name  of  Court,  where,  in  former  times,  courts  were  held 
for  the  manor  of  Bardsey  ;  an  eminence  near  it,  called  Bryn  y  Grog- 
bren  (the  Gallows  Hill) ;  and  another  house  in  the  neighbourhood, 
called  Secar  (the  Exchequer).  In  a  hollow,  between  two  hills  called 
Uwch  Mynydd  and  Mynydd  y  Gwyddel,  are  the  ruins  of  Saint  Mary's 
chapel  (Capel  Fair),  and  below  the  clift  is  a  cave  called  Ogo  Vair,  in 
which  there  is  a  well  (Ffynnon  Fair)  :  the  point  of  the  rock  is  called 
Braich  y  Pwll,  and  that  particular  part  of  it  under  which  the  well  is 
situated  Maen  Melyn  (the  yellow  stone).  Jn  times  of  popery  this 
well,  which  was  only  accessible  at  low  water,  was  much  frequented 
by  devotees,  who  superstitiously  believed  that  if  they  could  but  carry 
a  mouthful  of  water  by  a  circuitous  and  dangerous  path  to  the  summit 
of  the  hill,  their  wish,  whatever  it  might  be,  would  be  surely  gratified. 
The  chapel  was  placed  here  to  give  seamen  an  opportunity  of  invoking 
the  tutelar  saint  for  protection  through  the  dangerous  sound  of 
Bardsey;  and  probably  the  walls  of  the  chapel  were  in  those  supersti- 
tious times  covered  with  votive  tablets. 

Bettws  Garmon  (the  chapel  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Garmon, 
i.  e.  Germanus,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  of  the  British  saints,)  is 
most  romantically  situate  near  the  river  Gwyrvai,  in  a  narrow  valley 
between  high  mountains ;  and  the  cascade  and  scenery  about  Nant- 
rnill  are  greatly  admired.  Mr.  Rowland  states  that  there  was  a  fort 
in  ancient  times  near  Castell  Cidwm,  at  the  foot  of  Mynyddmawr 
mountain  ;  but  in  all  probability  he  was  misinformed,  as  the  remains 
of  such  a  building  are  still  visible  on  the  north  side  of  the  vale  above 
Carreg  Goch,  not  far  from  Trevlan.  Cawellyn  Lake,  anciently 
called  Llyn  Tarddynni,  is  in  this  parish;  it  abounds  with  trout  and 
char :  one  ascent  to  Snowdon  commences  near  this  pool.  There  is  a 
fine  spring  of  water  on  the  side  of  a  hill  about  a  mile  west  of  the 
church,  called  Saint  Garmon's  Hill,  which  is  reputed  to  be  efficacious 
in  rheumatic  complaints  and  eruptive  disorders. 

Bodverin  (the  chapel  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Merin,  but  now 

in 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  29 

in  ruins)  is  situate  on  the  Irish  sea.  In  this  parish  is  a  small  creek 
called  Forth  Verin,  and  another  called  Forth  lago;  and  a  well,  near  a 
place  called  Trevgraig,  which  is  the  source  of  the  river  Daron  :  it  is 
known  by  the  name  of  Ffynnon  Bibau.  On  the  side  of  the  hill 
called  Mynnydd  Moelvre,  or  Mynnydd  yr  Ystum,  are  the  ruins  of  an 
old  chapel,  called  Capel  Odo ;  and  near  it  is  a  tumulus,  distinguished 
by  the  appellation  of  Bedd  Odo,  or  Odo's  grave,  who  according  to 
tradition  was  a  great  giant. 

Caer  Hen  (the  old  town),  otherwise  Caer  Rhun,  the  fortress  of 
Rhim,  a  prince  of  that  name,  has  a  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary. 
In  the  16th  volume  of  the  Archaeologia,  page  127,  is  a  description  of 
Roman  antiquities  discovered  here,  by  Samuel  Lysons,  Esq.  whose 
taste,  judgment,  and  accuracy  are  so  universally  known.  All  writers, 
says  this  gentleman,  on  the  subject  of  Roman  stations  in  this  island, 
agree  in  opinion  that  Caer  Rhun,  a  small  village  on  the  river  Con- 
way,  is  the  site  of  the  ancient  Conovium,  a  station  which  occurs  in 
the  llth  iter  of  Antoninus's  Itinerary,  and  in  the  1st  of  that  of 
Richard  of  Cirencester.  Camden  supposes  the  name  Caerhun  to  be  a 
corruption  of  Caer  hen,  i.  e.  the  Old  City ;  but  says  that  the  common 
tradition  of  the  neighbourhood  was,  that  it  received  its  name  from 
Rhun  ap  Maelgwyn  Gwynedd.  It  is  certain  that  in  very  ancient 
writings  it  is  called  Caerhun,  whatever  may  be  the  etymology  of  its 
name.  Bishop  Gibson,  in  his  additions  to  Camdem's  Britannia, 
says,  that  not  many  years  since  there  was  a  Roman  hypocaust  disco- 
vered at  Caerhun;  and  that  he  had  seen,  in  the  possession  of  Sir 
Thomas  Mostyn,  Bart,  some  curiosities  which  he  had  received  from 
thence,  particularly  a  hollow  brick,  and  a  round  piece  of  copper  forty 
pounds  weight.  The  site  of  Conovium  is  nearly  a  square  of  260  feet, 
surrounded  by  a  slight  vallum  of  earth,  at  the  distance  of  somewhat 
more  than  500  feet  from  the  river  Conway,  on  the  next  side  to  which 
the  ground  is  very  .steep  from  the  edge  of  the  station.  Within  this 
ancient  site  stands  the  church  of  Caerhun,  but  no  dwelling  house,  the 
village  being  at  some  distance.  At  a  small  distance  north-wrest  from 
the  church  two  ancient  sepulchres  were  discovered  several  years  ago6 
walled  and  of  a  square  form,  containing  human  bones.  In  the  hilly 
ground  between  the  station  and  the  river,  called  Erw  Gaer,  i.  e.  the 
Castle  Acre,  the  remains  of  a  considerable  building  was  discovered 
several  years  ago,  then  supposed  to  have  been  a  hypocaust.  On  the 
9th  of  May,  1799,  the  Honourable  Colonel  Greville  exhibited  to  the 
Society  of  Antiquaries  an  ancient  shield,  which  was  found  at  Caerhun 
a  short  time  before,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Roman  station,  on  opening 
an  old  drain  about  two  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  earth  :  and  at  the 
same  time  he  exhibited  several  specimens  of  ancient  pottery,  disco- 
vered at  the  same  place,  nearly  resembling  the  red  Samian  ware  so 
frequently  met  with  in  Roman  stations,  but  of  a  softer  substance,  and 
the  figures  not  so  well  executed.  These  were  supposed  to  have  been 

manufactured 


30  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 

manufactured  near  the  spot  where  they  were  found,  as  there  remained 
evident  traces  of  fire,  and  a  considerable  quantity  of  fine  clay.     At  the 
same  time  the  fragment  of  a  small  patera  of  the  Samiaii  ware  was 
found,  with  "  Patria"  stamped  on  the  bottom  of  it.     In  the  investiga- 
tion of  these  Roman  remains,  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Hugh  Davies 
Griffith,  the  proprietor  of  Caerhun,  in  the  latter  end  of  July,   1801, 
the  Welsh  labourers,  continues  Mr.  Lysons,  "  undertook  the  work 
with  more  than  usual  energy,  being  fully  impressed  with  the  belief 
that  great  treasures  were  buried  in  ICrw  Gaer,  and  having  a  tradition 
among  them  of  some  extraordinary  discoveries  which  had  been  for- 
merly made  in  an  adjoining  grove.      Having  examined  two  rooms 
which  had  been  discovered  several  years  ago,  we  proceeded  to  investi- 
gate at  the  south  end  of  them,  and  by  following  the  course  of  the 
walls,  soon  ascertained  the  form  of  another  room  (20  feet  9  inches  by 
14  feet  10  inches),  which  we  cleared  out.     To  the  depth  of  5  feet 
below  the  surface  it  was  filled  with  large  stones,  earth,  and  rubbish, 
below  which  was  a  stratum  of  black  mould  mixed  with  burnt  wood, 
in  which  lay  many  fragments  of  coarse  earthen  vessels  of  various 
kinds;  but  only  two  of  which  retained  enough  to  shew  their  original 
form:   one  of  them  was  an  amphora.     In  the  same  place  was  also 
found  a  coarse  lamp  of  lead.     Bricks  of  various  thicknesses  were  also 
found  among  the  rubbish ;  and  several  masses  of  wall,  formed  chiefly 
of  thin  brick  tiles  laid  in  mortar;  also  many  lumps  of  clay,  and  of  a 
stalactitical  incrustation.     At  the  east  end  of  the  room  was  a  sort  of 
hearth,  formed  of  large  thin  stones,  placed  edgeways  in  the  earth,  and 
large  bricks  laid  flat  over  them,  bearing  strong  marks  of  fire.     On  the 
north  side  of  the  room  were  two  piers  rudely  constructed ;  they  were 
built  partly  of  the  hard  stone  of  the  country  and  partly  of  sand-stone. 
In  the  spaces  between  them  great  quantities  of  fragments  of  pottery, 
several  lumps  of  clay,  and  several  pieces  of  iron  were  found,     There 
did  not  appear  to  be  any  remains  of  pavement  in  this  room;   under  it 
was  a  small  drain  of  stone,  covered  with  slates.     Having  thoroughly 
investigated  this  end  of  the  building,  and  having  every  reason  to 
believe  that  it  had  not  extended  any  further  southward,  we  proceeded 
to  explore  the  opposite  end,  and  soon  discovered  it  to  be  of  a  very 
irregular  form.     In  the  first  room  which  we  now   broke  into  there 
were  no  remains  of  pavement :  the  fragments  of  plaster  remained  on 
some  parts  of  the  wall.     The  area  of  this  room  was  filled  with  loose 
rubbish,  mortar,  and  fragments  of  bricks  and  tiles  ;  among  which  we 
found  a  rude  kind  of  square  pillar,  2  feet  7|  inches  in  height,  of  sand- 
stone, exactly  similar  to  those  \vhich  support  thehypocaust  discovered 
many  years  ago  in  Bridge  Street,  Chester, — and  a  part  of  a  brick 
funnel,  the  aperture  of  which  was  6  inches  by  4f  inches,  and  the  sides 
about  half  an  inch   thick.     The  next  room  was  paved  with  large 
slates,  in  which  was  a  pier,  2  feet  10  inches  square,  of  brick  and 
stone  in  alternate  layers,  and  1  foot  4  inches  high ;  some  of  the  bricks 

were 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  31 

were  17  inches  square  and  2  inches  thick,  others  17  inches  by  21. 
Great  part  of  the  walls  of  this  room  were  of  brick,  and  in  some  places 
the  plaster  was  remaining  red.     At  the  north-west  corner  were  two 
steps  of  stone  leading  into  a  further  room,  which  appeared  to  have 
been  very  much  worn  by  use.     Under  the  floor  of  this  room  we  disco- 
vered a  drain,  varying  in  width  from  1  foot  3  inches  to  1  foot  0 
inches,  and  from  3  feet  7  inches  in  deptli  to  4  feet  6  inches ;  the 
bottom  of  it  was  formed  of  large  slates.     In  clearing  out  this  apart- 
ment we  found  the  fragment  of  a  piece  of  cornice  of  sand-stone,  and  a 
kind  of  square  stone  post  2  feet  9  inches  in  length,  with  a  round  hole 
near  the  top  I  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter,  and  the  tenon  at  the  other 
end  by  which  it  had  been  fixed  up.      This  appeared  to  have  been  a 
kind  of  vestibule;  it  is  23  feet  1  inch  in  length.     In  a  fourth  room 
were  found  many  stone  pillars  of  the   same  kind  as  that  already 
described,  standing  upright  and  supporting  parts  of  the  floor,  which 
was  of  large  slates,  others  had  fallen  down.     There  did  not  appear 
any  funnels  in  the  walls,  or  other  marks  of  a  hypocaust.     On  the 
outside  of  the  building,  close  to  one  of  the  walls  of  the  rooms,  wo 
found  a  stone  2  feet  long  and  1  foot  wide,  with  a  channel  cut  in  the 
middle  as  if  for  the  conveyance  of  water  from  a  spout,  and  from  this 
were  laid  a  row  of  seven  brick  funnels,  closely  fitted  together :  they 
were  all  of  them  10J  inches   in  length,  but  varied  in  width,   some 
being  6  J  inches  wide  and  others  only  5  J ;  they  had  all  of  them  round 
holes  on  the  narrow  sides;  some  of  them  were  scored  on  the  broadest 
sides.     The  funnel,  represented  in  Gibson's  Camden,  and  supposed 
to  have  belonged  to  a  hypocaust,  exactly  resembles  these.     A  copper 
coin  of  Domitian,  and  an  iron  chain  of  28  links,  somewhat  larger  than 
a  modern  jack-chain,  were  afterwards  discovered  by  Mr.  Griffiths, 
together  with  some  small  precious  stones  perforated,  and  part  (prob- 
ably) of  a  necklace. — The  Author  laments  the  disadvantage  which 
the  abstract  of  this  interesting  investigation  sustains,  by  want  of  the 
ground-plan  and  the  delineation  of  the  several  antiquities  that  were 
discovered  in  this  place,  which  appears,  in  all  probability,  to  have 
been  a  manufactory  of  Roman  pottery. 

Dolbenmaen  is  a  chapelry,  and  its  chapel  is  dedicated  to  Saint 
Beuno.  In  former  times  this  neighbourhood  (says  Pennant)  abounded 
with  gentry;  and  the  country  was  divided  into  two  clans,  one  de- 
scended from  Owain  Gwynedd,  Prince  of  Wales,  and  the  other  from 
Collwyn  ap  Tangno,  a  valiant  chieftain  of  the  ninth  century.  From 
the  former  were  descended  the  four  houses  of  Ccssail  Gyfarch,  Ystum 
Cegid,  Clenneney,  Brynkir,  &c. ;  and  the  descendants  of  the  latter 
consisted  of  the  houses  of  Whilog,  Bron  y  Voel,  Berkin,  Gwynvryn, 
Tal  Henbpnt  (now  Plas  Hen),  and  Pennardd.  "  The  feuds  among 
these  families,"  says  Sir  John  Wynne,  "  filled  the  land  with  blood." 
Both  parties  encouraged  and  protected /in y  thieves  and  outlaws,  who 
were  ready  to  side  with  them,  and  execute  any  horrid  deed  proposed  to 

them, 


32  TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES. 

them,  in  order  to  be  revenged  on  the  opposite  faction.  Not  far  from 
the  church  is  a  mount  or  pretty  large  tumulus,  which,  from  every 
appearance,  formed  the  foundation  of  one  of  those  watch-towers  or 
small  castles,  constructed  of  timber,  that  were  so  common  in  times 
prior  to  the  invention  of  gunpowder.  Near  Ystum  Cegid  are  three 
cromlechs  joining  to  each  other,  which  are  possibly  memorials  of 
three  chieftains  slain  on  the  spot :  and  near  Clenneney,  on  Bwlch 
Craigwen,  is  a  druidieal  circle,  consisting  of  thirty-eight  stones. 
Brynkir  was  visited  by  the  celebrated  Lord  Lyttelton,  who  published 
Letters  descriptive  of  North  Wales ;  the  house  was  then  inhabited  by 
a  family  of  the  same  name  (Brynkir),  with  one  of  whom  (a  fellow 
collegian)  he  ascended  the  high  hill  of  Moel  Hedog. 

Llanfihangel  y  Pennant  (the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint 
Michael)  is  situated  between  lofty  hills,  and  in  a  very  retired  situation  ; 
it  is  the  adjoining  parish  to  Dolbenmaen;  and  Brynkir,  the  seat  of 
Sir  Joseph  Huddart,  is  in  this  parish.  Here  are  several  monuments 
to  the  memory  of  the  Brynkir  family.  James  Brynkir  is  said  to  have 
been  a  great  sufferer  for  his  royal  master:  he  was  born  in  1600,  and 
died  in  1644.  Here  also  lies  the  body  of  Catherine,  sixth  daughter 
of  Colonel  William  Price,  of  Rhiwlas,  and  Mary,  daughter  and 
co-heiress  of  David  Holland,  of  Kinmel,  Esq.  his  wife :  she  was 
married  to  James  Brynkir,  Esq.  in  1687,  and  by  him  had  issue  four 
sons  and  one  daughter,  and  departed  this  life  August  16th,  1728, 
aged  65. 

Eglwys  Rhos  or  Llanrhos,  otherwise  Llanfair  yn  Rhos. — The 
church  (as  the  latter  name  imports)  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary.  In 
the  township  of  Bryniau  is  a  field  called  Gardd  y  Monachdy,  i.  e. 
the  Garden  belonging  to  the  Monastery ;  and  also  the  ruins  of  a 
building  upon  an  elevated  situation,  which  is  supposed  to  have  been 
a  watch-tower.  There  is  also  the  ruins  of  an  old  castle,  called 
Cast  ell  Fardre,  in  a  very  strong  situation  near  Diganwy,  in  the  town- 
ship of  Pen  Clais;  it  is  situate  on  Conway  Bay.  In  this  parish  are 
four  very  ancient  family  seats, — Gloddaeth,  and  Bodysgallen,  the 
property  of  Sir  Thomas  Mostyn,  Baronet ;  the  former  built  in  the 
time  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  still  furnished  with  the  old  oak  and 
other  furniture  peculiar  to  that  age.  The  other  two  are  Marie,  at  one 
time  the  property  of  Sir  Thomas  Prendergast,  and  Plas  Penrhyn, 

Creuddin,  formerly  the  seat  of Pugh,  Esq.  who  married  the 

heiress  of  Coetmore. 

Cyffin. — The  church  of  this  place  is  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south  by 
west  of  Conway,  but  the  parish  extends  in  a  direction  southward  to 
the  distance  of  four  miles :  the  small  brook  near  which  the  church 
is  situate  is  called  Cyffin,  from  which  it  is  supposed  the  parish  has 
taken  its  name,  the  meaning  of  the  word  is  the  boundary  or  confine. 
At  Cymryd,  where  was  formerly  a  ford  over  the  Conway,  a  severe 
engagement  was  fought  in  the  year  880,  between  Anarawd",  Prince  of 

North 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  33 

North  Wales,  and  Edred  (or  Eadred),  Duke  of  Mercia,  in  which  the 
ancient  Britons  obtained  a  complete  victory  over  the  Saxon  army. 

Llandegai  or  Llandygai. — The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Tegai 
or  Tega  Glasog,  of  Maelan,  who  is  supposed  to  have  lived  at  the 
close  of  the  fifth  and  beginning  of  the  sixth  century.  It  is  one  mile 
east  of  Bangor.  The  church  is  situate  on  a  lofty  bank  above  the 
river  Ogwen,  and  behind  it  to  the  north,  on  a  lofty  eminence,  is  Penrhyn 
Castle,  now  the  magnificent  seat  of  George  Hay  Dawkins  Pennant, 
Esq.  M.  P.  who  succeeded  to  this  princely  property  on  the  death  of 
the  late  Lord  and  Lady  Penrhyn.  This  house  is  said  to  have  been 
built  on  the  site  of  a  palace  of  Rhodri  Molwynog,  Prince  of  Wales, 
who  began  his  reign  in  720.  It  continued  long  in  the  possession  of 
the  Welsh  princes.  In  987  it  was  levelled  to  the  ground  byMeredydd 
ap  Owain,  who,  in  that  year,  invaded  North  Wales,  and  slew  Cad- 
wallon  ap  levan,  the  reigning  prince.  In  the  time  of  Llewelyn  the 
Great  it  was  bestowed,  with  the  whole  hundred  of  Llechwedd  Ucha, 
on  Yarddur  ap  Trahaiarn,  a  man  of  rank  at  that  period.  Eva,  one  of 
his  descendants,  who  had,  by  the  customary  division  of  the  lands  by 
gavelkind,  Penrhyn  to  her  share,  bestowed  it,  with  her  person,  on 
Gruffydd  ap  Heilyn  ap  Sir  Tudur  ap  Ednyved  Vychan,  originally 
Lord  of  Bryn  tfanigl.  The  family  flourished  here  for  many  genera- 
tions. William  Vychan,  son  of  Gwilym  ap  Gruflfydd,  and  of  Janet, 
(laughter  of  Sir  William  Stanley,  of  Hooton,  and  relict  of  Judge 
Parys,  Chamberlain  of  North  Wales  and  Chester,  succeeded  in  the 
18th  of  Henry  VI.  to  the  estates  of  his  father,  and  also  to  those  of  the 
judge,  and  likewise  succeeded  the  latter  in  his  important  office  of 
Chamberlain  of  North  Wales, — an  honour  continued  to  several  of 
his  posterity. — It  is  remarkable  that  in  this  time  the  severity  of  the 
laws  against  the  Welsh  were  so  rigidly  enforced  that  he  was  made 
denizen  of  England,  on  condition  that  he  should  not  marry  a  Welsh 
wroman ;  and  accordingly  he  espoused  a  daughter  of  Sir  Richard 
Dalton.  In  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  Piers  Griffith,*  lord  of 
that  place,  distinguished  himself  as  a  naval  officer.  He  sailed  from 
Beaumaris  on  the  20th  of  April,  1538,  and  arrived  at  Plymouth  on 
the  4th  of  May,  where  he  was  most  honourably  received  by  that, 
gallant  commander,  Sir  Francis  Drake.  He  shared  with  the  other 
men  of  rank  and  courage  in  the  honour  of  defeating  the  Spanish 
Armada.  After  that  distinguished  victory  he  joined  with  Sir  Francis 
Drake  and  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  in  their  different  expeditions  against 
the  Spaniards  in  the  West  Indies ;  but  in  the  reign  of  James  the 
First,  continuing  his  depredations  against  the  Spaniards  after  peace 
was  proclaimed,  he  was  called  to  account,  and  was  so  harassed  by 

prosecutions, 
x  2      „ 

*  Me  married  Margaret,  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Mostyn,  Knight,  and  had  by  her 
three  sons,  all  of  whom  died  young.  It  is  said  he  built  or  repaired  ships  at  Abercegin, 
where  there  were  of  late  years,  on  the  gable  end  of  a  house,  his  initials,  P.  G  and  the 
date  1598. 


34  TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES. 

prosecutions,  that  he  was  obliged  to  mortgage  bis  estate  to  defray  tbe 
expenses, — part  to  some  citizens  of  London,  and  part  to  Evan  Lloyd, 
Esq.  of  Yale;  the  latter  of  whom,  in  conjunction  with  Sir  Richard 
Trevor,  bought  the  whole,  and  sold  it  to  the  Lord  Keeper  Williams 
in  1622.  The  Archbishop  bequeathed  it  to  Griffith  Williams,  son  of 
his  eldest  brother,  created  a  Baronet,  June  17th,  1661.  His  son, 
Sir  Robert,  the  last  owner  who  inhabited  Penrhyn,  left  three  daugh- 
ters :  Frances,  who  was  first  married  to  Robert  Lloyd,  Esq.  of 
Ecclusham,  near  Wrexham,  afterwards  to  Edward  Lord  Russell, 
third  son  of  the  first  Duke  of  Bedford;  Anne,  who  married  Thomas 
Warburton,  of  Winnington,  Cheshire;  and  Gwen,  who  married  Sir 
Walter  Yonge,  of  Devonshire.  Lord  Russell  having  no  issue,  gene- 
rously resigned  his  part  of  the  estate  to  the  surviving  sisters.  Sir 
George  Yonge,  grandson  of  the  former,  sold  his  moiety  to  the  late 
John  Pennant,  Esq,  whose  son  Richard  Pennant,  afterwards  Lord 
Penrhyn,  became  possessed  of  the  whole  by  virtue  of  his  marriage 
with  Anne  Susannah,  daughter  and  sole  heiress  of  the  late  General 
Warburton,  of  W'innington.  The  old  buildings  stood  round  a  court, 
and  consisted  of  a  gateway,  chapel,  tower,  vast  hall,  and  a  few  other 
apartments ;  and  by  several  ruins  their  former  extent  could  be  traced. 
The  house  was  rebuilt  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VI.  by  Gwilym  ap 
Gruffydd.  The  Stanley  arms  (those  of  his  wife  coupled  with  his 
own)  were  to  be  seen  in  the  hall  windows  till  the  year  1764.  By  the 
initials  R.  G.  and  the  date  1575,  it  appears  that  Sir  Rhys  Gruffydd 
repaired  it  in  that  year.  The  room  above  the  entrance  was  used  as 
the  office  of  the  Chamberlain  of  North  Wales,  which  dignified  station 
was,  as  before  stated,  conferred  on  many  of  that  family.  The  ancient 
fee  was  £20  annually.  The  chamberlain  acted  as  chancellor  to  each 
of  the  Welsh  circuits,  and  each  had  his  seal,  which  served  for  the 
shires  comprehended  within  the  circuit :  his  court  for  this  circuit  was 
held  at  Caernarvon.  The  late  proprietor,  Lord  Penrhyn,  made  very 
considerable  alterations  in  the  buildings;  and  his  successor  is  at 
present  (1830)  engaged  in  rebuilding  the  whole  on  an  extensive  scale, 
and  in  a  most  magnificent  style,  so  as  to  render  it  one  of  the  most 
complete  castellated  baronial  mansions,  perhaps,  in  the  kingdom. 
The  situation  is  unrivalled  in  this,  or  probably,  any  other  part  of 
Great  Britain,  commanding  a  complete  view  of  Beaumaris  bay,  the 
towns  of  Bangor  and  Beaumaris,  together  with  Baron  Hill,  Fryars, 
and  Beaumaris  castle,  and  a  great  part  of  the  island  of  Anglesea, 
Priestholm  Island,  Ormshead,  Penmaenmawr,  and  the  whole  of  the 
stupendous  range  of  the  Caernarvonshire  mountains,  terminating  in 
the  peaks  of  the  Rivals  near  Clynnog.  A  grand  massive,  substantial 
gateway,  on  a  corresponding  plan,  has  been  completed,  together  with 
a  handsome  park  wall.  There  is  also  an  elegant  chapel  near  the 
house  for  the  accommodation  of  the  family ;  and  on  the  beach  there 
are  handsome  and  commodious  hot  and  cold  baths,  built  by  the  late 

Lady 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  35 

Lady  Penrhyn.  In  the  church,  which  is  a  neat  structure  in  the 
form  of  a  cross,  with  a  tower  in  the  centre,  supported  within  by  four 
arches,  are  several  monuments ;  one  (alabaster)  of  an  armed  man  and 
his  lady*  recumbent :  they  are  supposed  by  Mr.  Pennant  to  have 
been  removed  here  at  the  Dissolution  from  the  Friary  at  Llanvaes, 
near  Beaumaris.  Here  is  also  a  mutilated  monument  to  the  memory 
of  Archbishop  Williams,  with  his  figure  in  his  episcopal  dress, 
kneeling  at  the  altar;  under  it  is  a  lon£  latin  inscription.'  The  late 
Reverend  Sneyd  Davies  wrote  a  beautiful  poem  to  his  memory,  which 
is  preserved  in  Dodsley's  collections.  Here  is  also  a  most  superb 
monument  to  the  memory  of  the  late  Lord  Penrhyn,  erected  by  his 
lady,  and  executed  by  Westmacott.  On  it  are  several  figures,  repre- 
sented as  lamenting  the  death  of  their  lord :  two  full-lengths,  the  male 
a  quarryman,  with  the  tools  belonging  to  his  employment,  and  the 
female  a  young  peasant  of  the  country.  In  the  back-ground  are 
several  other  smaller  figures.-^— It  would  exceed  our  limits  to  enter 
into  a  minute  detail  of  all  the  improvements  made  by  the  late  Lord 
Penrhyn  in  this  very  interesting  parish  and  its  flourishing  neighbour- 
hood ;  suffice  it  to  observe,  that  about  40  years  ago  this  part  of  the 
country  bore  a  most  wild,  barren,  and  uncultivated  appearance,  but 
it  is  now  covered  with  handsome  villas,  well-built  farm-houses,  neat 
cottages,  rich  meadows,  well-cultivated  fields,  and  flourishing  planta- 
tions ;  bridges  have  been  built,  new  roads  made,  bogs  and  swampy 
grounds  drained  and  cultivated,  neat  fences  raised,  and  barren  rocks 
covered  with  woods.  In  fact,  what  has  been  accomplished  in  this 
neighbourhood  in  so  short  a  space  of  time  may  be  denominated  a  new 
creation,  and  that  principally  by  means  of  one  active  and  noble- 
minded  individual,  who  disposed  of  his  vast  resources  in  various  acts 
of  improvement ;  and  by  so  doing  gave  employment  to  hundreds  of 
his  fellow-creatures,  who  were  thus  rendered  comfortable  and  happy. 
The  slate  quarries  at  Cae  Braich  y  Cefn,  the  most  considerable  in 
Wales,  are  the  property  of  G.  H.  D.  Pennant,  Esq. :  the  rock  has 
been  opened  at  a  great  expense,  and  the  quarries  are  worked  with 
great  judgment  and  to  a  vast  extent,  as  there  are  about  1500  persons 
constantly  employed;  it  is  computed  that  about  200  tons  or  upwards 
of  slates  are  daily  conveyed  down  to  Port  Penrhyn.  These  quarries 
were  discovered  so  far  back  as  the  time  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  as 
appears  from  a  poetical  composition  written  by  John  Tudyr,  Re- 
gistrar of  the  Ecclesiastical  Court  of  Saint  Asaph,  and  addressed  to 
Rowland  Thomas,  LL.  D.  Dean  of  Bangor,  wherein  he  requests  him 
to  procure  him  a  ship-load  of  slates  from  Aber  Ogwen,  where  it 
seems  they  were  then  shipped,  and  not  at  Port  Penrhyn.  The  above 
gentleman  was  Dean  of  Bangor  from  1570  to  1588.  In  the  year 
1740  the  slates  were  all  of  one  size,  and  very  small;  and  when  a 
larger  kind  was  introduced  they  were  called  doubles,  and  a  still 

larger 
*  These  are  supposed  to  be  Gwilym  ap  Gruffydd,  of  this  family,  and  his  lady. 


36  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

larger  sort  double  doubles,  and  the  men  counted  every  thousand  of 
these  as  four  thousand,  being  equal  to  as  many  of  the  small.     General 
Warburton,  proprietor  of  the  estate,  being  then  in  the  county,  called 
the  double  doubles  ladies,  and  a  larger  sort  he  denominated  countesses ; 
a  thousand  of  the  latter  the  workmen  counted  as  eight  thousand,  and 
this  method  of  reckoning  was  continued  until  Lord  Penrhyn  took  the 
quarries  into  his  own  hands,  which  was  about  the  year  1782,  when 
his  lordship  cleared  the  rubbish  that  had  been  accumulating  for 
ages,  and  opened  these  quarries  in  a  judicious  and  scientific  manner, 
and  at  a  vast  expense.     His  lordship  also  made  an  iron  rail-road  from 
Port  Penrhyn  to  these  quarries,  being  the  distance  of  six  miles.     He 
likewise  erected  a  large  saw-mill  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the 
slate  rock,  where  slate  slabs  are   sawn  into  chimney-pieces,  tomb- 
stones, and  for  other  purposes.     New  sorts  of  slates  covering  roofs 
have  also  been  introduced,    and  denominated   queens,    duchesses, 
patents,  &c.     His  lordship  erected  another  mill  for  the  purpose  of 
grinding  down  flints,  quartz,  &c.  for  the  uses  of  the  porcelain  or  china 
manufactories;  and  near  it  another  large  and  curious  machine,   for 
pressing  oil  out  of  linseed,  and  for  grinding  paint.     Lastly,  to  crown 
all   his  other  acts  of  munificence,    he  built  an   elegant  and  com- 
modious   new  church  for  the    accommodation  of  the    quarrymen, 
and  also  a  good  house  for  the  residence  of  the  clergyman,  to  which 
he  added  a  handsome  endowment.     Ogwen  pool,  whence  the  river  of 
that  name  issues,  is  partly  in  this  parish  and  partly  in  Llanllechid,  and 
abounds  with  fine  trout,  which  in  season  cuts  red  like  salmon.     Llyn 
Idwal,  another  small  lakje  not  far  from  Ogwen,  is  also  in  this  parish  : 
near  this  pool,  according  to  tradition,  a  young  prince  of  that  name 
(Idwal  or  Edwal)  was  murdered  by  his  foster-father.     It  is  not  an 
unfit  place  for  such  horrid  deeds,  as  it  seems  completely   secluded 
from  the  world,  and  is  surrounded  by  frightful  rocks  and  precipices. 
The  shepherds  fable  that  it  is  the  haunt  of  daemons,  and  that  no  bird 
will  fly  over  its  baneful  waters,  which,  according  to  their  account,  are 
as  fatal  as  those  of  Avernus. 

"  Quam  super  baud  ullae  poterant  impune  volante  tendere  iler  pennis." 

Above  it  is  the  dark,  tremendous  split  rock,  Twll  Du,  called  by  the 
Welsh  Cegin  y  Diawl,  the  Devil's  Kitchen.  Llyn  Bochllwyd,  situate 
to  the  south  of  Ogwen,  and  considerably  above  it,  is  also  in  this 
parish,  and  the  brook  which  proceeds  from  it  runs  into  Llyn  Ogwen. 
Llanfair  Fechan  (little  Saint  Mary's)  has  its  church  dedicated  to 
Saint  Mary,  and  is  situate  near  the  great  and  tremendous  Penmaen- 
mawr.  The  church  is  very  small,  and  stands  on  a  small  eminence  just 
above  the  road.  Near  the  sea-shore,  in  this  parish,  is  Bryn  y  Neuodd, 
an  old  decayed  family  seat,  at  one  time  the  property  of  Humphrey 
Roberts,  Esq.  and  afterwards  of  Robert  Wynne,  Esq.  In  the  begin- 
ning of  the  sixth  century  Seiriol,  a  British  saint,  is  said  to  have  lived 
i  hermit  between  the  two  summits  of  Penmaenmawr,  where  still  is  to 

be 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  37 

be  seen  what  are  called  his  bed  and  well ;  but  his  hermitage  being 
robbed,  the  saint  retired  to  a  small  island  on  the  Anglesey  coast, 
Priestholm,  where  he  built  a  chapel  and  a  cell,  and  there  he  is 
thought  to  have  died.  Immediately  under  and  adjoining  this  parish 
and  that  of  Aber  there  was,  in  former  times,  a  large  tract  of  land 
{now  at  high  water  covered  by  the  tide)  about  12  miles  in  length  by 
7  or  8  in  breadth,  being  formerly  in  possession  of  Helig  ap  Glanog, 
and  where  he  had  his  llys  or  court;  the  whole  of  which,  in  the  sixth 
century,  was  overflowed  by  the  sea.  It  is  now  denominated  Traeth  y 
Lavan,  or  the  Lavan  Sands,  derived  from  traeth  (sands)  and  lavan 
(sea-liverwort  or  laver,  which  here  grows  in  great  abundance). 

Llangelynin. — The  church  is  conveniently  situated  (as  many  of  the 
Welsh  churches  are)  in  a  very  retired  place,  and  nearly  at  the  upper 
extremity  of  the  parish.  It  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Celynin,  who, 
according  to  the  account  given  in  an  ancient  Welsh  manuscript,  called 
Achau'r  Saint,  i,  e.  The  Pedigrees  of  the  Saints,  was  son  of  Helig  ap 
Glanog,  and  brother  of  Rhychwyn,  Brothen,  and  Peris. 

Llangystennyn  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Cystennyn,  sur- 
named  the  Blessed,  the  eightieth  king  of  Britain.  In  the  east  window 
of  this  church  there  is  some  old  painted  glass,  on  which  are  repre- 
sented the  figures  of  our  Saviour,  Saint  George  and  the  Dragon,  and 
Justice:  in  another  window  appears  the  figures  of  Saint  Peter,  Saint 
Nicholas,  and  Saint  Catherine. 

Llandrillo.— •  The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Trillo,  one  of  the 
sons  of  Ithael  Hael.  This  Trillo  accompanied  Cad  van  into  Wales 
dn  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  century.  Near  the  shore  is  a  singular 
little  building,  called  Saint Trillo's  chapel.  Not  far  from  the  church 
is  a  large  ruined  house,  called  Bryn  Euryn,  formerly  called  Llys 
Maelgwyn  Gwynedd,  who,  it  is  said,  had  a  palace  on  this  spot. 
About  the  twelfth  century  it  was  inhabited  by  the  great  Ednyved 
Fychan ;  and  until  the  last  century  it  was  possessed  by  a  family  of 
the  name  of  Conway,  who  derived  their  origin  from  Gruflfydd  or 
Griffith  Goch,  Lord  of  Rhos  and  Rhuvoniog.  Rhos  Vynach,  or  the 
Marsh  of  the  Monks,  was  at  one  time  the  property  of  Conway  abbey. 
There  is  a  considerable  weir  near  this  point,  and  the  bishop  of  the 
diocese  and  the  vicar  of  this  parish  claim  the  fish  taken  here  at  every 
tenth  tide.  In  former  times,  mackerel  to  the  amount  of  40  pounds 
have  been  taken  here  in  two  successive  tides. 

Llanbedry  Cennin.— r-The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Peter.  On 
the  summit  of  a  hill  called  Pen  Caer  Helen  is  a  strong  British  fort- 
ress, guarded  by  several  fosses  and  strong  ramparts  of  stones. 
There  is  a  horse-road  by  the  church,  over  the  mountain  called  Bwlch 
y  Ddauvaen,  to  Aber.  There  is  a  fine  water-fall  near  Porthllwyd,  in 
this  parish,  not  far  from  the  road  to  Llanrwst. 

Llanrhychwyn  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Rhychwyn,  who 
lived  about  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century.  Near  a  small  lake  in 

this 


38  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

this  parish,,  called  Llyn  Geirionydd,  lived  the  celebrated  bard 
Taliesin.  In  one  of  the  windows  of  the  church  is  some  painted  glass, 
and  the  following  inscription: — Sancte  Rhychwin,  ora  pro  riobis. 

Llandegwnning1. — The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Tegonwy,  who 
lived  at  the  close  of  the  fifth  and  beginning  of  the  sixth  century.  It 
is  situate  near  the  river  Sochan.  In  an  old  manuscript,  Llandegwn- 
ning is  represented  as  a  chapel  of  ease  to  Llaniestyn,  and  said  to  be 
dedicated  to  Saint  Gwnning.  A  tribute  of  respect  is  justly  due  from 
his  countrymen  to  the  memory  of  Colonel  Evan  Jones,  of  Gelliwig, 
in  this  parish,  who  frequently  distinguished  himself  in  the  late  war, 
both  in  the  West  Indies  under  Sir  Charles  Grey,  and  in  Holland  and 
Egypt  under  Sir  Ralph  Abercrombie.  He  died  at  Rose  Hill,  near 
Wrexham,  25th  March,  1821. 

Liang wynodyl,  alias  Llangwnadl. — The  church  is  dedicated  to 
Saint  Micnael  and  to  Saint  Gwynhoydyl:  the  latter  lived  about  the 
middle  of  the  sixth  century.  The  church  consists  of  three  naves,  and 
is  constructed  on  arches,  on  one  of  which  is  the  following  inscription 
in  large  Roman  characters: — "  S.  Gwynhoydyl  jacet  hie  750,"  and 
on  another,  "  Haec  aedes  aedificata  est  A.D.  M. 

Llan  Engan,  or  Eineon  Frenin,  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint 
Einion,  a  saint  who  lived  about  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century. 
Upon  the  tower  of  the  church  is  an  inscription,  though  now  nearly 
effaced,  signifying  that  it  was  built  by  Einion,  the  king  of  Lleyn. 
Owain  is  said  to  have  founded  a  college  at  Penmon,  over  which  he 
placed  his  brother  Seiriol  as  principal,  and  where  the  people  of  Scan- 
dinavia resorted  generally  to  be  instructed  in  the  Christian  faith : 
the  seminary  was  afterwards  called  Cor  Seiriol.  He  also,  in  con- 
junction with  Emyr  Llydaw,  founded  the  college  of  Enlli  or  Bardsey, 
since  called  Cor  Cadvan,  from  Cadvan,  who  built  an  abbey  there,  and 
became  abbot.  On  the  east,  about  a  mile  from  the  mainland,  are  two 
small  islands,  called  Saint  TudwaFs.  The  islands  are  appropriated 
for  a  sheepwalk  during  the  summer  months,  and  are  annually  fre- 
quented by  vast  numbers  of  puffins,  which  breed  there  in  the  month 
of  July:  there  are  also  a  few  rabbits  on  them.  Upon  one  of  them 
are  the  ruins  of  a  small  chapel,  dedicated  to  Saint  Tudwal,  and  which 
was,  some  time  ago,  converted  into  a  barn,  when  the  island  was  under 
tillage.  Leland  has  noticed  these  islands  in  the  following  words  :-— 
"  Almost  a  mile  from  Penrhyn  Dee,  in  Leene,  is  Inis  Tidwale,  six 
acres  in  compass.  Jn  it  is  a  little  church  desolate.  There  be  kept 
sheep,  and  there  be  conies.  It  is  a  mile  from  Penrhyn  land  by  south- 
east. There  is  a  church  in  Leene,  called  Llan  Engan  Vrenin,  i.  e. 
Fanum  Niniani  Reguli,  where  was  of  late  pilgrimage  to  Aber  Daron 
and  Enlli  (Bardsey).  The  famous  road  of  Saint  Tudwal  is  reckoned 
to  be  one  of  the  best  and  safest  in  Great  Britain,  and  it  is  so  exten- 
sive, that  it  would  contain  the  whole  navy  of  Great  Britain,  with  good 
holding  ground  of  stiff  blue  clay." 

Llanbcdrog 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  39 

Llanbedrog  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Pedrog,  who  lived 
about  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  century.  On  a  mountain,  about  a 
mile  above  Castelhnarch,  are  the  remains  of  a  cromlech,  near  a  place 
called  Yr  Hen  Enfail ;  the  top  stone  is  about  two  yards  square  and 
two  feet  thick,  there  are  three  supporters  still  remaining,  and  the 
broken  remains  of  three  others. 

Llangian. — The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Cian,  according  to 
Dr.  W.  O.  Pughe;  but  Mr.  Browne  Willis  says  to  Saint  Peris.  This 
Cian  is  said  to  have  been  Peris's  disciple.  On  a  marble  cenotaph  in 
his  church  is  the  following  inscription  to  the  memory  of  the  brave 
Captain  Edwards,  R.  N. : — "  Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Timothy 
Edwards,  Esq.  of  Nanhoran,  who  being  appointed  to  the  command 
of  the  Cornwall  man  of  war  of  74  guns  in  the  year  1777,  and  having 
in  the  course  of  a  twelvemonth  distinguished  himself  in  four  successive 
engagements  in  the  West  Indies  against  the  French  fleet,  was  unfor- 
tunately, on  his  return  home,  carried  off  by  a  bilious  fever,  on  the 
12th  day  of  July,  1780,  aged  49,  before  he  had  received  those 
honours  from  his  king  and  country  which  were  destined  to  be  the 
reward  of  his  gallant  services.  His  disconsolate  widow,  penetrated 
with  the  deepest  sorrow  for  her  loss,  caused  this  monument  to  be 
erected.  On  his  arrival  in  England  he  was  to  have  been  created  a 
Baronet,  and  to  have  been  elected  Member  of  Parliament  for  Ayles- 
bury,  Bucks."  Near  the  sea-coast  in  this  parish  is  an  old  mansion, 
called  Castellmarch,  now  the  property  of  Thomas  Assheton  Smith,  Esq. 
Lord  Lieutenant  of  the  County.  Over  the  porch  is  the  date  1628, 
with  the  arms  of  the  Jones's  of  Castellmarch,  who  were  descended 
from  Meirion  Goch,  of  Lleyn,  viz.  Argent,  a  chevron  Azure  between 
three  nags'  heads  erased  Sable ;  and  in  one  of  the  rooms,  over  the 
fire-place,  "  Vivat  post  funera  virtus."  Sir  William  Jones,  Knight, 
the  gentleman  who  built  the  house,  was  kidnapped  (according  to  the 
tradition  of  the  country-people)  and  carried  prisoner  to  France,  for 
having  given  some  offence  to  his  workmen ;  but  as  he  and  Thomas 
Price,  of  Plas  lolyn,  Esq.  were  out  during  the  Spanish  war,  and  car- 
rying on  their  depredations  after  peace  was  proclaimed,  it  is  more 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  he  was  taken  and  carried  away  as  a 
prisoner  to  answer  for  his  misconduct.  Sir  William  Williams,  of 
Vaynol,  Baronet,  having  married  Margaret  Jones,  the  heiress  of 
Castellmarch,  became  thus  possessed  of  the  property. 

Llangybi. — The  church  is  dedicated  to  St.  Cybi,  or  Kybi.  Here 
is  a  fine  spring  of  water,  which  is  in  great  repute,  and  said  to  be 
efficacious  in  paralytic,  epileptic,  and  rheumatic  cases ;  the  water  is 
rough  and  bitter  to'the  taste. 

Llanarmon  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Garmon,  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  of  the  British  saints.  Plas  Dii  is  in  this  parish, 
an  old  mansion  which  had  the  honour  of  giving  birth  to  two  cele- 
brated characters,  viz.  John  Owen,  the  well-known  epigrammatist; 

and 


40  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

and  John  Evans,  Bishop  of  Bangor  from  1701  to  1715,  when  he  was 
translated  to  Meath,  and  succeeded  by  Dr.  Benjamin  Hoadley. 

Llanystyundwy,  or  Llanystyndwy. — The  church  is  dedicated  to 
Saint  John  the  Baptist.  Plas  Hen,  in  this  parish,  is  now  the  pro- 
perty of  Sir  Thomas  Mostyn.  Its  original  name  was  Tal  Henbont, 
and  was  the  property  of  the  Vaughans,  who  were  descended  from 
Collwyn  ap  Tangno,  the  head  of  one  of  the  fifteen  tribes.  The 
heiress  of  this  house  first  married  Evan  Lloyd  Vaughan,  Esq.  and, 
secondly,  William  Lloyd,  Esq.  a  younger  son  of  Bod  Idris. 

Llanelhaiarn. — The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Elhaiarn,  who 
lived  in  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century.  Near  the  church  is  a  fine 
well,  once  much  frequented  on  account  of  its  reputed  sanctity.  Y 
Gyrn  Ddu,  Gyrn  Goch,  and  Voel  Penllechog  are  high  hills  in  this 
parish ;  and  Voel  Bron  Miod,  Bwlch  Drwswnewl,  and  Gaer  Tyddyn- 
mawr  are  old  fortifications  and  remarkable  passes  between  the 
mountains. 

Llanllyfni  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Rhecliw,  a  saint  whose 
history  is  not  known.  The  river  Llyfni,  which  rises  in  the  Nanlle 
lakes,  in  the  upper  part  of  the  parish,  runs  through  it  and  occasions 
two  divisions;  out  of  each  of  which  a  churchwarden  and  constable  are 
annually  appointed.  The  Nanlle  Lakes  are  two  in  number,  and  in 
the  direction  of  Snowdon:  one  of  them  is  upwards  of  half  a-mile  in 
length  and  half-a-mile  in  breadth,  the  other  is  nearly  half-a-mile  in 
length  and  the  same  in  breadth,  being  half  a  stone's  throw  distant 
from  each  other.  The  waters  from  the  copper  works  of  Drwsycoed 
are  said  to  have  considerably  diminished  the  quantity  of  fish  in  them ; 
but  there  are  two  smaller  lakes  in  the  mountain,  called  Llyn  Cwm 
Silin  and  Llyn  Cwm  Dylyn,  that  are  more  favourable  for  anglers. 
A  great  quantity  of  slate  is  quarried  in  this  parish,  and  also  in  that 
part  of  the  parish  of  Llandwrog  immediately  adjacent,  which  are 
conveyed  to  and  exported  from  Caernarvon.  One  side  of  this  parish 
being  bounded  by  a  chain  of  mountains  renders  the  scenery  rather 
romantic ;  and  it  is  thought  that  Snowdon,  though  not  less  than  eight 
miles  distant,  appears  to  a  greater  advantage  from  the  parsonage- 
house  than  from  any  other  place.  Craig  y  Dinas,  i.  e.  the  City 
Rock,  is  a  piece  of  ground  of  a  circular  form,  about  70  yards  in 
diameter,  rather  steep  on  the  side  that  is  close  to  the  river  Llyfni, 
and  on  the  other  side  run  two  mounds,  a  few  yards  distant  from  each 
other,  forming  a  ditch  between  them ;  that  which  is  nearest  to  the 
platform  is  covered  with  stones,  as  if  there  had  been  some  building,  or 
that  they  had  been  intended  for  that  purpose.  The  tradition  of  the 
parishioners  is,  that  there  was  anciently  a  town  there,  and  that  there 
is  still  money  undiscovered  on  the  spot ;  and  that  a  church  once  stood 
upon  it.  A  stone  fence  now  surrounds  the  green  area ;  and  though 
the  idea  of  its  having  been  once  a  town  is  the  most  prevalent,  it  is, 
however,  thought  to  have  been  an  old  military  position.  Michael 

Prichard, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  41 

Prichard,  the  poet,  was  born  here  about  the  year  1710,  and  died  in 
1731.  Several  of  his  works  are  preserved,  which  possess  great 
merit.  Here  Saint  Rhediw,  according  to  Mr.  Owen,  was  buried ; 
and  they  shew  his  well,  his  seat,  the  print  of  his  horse's  shoe,  and  the 
mark  of  his  thumb  on  a  stone.  These  are  some  of  the  remains  of  the 
superstitious  legends  of  the  dark  ages  of  popery.  In  the  church- 
yard are  the  following  inscriptions  on  tomb-stones : — ' '  Here  lyeth  the 
body  of  the  Rev.  and  learned  Foulk  Price,  late  Rector  of  this  parish, 
who  was  a  faithful  shepherd  of  his  flock  35  years,  and  died  January 
27th,  1706,  aged  70  years."  Also,  "  The 'Reverend  Lewis  Price, 
Rector,  died  May  the  8th,  1714,  aged  33:  this  stone  was  put 
up  by  his  son,  the  Reverend  J.  Price,  Vicar  of  Conway."  "  Reverend 
William  Evans,  died  July  the  2d,  1732,  aged  35."  On  another 
stone, — "  Underneath  lie  the  remains  of  Richard  Garnons,  of  Pant 
Du,  Gent,  and  Catherine  his  first  wife:  she  was  buried  on  the  7th 
day  of  July,  1718,  aged  36;  and  he  on  the  17th  day  of  April,  1742, 
aged  77,  after  having  served  in  his  youthful  days  as  a  volunteer  in  all 
the  Irish  wars." 

Llandwrog  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Twrog.*  In  this 
parish  is  Glynn  Llivon,  once  the  residence  of  Cilmin  Troed-ddu,  head 
of  one  of  the  15  tribes  of  North  Wales,  but  now  the  seat  of  the  Right 
Hon.  Lord  Newborough.  It  has  lately  been  repaired,  and  the  house 
furnished  in  a  most  costly  and  superb  manner :  numerous  rare  paint- 
ings and  various  antiquities  of  value  have  been  brought  hither  from 
Italy  and  other  parts  of  the  continent.  His  lordship  has  also  made 
many  improvements  about  the  house,  principally  by  enlarging  the 
park,  about  which  has  been  built  a  lofty  wall.  Dinas  Dinlle,  a  forti- 
fied eminence  on  the  verge  of  the  sea,  was  an  old  Roman  encampment, 
and  several  coins  have  been  discovered  there  at  different  times.  On 
the  15th  of  November,  1810,  Joseph  Williams,  Esq.  of  Glan  yr 
Afon,  exhibited  to  the  Society  of  Antiquaries  of  London  a  ring,  in  the 
stone  of  which  was  cut  the  Goddess  of  Victory,  with  a  trophy,  which 
was  discovered  in  the  ruins  of  Dinas  Dinlle,  a  township  in  this  parish, 
which  implies  <f  the  fortified  place  in  the  marsh,"  about  80  years 
ago,  and  which  he  had  worn  as  a  singular  rarity  for  the  last  50  years. 
Remains  of  a  Roman  road  leading  from  Dinas  Dinlle  to  Segontium 
were  visible  till  within  these  few  years,  and  two  small  fords  on  it  are 
still  distinguished  by  the  names  of  Rhyd  yr  Equestri  and  Rhyd  y 
Pedestri,  i.  e.  the  horse  and  foot  fords.  The  following  is  a  list  of 
forts  in  this  and  the  neighbouring  parish  of  Llanwnda : — Dinas  y  Prif ; 
Hen  Gastell;  Dinas  Franog,  a  square  fort;  Caer  Ifridd;  Bwlan; 
Bryn  y  Gorseddau;  Carnedd  Angharad;  Bedd  Gwennon;  Bettws 
Gwenrhyw;  Talwrn  yr  Arch;  Murian  Gwilym  Ddu,  or  Tyddyn 

Tudur 

*  Dr.  Davies,  under  the  word  Tiboeth,  in  his  Welsh  and  Latin  Dictionary,  mentions  a 
remarkable  book,  called  "  Tiboeth  Twrog,"  formerly  kept  in  Clynnog  church,  and  seen 
by  Dr.  Thomas  Williams,  of  Trevriw,  in  1594.  This  book  was  supposed  to  have  been 
miraculously  preserved  when  the  church  was  burnt, 


42  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Tudur  Aled,  being  the  remains  of  the  dwelling  of  the  poet  of  that 
name. 

Llanwnda  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Gwyndav  (some  say  to 
Saint  Beuno).  Gwyndav  lived  about  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century, 
and  was  buried  at  Bardsey.  Dinas  Dinoeth  was  an  old  Roman 
encampment  connected  with  Segontium  and  Dinas  Dinlle.  The 
late  Reverend  Mr.  Farrington,  who  wrote  a  short  account  of  all  the 
Roman  encampments  in  this  county,  and  the  outposts  connected  with 
them,  resided  in  this  parish. 

Mellteyrn,  alias  Myllteyrn. — The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint 
Peter  in  Vincula.  This  parish  is  divided  into  two  equal  parts  by  a 
rivulet,  called  Rhydlas,  the  western  division  being  in  the  hundred  of 
Cwmwtmaen,  and  the  eastern  in  that  of  Cyfflegion.  A  river  called 
Cavaen,  which  runs  from  north  to  south  on  the  east  part  of  the  parish, 
separates  it  from  the  chapelry  of  Bottwnog:  and  another  river,  called 
Sochan,  which  runs  from  north  to  south  on  the  west  part  of  the 
parish,  separates  it  from  the  parish  of  Bryncroes.  Bishop  Rowland, 
who  founded  a  free-school  at  Bottwnog,  was  bom  at  Plas  Myllteyrn, 
in  this  parish,  and  was  Rector  of  this  parish  in  1572.  In  1584  he 
became  Rector  of  Aberdaron,  and  Prebendary  of  Penmynydd;  and  in 
1593  Bishop  of  Bangor.  He  founded  two  fellowships  at  Jesus 
College,  Oxford,  and  an  hospital  for  six  poor  men  at  Bangor.  He 
died  July  6th,  1616,  and  was  buried  at  Bangor. 

Pistill,  orPistyll,  is  situate  upon  the  bay  of  Caernarvon,  at  the  foot 
of  the  Rivals.  Nor  far  off  is  that  gloomy  hollow  called  Nant  Gwrth- 
eryn,  or  Vortigem's  Valley,  before  described,  and  which  tradition 
assigns  as  one  of  the  retreats  of  that  cruel  tyrant.  Tre  'r  Ceiri,  the 
encampments  and  fortifications  in  this  neighbourhood,  so  well  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  Pennant,  are  well  worthy  the  attention  of  the  anti- 
quary ;  and  Carreg  y  Llam,  the  side  of  the  mountain  next  the  sea,  is  a 
tremendous  precipice,  along  the  edges  of  which  are  arranged,  at 
different  heights,  the  nests  of  different  birds  of  passage  that  frequent 
this  place  in  the  summer  season;  and  belowr,  just  above  high  water- 
mark, is  a  curious  cave,  visited  by  tourists.  The  church  is  dedicated 
to  Saint  Beuno.  The  name  Pistyll  signifies  "  the  water  spout." 

Penmorva  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Beuno.  A  new  town, 
called  Tremadoc,  has  been  built  in  this  parish  by  the  late  lamented 
W.  Alexander  Madocks,  Esq.  for  many  years  M.  P.  for  Boston ;  and 
an  elegant  new  church  has  also  been  erected.  An  embankment,  one 
mile  in  extent,  across  the  sand  called  Traeth  Mawr,  and  forming  a 
safe  communication  between  the  two  counties,  has  likewise  been  made 
by  the  same  gentleman ;  and  at  the  end  of  this  embankment  is  a 
wharf  or  quay  for  vessels  to  load  and  unload.  In  Penmorva  church 
is  a  handsome  monument  to  the  memory  of  Sir  John  Owen,  of  Clen- 
neney,  in  this  parish,  a  royalist  general  and  supporter  of  Charles  the 
First.  He  was  condemned  by  the  parliament  to  lose  his  head,  but 

through 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  43 

through  the  interest  of  Ireton,  his  advocate,  was  for  a  few  months 
imprisoned  in  Windsor  Castle,  and  then  restored  to  his  friends.  He 
died  in  the  year  1666,  aged  66.  His  wife  was  Janet,  daughter  of 
Griffith  Vaughan,  Esq.  of  Cors  y  Gedol.  His  grand-daughter, 
Elena  Owen,  caused  this  memorial  to  be  erected.  Here  is  also  a 
smaller  monument  to  the  memory  of  Sir  William  Maurice,  Knight,  of 
Clenneney,  who  died  10th  August,  1622.  Humphrey  Humphreys, 
D.  D.  Bishop  of  Ban gor  from  1690  to  1701,  resided  some  years  at 
Cessail  Gyvarch,  in  this  parish.  It  was  from  this  part  of  the  coast 
that  Madoc,  the  son  of  Owain  Gwynedd,  Prince  of  North  Wales  in 
1170,  is  reported  to  have  sailed  for  America. 

Penmachno  is  situate  near  the  source  of  the  Machno,  from  which  it 
takes  its  name.  Dr.  William  Morgan,  Bishop  of  Saint  Asaph,  who 
first  translated  the  Old  Testament  into  Welsh,  was  born  at  a  place 
called  Ewybr  Nant,  in  this  parish.  Hugh  Machno,  a  celebrated 
Welsh  bard,  who  had  a  poetical  contest  with  Archdeacon  Price  about 
the  year  1595,  was  also  a  native  of  this  parish.  There  are  several 
slate  quarries  in  this  parish ;  and  the  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint 
Tudelyd. 

Rhiw. — The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Aelrhyw,  and  is  situated 
near  Porth  Rhiew,  on  Cardigan  bay.  There  is  also  a  well  here, 
called  Ffynnon  Aeliw  (a  contraction  of  Aelrhiw),  the  waters  of  which 
are  supposed  to  be  efficacious  in  the  cure  of  cutaneous  disorders,  par- 
ticularly one  of  that  description  called  Mann  Aeliw. 

BARDSEY  ISLAND,  called  Ynys  Enlli,  or  the  Island  in  the  Current, 
is  in  the  parish  of  Aberdaron,  and  situate  about  a  mile  from  the 
south-western  part  of  the  mainland  of  Caernarvonshire :  it  is  a  re- 
markable fertile  plain,  about  two  miles  in  circumference,  and  well 
cultivated.  It  is  venerable  for  the  remains  of  its  ancient  abbey, 
which  was  originally  a  large  stone  building.  Not  far  from  the  abbey 
is  a  singular  chapel  or  oratory,  consisting  of  a  long  arched  building, 
with  an  insulated  stone  altar  near  the  east,  where  one  of  the  inhabit- 
ants often  reads  prayers.  It  was  founded  in  the  year  516 :  Lletiddadd  or 
Laudatus  was  the  first  abbot,  and  it  was  valued  at  the  Dissolution  at 
about  £56.  It  was  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary ;  and  here  Dubricius, 
the  Archbishop,  retired  after  his  resignation  of  the  see  of  Canterbury 
about  the  year  522.  Saint  Daniel,  the  first  Bishop  of  Bangor,  is  said 
to  have  been  buried  here;  and  also  Merddin  ab  Morvyrn  (the  bard), 
Hywyn  ab  Gwyndav  Hen,  Cadwallon,  Cadvan,  Saint  Beuno,  Saint 
Padarn,  Deirden,  Dervel,  and  many  other  pious  men  and  saints. 
Cadwallon,  son  of  Owain  Gwynedd,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  was 
abbot  of  Bardsey,  as  was  also  Robert,  son  of  Meredydd  ab  Ivan,  who 
married  the  daughter  of  Eineon  ap  Ithel,  of  Rhiwedog,  esquire  to 
John  of  Gaunt,  Duke  of  Lancaster.  This  island  was  granted  by 
Edward  the  Sixth  to  his  uncle  Sir  Thomas  Seymour,  and  after  his 
death  to  John  Earl  of  Warwick.  Sir  John  Wynne,  of  Glynnllivon, 

grandfather 


44  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 

grandfather  to  Lord  Newborough,  purchased  it  from  the  late  Reverend 
John  Wilson,  of  Newark,  and  it  still  remains  in  that  family.  John 
Wynne  ap  Hugh,  of  the  family  of  Bodvel,  was  standard-bearer  at  the 
battle  of  Norwich,  in  the  time  of  Edward  the  Sixth,  for  which  service 
he  had  granted  to  him  Bardsey  and  Court  in  Aberdaron;  and  was 
sheriff  of  Caernarvonshire  in  1551  :  he  married  Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  Sir  John  Puleston,  by  a  daughter  of  Robert  ap  Meredith  ap 
Hwlkin  Llwyd,  of  Glynnllivon.  The  spiritual  concerns  are  now 
under  the  care  of  a  single  rustic ;  although  the  island  is  said  to  have 
formerly  afforded  an  asylum  for  20,000  saints  for  life,  and  after  death 
graves  for  as  many  bodies;  on  which  Dr.  Fuller  judiciously  observes, 
"  It  icould  be  more  facile  to  find  graves  for  as  many  saints  than 
saints  for  so  many  graves"  The  slaughter  of  the  monks  at  Bangor 
Iscoed,  in  Flintshire,  about  the  year  607,  is  supposed  to  have  contri- 
buted to  the  population  of  Bardsey ;  for  many  pious  persons  fled  here 
to  avoid  the  persecutions  of  the  Saxons,  and  sought  islands  and  desert 
places,  in  which  they  might  in  security  worship  the  true  God. 

The  undermentioned  celebrated  or  learned  Personages  were  Na- 
tives or  Residents  of  Caernarvonshire — Chief  Justice  Glynne,  born 
at  Glyn  Llivon  ;  Archbishop  Williams ;  Bishops  Rowlands,  Vaughan, 
Robinson,  Humphreys,  Evans,  Griffith,  and  Morgan  (who  translated 
the  Old  Testament  into  Welsh)  ;  Sir  William  Maurice,  and  Sir  John 
Owen,  of  Clenneney ;  Sir  Howel  y  Fwyall ;  Dr.  Thomas  Williams, 
ofTrevriw,  author  of  a  Latin-Welsh  Dictionary;  Mrs.  Piozzi ;  John 
Owen,  of  Plas  Du,  the  Epigrammatist.  Also  the  following  Bards  : — 
Taliesin;  Gwilym  Ddu  o  Arvon  ;  Robin  Ddu;  Rhys  Goch  o  Eryri ; 
William  Lleyn ;  Hugh  Lleyn;  Hugh  Machno;  William  Cynwal,  of 
Dolwyddelan,  1590;  Cadwaladr  Cessail :  Hugh  Pennant;  Lewis 
Daron;  Rh)Ts  Nanmor;  David  Nanmor;  Roger  Kyffin,  Rector  of 
Llanberris.  Its  modern  Bards  have  been  Michael  Prichard,  a  poet ; 
Reverend  Mr.  Farrington;  David  Thomas,  alias  Davydd  Ddu  o 
Eryri;  and  Sion  Lleyn. 


DENBIGHSHIRE. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  45 


DENBIGHSHIRE. 

I  HIS  county  took  its  name  from  the  principal  town,  Denbigh,  in 
Welsh  called  Dinbach,  i.e.  the  small  fortification  or  town;  or,  from 
its  situation  in  a  retired  corner,  Bach  or  Cilfach.  Its  most  ancient 
name  was  Caled-vryn  yn  Rhos,  or  the  hard  rock  in  the  hundred  of 
Rhos.  Denbighshire  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  Flintshire  and 
Shropshire,  on  the  south  by  Merionethshire  and  part  of  Montgomery- 
shire, on  the  West  by  Caernarvonshire,  and  on  the  north  by  the 
Irish  Sea.  It  extends  about  30  miles  in  length,  and  15  in  breadth. 
This  part  of  the  county,  prior  to  the  conquest  of  Wales  by  Edward 
the  First,  appears  to  have  been  possessed  by  David  ap  Gruffydd,  one 
of  the  Welsh  princes ;  for  Sir  John  Wynne,  in  his  History  of  the 
Gwydir  Family,  informs  us,  "  that  Henry  Lacy,  Earl  of  Lincoln, 
wishing  to  make  a  princely  seat  of  Denbigh  castle,  by  force  compelled 
the  children  of  the  said  David  ap  Gruflfydd  to  exchange  their  posses- 
sions about  Denbigh  castle  with  him  for  other  lands  of  less  value  in 
the  said  lordship,  in  the  furthest  part  from  him.  The  mountains  in 
this  county  are  not  so  lofty  as  those  of  Caernarvonshire  and  Merioneth- 
shire, and  the  climate  is  milder  and  more  temperate,  particularly  in 
the  Vale  of  Clwyd.  Moel  Famma,  the  highest  hill  in  this  county,  is 
not  above  1850  feet  high;  besides  the  mountains  in  this  county  in 
general  have  none  of  that  barren,  steep,  rocky,  and  terrific  appearance 
which  constitutes  the  characteristic  of  those  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Snowdon  and  Cader  Idris.  A  new  line  of  road  is  opened  fromPentre 
Voelas  to  Denbigh  over  Hiraethog  mountain,  which  in  its  present 
uncultivated  state  has  a  very  desolate  and  barren  appearance,  and  the 
traveller  has  to  proceed  many  miles  without  seeing  any  human  habita- 
tion. After  the  conquest  of  Wales  by  Edward  the  First,  the  king 
politically  secured  his  new  acquisitions  by  bestowing  several  of  the 
lordships  on  his  followers.  The  castle  of  Ruthin,  together  with  the 
cantref  of  DyfFryn  Clwyd,  he  bestowed  on  Reginald  de  Grey;  to 
which  were  added  the  townships  of  Maesmynan,  Penbedw,  and 
Blowite,  as  dependencies  on  the  castle :  and  out  of  this  ancient  cantref 
was  formed  the  present  Lordship  of  Ruthin,  which  comprehends 
several  parishes.  It  remained  in  the  family  of  the  Greys  till  the 
time  of  Richard  Earl  of  Kent,  who,  having  dissipated  his  fortune  by 
gambling,  sold  it  to  Henry  the  Seventh.  Queen  Elizabeth  bestowed 
it  on  Ambrose  Dudley,  Earl  of  Warwick ;  and  it  is  now  in  the  posses- 
sion of  a  branch  of  the  Chirk  castle  family.  Reginald  de  Grey  was 
the  nobleman  who  unjustly  possessed  himself  of  Croesau  (some  lands 
belonging  to  Owain  Glyndwr),  and  was  thus  the  cause  of  that  chief- 
tain's rebellion.  The  king  also  gave  the  lordship  of  Denbigh  to 
Henry  Lacy,  Earl  of  Lincoln,  who  built  the  castle,  and  enclosed  with 


46  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

a  wall  the  town  he  found  there.  Among  other  privileges,  he  gave 
his  vassals  the  liberty  of  destroying  all  the  wild  beasts  on  the  lord- 
ship, except  in  certain  parts  reserved  out  of  the  grant  for  the  purpose 
of  the  particular  amusement  of  their  lord.  In  the  reign  of  Henry  the 
Sixth  we  find  the  names  of  five  parks  in  this  lordship.*  On  the 
death  of  Lacy  the  lordship  passed  to  Thomas  Earl  of  Lancaster,  by 
virtue  of  his  marriage  with  Alicia,  daughter  of  the  last  possessor. 
After  the  attainder  of  Thomas,  Edward  the  Second  bestowed  it  on 
Hugh  D'Espencer,  as  Lord  of  Denbigh,  who  proved  an  oppressive 
superior,  and  abridged  the  inhabitants  of  the  privileges  granted  them 
by  Lacy.  By  the  fatal  end  of  that  favourite  it  fell  again  to  the  crown. 
Roger  Mortimer,  Earl  of  March,  succeeded  Hugh  D'Espencer  as 
Lord  of  Denbigh,  by  grant  from  Edward  the  Third;  and  upon  his 
death  William  Mountacute,  Earl  of  Salisbury,  was  invested  with  the 
same  authority.  He  died  in  1333;  and  on  the  reversal  of  the 
attainder  of  the  Earl  of  March,  it  was  restored  to  his  family  in  the 
person  of  his  grandson  Roger:  but  by  the  marriage  of  Anne,  sister  to 
another  Roger,  last  Earl  of  March,  with  Richard  Plantagenet,  Earl 
of  Cambridge,  it  came  into  the  House  of  York,  and  so  again  to  the 
crown.  Queen  Elizabeth,  in  1563,  bestowed  it  as  a  most  valuable 
gift  on  her  favourite,  Robert  Dudley,  Earl  of  Leicester,  who  soon 
made  the  county  feel  the  weight  of  his  oppression.  Notwithstanding 
the  tenants  made  him  a  present  of  £2000  at  his  first  entrance  into  the 
lordship,  he  remained  dissatisfied,  and  compelled  the  freeholders  to 
raise  the  old  rents  of  £250  a-year  to  £800  or  £900:  he  also  enclosed 
the  waste  lands,  to  the  great  injury  of  the  tenants,  who,  offended  at 
his  rapacity,  arose  and  levelled  his  encroachments.  This  was  con- 
strued into  a  riot  and  rebellion,  and  two  hopeful  young  men  of 
the  house  of  Lleweni  wera  taken  to  Shrewsbury,  where  they  were 
tried  and  executed  for  the  pretended  offence.  He  had  the  insolence 
to  mortgage  the  manor  to  some  merchants  in  London,  and,  as  it  is 
generally  believed,  deceived  them  for  their  credulity.  The  various 
disorders  which  arose  from  these  practices  were  so  great  that  Elizabeth 
interposed,  and  by  charter  confirmed  the  quiet  possession  of  the 
tenants,  and  allayed  the  discontents.  These  were  again  excited  in 
the  reign  of  King  William  by  the  vast  grant  made  to  the  Earl  of 
Portland ;  the  same  ferments  arose,  and  the  same  means  were  used  to 
allay  them.  At  present  this  and  the  other  manors  of  Bromfield, 
Maelor,  and  Yale  remain  in  the  crown,  and  are  superintended  by  a 
steward  appointed  by  the  king.  The  noblemen  to  whom  grants  were 
made  by  Edward  the  First  introduced  a  great  number  of  Englishmen 
into  Wales  as  their  retainers.  Henry  Lacy,  Earl  of  Lincoln,  brought 
with  him  the  Lathams,  Knowsleys,  Curthoses,  Pigots,  Heitons, 
Peaks,  Thelwalls,  Goodmans,  Moyles,  Jervises,  &c. ;  and  many  others 

were 

*  Moylcwike  (Molowip) ;  Carrsnodooke  (Carry Miodojj);    Kylford   (Cnlffordd) ;  Bag- 
hay  (Bachau)  j  Poscy,  of  which  Ihe  king  constituted  Owain  Tydyr  Rang*  r. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  47 

were  the  followers  of  Reginald  de  Grey.     As  the  Welsh  were  pos- 
sessed of  a  proud  spirit  of  independence,  and  had  enjoyed  the  sweets 
of  liberty  for  many  years  under  their  own  native  princes,  the  English 
yoke  must  have  appeared  to  them  intolerably  galling  and  oppressive ; 
some  allowances  must  therefore  be  made  for  their  resistance  to  the 
exactions,  tyrannical  oppressions,  and  cruelties  of  their  haughty  con- 
querors.    We  have  a  long  list  of  their  complaints  which  were  sent  at 
different  times  to  the  English  kino-;  and  as  these  were  but  seldom 
redressed,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  if  these  degraded,  but  still 
high-minded  people,  broke  out  into  open  rebellion,  as  was  frequently 
the  case.     Meirig  Llwyd  ap  Bleddyn,  of  the  house  of  Havodunos,  in 
this  county,  resentful  of  the  injuries  which  he  and  his  tenants  re- 
ceived from  the  English  judges  and  officers,  slew  one  of  the  first,  and 
hanged  several  of  the  latter  on  the  oaks  in  his  woods,  by  which  he 
forfeited  to  the  crown  the  lands  still  known  by  the  name  of  Tir  Meiric 
Llwyd,   or  the  estate  of  Meiric   Lloyd.      The   rebellion  of  Owain 
Glyndwr  may  be  adduced  as  another  instance:    to  which  may  be 
added  the  revolt  of  Sir  Griffith  Lloyd,  of  Tregarnedd,  who,  being 
indignant  at  the  sufferings  of  his  countrymen  under  the  English  yoke, 
endeavoured  to  liberate  them  from  the  slavery  to  which  they  had 
been  reduced,  and  for  a  while  pursued  the  invaders  with  resistless 
impetuosity;  but  at  length  he  was  subdued  and  taken,  and' underwent 
the  common  fate  of  the  Welsh  insurgents.      It  may  be  further  re- 
marked, that  notwithstanding  all  the  ravages  of  long  and  barbarous 
wars,  Wales  remained  so  populous  that  Edward  drafted  out  of  it  no 
less  than  15,000  men  in  aid  of  his  Scottish  expedition ;  and  in  the 
3d  year  of  Edward  the  Second,  the  barony  of  Powys  sent.  400  men  to 
the  same  war;  Rhos  and  Rhufonio^  (i.  e.  Denbigh  land),  200;  Ru- 
th in,  200;  Dyffryn  Clwyd,  100;  Nanheudwy  and  Glyndyfrdwy,  200; 
Bromfield  and  Yale,  200;  numbers  far  exceeding  the  present  militia 
proportions. 

The  principal  lakes  in  this  county  are,  Llynn  Alwen,  Llynn  Aled, 
and  Llynn  Moelvre.  The  chief  rivers  are,  the  Dee,  the  Clwyd,  the 
Alwen,  Elwy,  and  the  Aled;  the  two  last  run  into  the  Clwyd,  and 
the  former  flow  into  the  Dee. 

DENBIGH, 

The  county  town,  is  situated  on  the  side  of  a  craggy  hill,  near  the 
beautiful  and  fertile  vale  of  Clwyd ;  but  being  deserted  in  the  reign 
of  Queen  Elizabeth,  a  new  town  was  built  on  a  much  larger  scale  at 
the  foot  of  a  hill  called  by  the  Britons  Cledfryn  Rhos.  This  part  of 
the  country,  as  mentioned  before,  was  given  by  Edward  the  First  to 
David  ap  Gruffydd,  brother  to  Llewelyn,  the  last  Prince  of  North 
Wales,  who  was  afterwards  beheaded  for  high  treason.  It  was  then 
given  to  Lacy  Earl  of  Lincoln,  who  fortified  the  town  with  a  strong 

wall 


48  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

wall  and  Castle :  the  entrance  is  ve'ry  magnificent,  under  a  gothic  arch, 
over  which  is  the  statue  of  the  founder,  Henry  Lacy,  in  stately  flowing 
robes;  but  his  only  son  being  unfortunately  drowned  in  the  well  of 
this  castle,  his  grief  was  so  great  that  he  left  it  unfinished.  After  the 
Earl's  death  it  went  by  marriage  with  Alice  his  daughter  into  the 
possession  of  the  House  of  Lancaster.  Edward  the  Second  gave 
it  to  Hugh  Spencer.  In  Edward  the  Third's  reign  Roger  Mortimer 
became  the  possessor,  and  fixed  his  arms  on  the  chief  gate ;  and  he 
being  some  time  afterwards  executed  for  treason,  it  went  to  Montague 
Earl  of  Salisbury,  but  was  soon  afterwards  restored  to  the  Mortimers. 
After  many  changes  it  came  to  the  House  of  York,  and  now  belongs 
to  the  crown.  It  was  delivered  up  to  the  parliament  army  in  1646, 
and  appears  to  have  been  a  place  of  such  strength,  that  after  the 
Restoration  it  was  thought  advisable  to  blow  it  up :  the  ruins  are 
still  to  be  seen  on  the  summit  of  a  rock,  sloping  on  all  but  one  side, 
which  is  a  precipice.  It  was  built  in  the  year  1280.  Charles  the 
First  resided  in  it  some  time.  The  breaches  about  this  building 
shew  that  the  manner  of  its  construction  was  by  two  walls,  occupying 
the  extremities  of  the  intended  thickness,  built  in  the  ordinary  man- 
ner, with  a  vacuity  between  them,  in  which  was  poured  a  mixture  of 
mortar  and  rough  stones  of  all  sizes,  forming  when  dry  a  mass  as  hard 
as  stone  itself;  the  castle  was  likewise  almost  impregnable  from  its 
advantageous  situation.  About  the  time  of  Henry  the  Third,  Adam 
Saliesbury  founded  and  endowed  an  abbey  of  Black  Monks  of  the 
Benedictine  order,  but  it  is  now  in  ruins.  Edward  the  Fourth  was 
besieged  in  the  castle;  and  in  the  year  1459,  Jasper  Tudor,  Earl  of 
Pembroke,  half-brother  to  Henry  the  Second,  possessed  this  place. 
In  the  following  year  it  was  taken  by  the  Yorkists ;  and  in  1468  Jasper 
returned  with  two  thousand  Welshmen,  and  burnt  the  town.  In 
1645  the  parliament  gained  a  victory  near  this  town  over  the  royalists; 
but  the  latter  soon  after  got  possession  of  the  castle.  It  was  besieged 
by  General  Mytton,  and  gallantly  defended  by  William  Salisbury,  of 
Bachymbyd  :  and  it  is  remarkable,  that  notwithstanding  the  orders  of 
fallen  majesty,  in  June,  1646,  for  the  general  surrender  of  every  garri- 
son in  England  and  Wales,  on  fair  and  honourable  terms,  the  first 
garrison  in  North  Wales  did  not  yield  till  two  months  after  all  the 
English  castles  had  submitted. 

In  the  year  1828  the  town  of  Denbigh  was  honoured  with  one  of 
those  national  festivals,  an  Eisteddvod,  which  was  distinguished  by 
the  display  of  extraordinary  musical  and  other  talent;  and  from  the 
numerous  and  distinguished  company  which  attended,  afforded  a 
striking  proof  of  the  zealous  objects  of  bardic  congresses.  The  Duke 
of  Sussex  was  present.  The  President  of  the  meeting  was  Sir 
Edward  Mostyn,  Baronet;  and  the  Patrons  were  the  Marquis  of 
Anglesey,  Earl  of  Grosvenor,  Earl  Powis,  Earl  of  Plymouth,  Lord 
Bagot,  Lord  Dungannon,  Lord  Newborough,  Lord  Dynevor,  Lord 

Clive, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  49 

Olive,  Lord  Ashley,  the  Bishops  of  St.  Asaph  and  Bangor,  Sir  W. 
W.  Wynn,  Sir  E.  P.  Lloyd,  and  Sir  Charles  Morgan,  Barts.  The 
Vice-Presidents  were  fifty-two  personages  inhabiting  Wales,  including 
eight  Baronets  and  nine  Members  of  Parliament. 

Humphrey  Lhwyd,  the  historian,  was  a  native  of  Denbigh ;  on 
leaving  which  we  pass  through  the  vale  of  Dyffryn  Clwyd.  This  is 
in  length  from  north  to  south  26  miles,  and  from  5  to  8  broad, 
bounded  by  high  mountains  to  the  east  and  west,  and  almost  shut  up 
by  them  to  the  south,  except  towards  the  Irish  Sea,  where  it  termi- 
nates in  a  marsh  at  Rhyddlan.  To  the  natural  beauties  of  this  vale 
might  justly  be  added  its  general  aspect  of  cultivation,  most  enchant- 
ingly  diversified  by  a  mixture  of  corn  and  pasture  ground,  with  here 
and  there  wood  lands  gently  sloping  down  the  declivity  of  its  hills, 
besides  being  interspersed  with  churches  and  pleasant  villages,  parti- 
cularly those  near  the  river  Clwyd,  where  the  land  in  every  part 
swells  into  a  constant  variety  of  inequalities,  with  numerous  inclosures, 
producing  an  agreeable  variety  of  pasture  and  arable  lands,  which  in 
beauty  almost  exceed  the  natural  richness  of  the  soil.  Through  the 
Clwydian  hills  is  a  remarkable  pass,  called  Bwlch  Agricola,  supposed 
to  have  been  that  through  which  Agricola  marched  on  his  way  to 
Anglesea.  That  the  Romans  were  resident  in  these  parts  is  evident 
from  the  number  of  coins  found  in  this  parish.  In  this  vale  Caradoc 
mentions  a  dreadful  conflict  in  1115  between  Howel  ap  Meredith  and 
Howel  ap  Ithel,  which,  after  great  slaughter  on  both  sides,  ter- 
minated in  favour  of  the  latter.  David  ap  Owen,  a  prince  of  North 
Wales,  in  1164,  invaded  Flintshire  with  success,  and  carried  away  the 
chief  men  of  the  country,  and  afterwards  drove  their  cattle  to  Dyffryn 
Clwyd  otherwise  Ruthinland. 

Whitchurch  is  situate  one  mile  to  the  south  of  Denbigh,  and 
contains  little  worth  notice,  except  Saint  Marcellus's  church,  which 
has  many  monuments  to  great  persons,  particularly  to  Sir  John  Salis- 
bury, of  Lleweny,  who  died  in  1578;  and  Richard  Myddelton,  in 
1575.  The  latter  was  governor  of  Denbigh  castle  under  Edward  the 
Sixth,  Mary,  and  Elizabeth,  and  father  of  Sir  Hugh  Myddelton,  who 
planned  and  chiefly  at  his  own  expense  brought  the  New  River  from 
Ware  to  London.  Whitchurch  had  a  house  of  white  friars,  founded 
by  John  Salisbury,  who  died  in  1289,  and  which  stood  at  the  bottom 
of  the  town.  The  chapel,  though  still  entire,  has  long  since  been 
converted  into  a  barn. 

Llanrhaiadr,  or  "  The  Village  of  the  Fountain,"  is  situate  on  a 
small  eminence  in  the  middle  of  the  vale,  between  Rnthin  and  Den- 
bigh. The  church,  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Dyvnog,  who  lived 
about  the  close  of  the  sixth  century,  is  rather  a  handsome  structure, 
with  a  large  and  elegant  east  window,  remarkable  for  a  fine  painting 
of  the  genealogy  of  Christ,  executed  about  the  year  1533,  and  con- 
taining 
Y  2 


50  TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES. 

taining  all  the  names  of  the  kings  of  Israel  and  Judah  up  to  onr 
Saviour.  The  Patriarch  is  represented  upon  his  back,  with  the 
genealogical  tree  springing  from  his  stomach.  In  the  churchyard  is 
a  tomb-stone,  with  an  inscription  for  John  ap  Robert,  of  Perthi, 
a  descendant  of  Cadel,  King  of  Powys,  who  died  in  tiie  year  1645,  at 
the  advanced  age  of  95.  Here  are  some  alms-houses  for  eight  poor 
widows,  founded  by  Mrs.  Jones,  of  Llanrhaiadr,  in  1729,  and  each 
has  her  garden  and  two  shillings  a-week.  From  an  eminence  in  this 
parish,  called  Cader  Gwladus  (or  Gwladus's  Chair),  there  is  a  beauti- 
fnl  view  of  the  vale  between  Denbigh  and  Ruthin,  and  at  the  foot  of 
this  rising  ground  is  Dyvnog's  well  (Ffynnon  Saint  Dyvnog).  The 
fountain  is  enclosed  in  an  angular  wall,  decorated  with  small  human 
figures,  and  before  it  is  the  well  for  the  use  of  pious  bathers.  It  is 
generally  called  Llanrhaiadr  yn  Cynmeirch  and  Llanrhaiadr  yn 
Nyffryn  Clwyd,  to  distinguish  it  from  Llanrhaiadr  yn  Mochnant. 

RUTHIN, 

Is  a  large  and  populous  town,  most  delightfully  situated  on  a  consi- 
derable eminence  nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  vale  of  Clwyd.  On 
entering  the  town  by  the  west  gate,  leading  to  the  water's  edge, 
there  is  a  fine  picturesque  appearance ;  a  broad  street  leads  to  the 
market-house,  near  which  stands  the  town-hall  at  right  angles  with 
the  church,  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Peter.  The  latter  is  a  hand- 
some building,  with  a  monument  and  bust  of  Gabriel  Goodman, 
Dean  of  Westminster,  who  died  in  1601 ;  also  a  cross  for  his  father,^ 
who  died  in  1560,  aged  84,  and  his  mother,  aged  90.  John,  son  of 
Reginald  de  Grey,  made  this  church  collegiate  in  1310,  for  seven 
regulars.  Adjoining  the  church  were  the  apartments  of  the  priests ; 
part  of  which  building  has  been  repaired,  and  serves  as  the  mansion 
of  the  warden :  but  the  tower  of  the  church  is  clearly  of  a  later  date. 
The  tomb  or  monument  which  Churchyard  calls  that  of  an  Earl  of 
Kent  was  probably  the  burial-place  of  John,  son  of  Reginald  de 
Grey.  Leland  mentions  a  house  of  white  friars  in  this  town,  which 
stood  probably  in  Prior's  Street,  but  there  are  now  no  remains. 
Here  was  a  hospital  and  free-school,  founded  by  the  Goodmans;  the 
latter  is  still  in  great  repute,  and  has,  much  to  its  honour,  produced 
some  of  the  first  classical  scholars  in  the  kingdom.  Of  its  castle, 
north  of  the  town,  only  a  few  foundations  of  walls  and  the  fragments 
of  one  or  two  towers  remain,  which,  from  the  great  thickness,  mani- 
fest original  strength.  The  stones  used  in  building  it  are  red,  whence 
it  has  been  called  Rhudd  Ddin.  The  area  of  the  castle  is  now  a 
meadow,  and  another  part  a  bowling-green.  The  castle  and  town- 
walls  are  supposed  to  have  been  built  by  Reginald  de  Grey,  to  whom 
Edward  the  First,  in  1281,  gave  nearly  the  whole  of  Dyffryn  Clwyd, 
for  his  active  services  against  the  Welsh.  It  was  afterwards  sold  to 
Henry  the  Seventh,  but  being  neglected,  soon  fell  into  decay.  At 

present 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  51 

present  the  east  walls  built  within  the  town  and  its  principal  f-  ont  on 
the  west  are  nearly  entire,  with  a  gate,  square  tower,  and  battlements. 
On  this  and  the  south  side  were  formerly  five  handsome  round  towers, 
which  were  well  garrisoned  in  the  civil  wars  for  the  king,  but  surren- 
dered to  General  My  tton  in  1645,  after  a  siege  of  two  months;  and 
in  the  same  year  was  dismantled  by  order  of  parliament.  In  the  act 
of  revenge  on  Lord  Grey,  Owain  Glyndwr,  in  1400,  during  a  fair, 
set  fire  to  the  town,  and  destroyed  the  greater  part,  except  the  effects 
of  the  merchants,  of  which  Glyndwr,  having  plundered  them,  took 
possession,  and  retired  among  the  mountains.  Dr.  Gabriel  Goodman 
assisted  in  the  English  version  of  the  Bible,  and  translated  the  first 
and  second  Epistles  to  the  Corinthians.  He  also  was  the  patron  of 
the  great  Camden,  who,  by  his  means,  was  enabled  to  take  those 
travels  by  which  the  British  nation  has  so  much  profited. 

Near  Ruthin  is  the  neat  little  village  of  Ffynnon  Saint  Dyvnog, 
remarkable  for  its  well,  to  which  we  pass  (through  the  churchyard) 
by  an  alms-house  to  a  plantation  of  trees,  with  a  broad  gravelled 
walk  almost  concealed  from  day-light  by  thick  foliage.  Within  this 
place  is  the  fountain,  enclosed  in  an  angular  wall,  forming  a  bath  of 
considerable  size.  Many  wonderful  qualities  are  attributed  to  this 
water,  but  it  is  more  particularly  celebrated  for  curing  the  rheuma- 
tism. At  this  place  was  formerly  a  chapel,  dedicated  to  Saint 
Dyvnog;  in  the  lower  part  of  which  were  some  images  of  the  twelve 
apostles. 

About  three  miles  east  of  Ruthin  is  Llanarmon  yn  Yale  (the  church 
of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Garmon),  a  considerable  village, 
to  which  great  pilgrimages  were  formerly  made  with  offerings  to 
Saint  Garmon.  In  the  church  is  a  monument,  inscribed  "  Hicjacet 
Gruffydd  Llewelyn  ap  Ynyr,"  with  five  bloody  fingers  on  his  shield, 
and  a  dog  at  his  feet,  carved  on  the  lid  of  a  stone  coffin. — In  this 
parish  are  many  tumuli,  some  composed  of  loose  stones  and  earth, 
under  a  layer  of  soil  two  feet  thick  and  a  coat  of  clay.  In  these 
tumuli  were  discovered  several  urns  reversed,  and  a  flat  stone  without 
urns,  besides  considerable  fragments  of  burnt  bones.  An  entire 
skeleton,  placed  between  flags  of  a  proportionate  size,  was  also  found 
in  or  near  one  of  these  carneddau. 

At  the  distance  of  about  15  miles  is  Wrexham,  to  which  we  pass 
through  the  village  of  Llandegla,  the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to 
Tecla,  a  female  saint  whose  history  is  not  known.  Near  the  church 
is  a  small  spring,  under  the  tutelage  of  the  saint,  which  is  considered 
efficacious  in  the  falling-sickness,  called  by  the  Welsh  <s  Clwy  Tecla" 
(Tecla's  disease).  It  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
Cammerqn. 

WREXHAM 

Is  a  populous  market  town,  and  from  its  size  and  consequence  not 
improperly  denominated  the  metropolis  of  North  Wales:  the  build- 
ings 


52  TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES. 

ings  are  in  general  good,  and  the  country  around  it  very  beautiful* 
which  has  induced  many  families  to  fix  their  residence  in  its  vicinity. 
It  appears  to  have  been  a  place  of  great  antiquity,  being  well-known 
to  the  Saxons  by  the  name  of  Wrightsham  or  Gwrecsam.  The 
church,  dedicated  to  Saint  Giles,  according  to  Leland,  formerly  col- 
legiate, is  an  elegant  structure,  178  feet  in  length  from  east  to  west, 
and  62  from  north  to  south;  the  tower,  dated  1506,  is  to  the  top  of 
the  pinnacle  135  feet,  and  22  square,  adorned  on  three  sides  with 
rows  of  25  statues  of  saints,  placed  in  rich  gothic  niches.  Among 
them  is  Saint  Giles,  the  patron  saint,  with  the  hind  which,  according 
to  the  legend,  miraculously  nourished  him  in  the  desert.  The  south 
is  unusually  low,  with  an  entrance,  called  the  wedding  door.  The 
organ  was  destroyed  in  1641.  The  inside  of  the  church  is  very 
spacious,  having  over  the  pillars  much  grotesque  carving,  and 
over  the  arches  the  arms  of  many  of  the  British  and  Saxon  princes. 
It  is  not,  however,  loaded  with  carving  as  many  gothic  churches  are, 
but  is  plain  and  kept  extremely  neat.  Here  are  two  good  monuments, 
the  work  of  Roubiliac ;  the  one,  in  memory  of  Mary,  daughter  of  Sir 
Richard  Myddelton,  of  Chirk  Castle,  who  died  in  1747,  is  particu- 
larly fine.  She  is  represented  bursting  from  the  tomb,  and  with  a 
countenance  truly  angelic,  in  which  the  mixture  of  surprise  and 
admiration  is  so  finely  and  strongly  expressed,  that  it  is  almost 
possible  to  fancy  it  more  than  stone.  In  the  back-ground  an  ancient 
pyramid,  falling  to  pieces,  is  excellently  represented ;  and  the  whole 
must  afford  delight  to  every  admirer  of  fine  sculpture.  The  other 
monuments  are  to  the  memory  of  the  Reverend  Thomas  Myddelton 
and  Arabella  his  wife;  opposite  to  the  former  is  a  recumbent  figure  of 
Hugh  Bellot,  Bishop  of  Bangor,  who  died  in  1596.  Under  the 
belfry  is  an  antique  monument,  found  about  a  century  ago  in  digging 
a  foundation  for  iron  gates  to  the  church-yard ;  it  represents  a  knight 
in  complete  armour,  with  his  foot  resting  on  some  kind  of  animal,  his 
legs  extended,  and  a  long  sword  parallel  with  them,  the  hilt  in  the 
right  hand;  on  the  left  arm  is  a  shield  with  a  lion  or  wolf  rampant, 
and  round  it  some  large  Saxon  characters,  not  legible  on  account  of 
its  dark  situation  under  the  staircase.  The  altar  piece  (a  fine  paint- 
ing representing  the  institution  of  the  sacrament)  was  brought  from 
Rome,  and  given  to  the  church  by  Elihu  Yale,  Esq.  of  Plas  Gronow, 
near  Erddig,  who  was  interred  in  the  church -yard  in  1726,  aged  75 
years,  with  the  following  inscription  on  his  tomb:^ — 

Born  in  America,  in  Europe  bred,  ^ 

In  Afric  travell'd,  and  in  Asia  wed, 
Where  long  he  lived  and  thriv'd— In  London  dead.> 
Much  good,  some  ill  he  did ;  so  hope  all's  even, 
And  that  his  soul,  thro*  mercy's  gone  to  heaven. 
You  that  survive  and  read  this  tale  take  care, 
For  this  most  certain  exit  to  prepare. 
When  blest  in  peace,  the  actions  of  the  just 
Smell  sweet,  and  blossom  in  the  silent  dust. 

The   above  describes  an  uncommon  diversity  of  fortune  attending 

an 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  53 

an  individual,  contains  a  modest  confession,  and  breathes  the  proper 
moral  sentiment  of  a  memento  mori.  This  gentleman  was  a  native  of 
America,  who  went  out  as  an  adventurer  to  the  East  Indies,  and 
found  his  speculation,  if  not  to  answer  his  most  sanguine  wishes,  far 
exceed  the  probabilities  of  advancement  in  his  favour.  He  obtained 
the  Presidency  of  Madras,  and  appears  to  have  ruled  the  colony  with 
most  oppressive  authority.  An  anecdote,  illustrative  of  his  arbitrary 
disposition,  is  recorded  in  a  way  that  possesses  the  authenticity  which 
gives  it  irrefragable  proof.  His  groom  having  rode  out  a  favourite 
Jiorse  two  or  three  days  for  the  purposes  of  airing  and  exercising, 
without  iirst  obtaining  leave  to  authorize  his  so  doing,  the  governor 
.caused  him  peremptorily  to  be  hanged  up,  for  daring  to  use  such  a 
supposed  discretionary  power.  For  this  murder  he  was  ordered  to 
return  to  England,  and  having  been  tried  for  the  crime,  by  some 
undetected  outlet  of  the  Jaw  he  escaped  the  punishment  of  death, 
and  only  suffered  a  heavy  pecuniary  fine.  Hp  was  also  remarkable 
for  his  auctions.  The  first  of  these  was  about  the  year  1700.  He 
had  brought  such  quantities  of  goods  from  India,  that  finding  no 
one  house  large  enough  to  stow  them  in,  he  had  a  public  sale  for  the 
overplus;  and  that  was  the  first  auction  of  the  kind  in  England.* 
The  present  church,  except  the  tower,  was  finished  before  1472,  the 
former  building  having  been  destroyed  by  fire;  but  the  tower,  accord- 
ing to  the  date  upon  it,  was  completed  in  the  year  1506.  In  1647, 
during  the  civil  wars,  the  church  was  made  a  prison  by  Cromwell,  in 
which  several  of  the  committee-men  of  the  Royalists  were  confined,  by 
ihe  parliament  soldiers.  There  are  two  chapels  attached  to  this 
tvicarage,-— Minera  or  Mwyn  Glawdd,  so  called  from  its  situation  on 
Offa's  Dyke,  and  Berse  or  Bersham.  The  principal  fair  here  com- 
mences on  March  23,  and  continues  nine  days,  and  is  frequented  by 
traders  from  almost  all  parts  of  the  kingdom.  The  commodities 
brought  by  the  Welsh  are  chiefly  flannel,  linen,  and  linen-woolsey. 
Tradesmen  from  other  parts  bring  Irish  linen,  YorKshire  and  woollen 
cloths,  Manchester  goods,  and  Birmingham  manufactures  of  all 
kinds.  In  the  neighbourhood  are  several  iron  foundries  anil  manu- 
factories of  military  instruments. 

On  leaving  Wrexham  we  proceed  in  a  south-westerly  direction, 
and  at  the  distance  of  about  one  mile  pass  on  the  right  to  Erddig, 
the  seat  of  Philip  Yorke,  Esq.  bounded  by  two  little  vallies,  well 
wooded  and  watered.  The  approach  to  Erddig  is  through  a  fine 
wood,  overhanging  the  banquetting  room,  which  is  placed  on  the 
edge  of  a  murmuring  brook :  the  skirts  of  a  large  verdant  meadow  of 
peculiar  richness  and  beauty,  the  walks  through  the  wood,,  and  round 
the  banquetting  room,  are  traced  out  with  distinguished  taste  and 
elegance,  but  infinitely  inferior  to  the  works  of  nature  about  Ruabon. 
Wat's  Dyke  is  the  most  distinguished  remains  of  antiquity  in  the 

district, 

*  Gent.  Mag.  March,  1820. 


54  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

district,  and  runs  along  one  side  of  the  bank  between  the  vales  and 
the  extremity,  and  impending  over  them  are  several  intrenchments, 
particularly  one  of  the  pentagon  form,  and  beyond  it  a  green  mount; 
these  compose  what  is  called  the  Roman  fort,  though  no  coins  or 
other  pieces  of  antiquity  have  ever  been  found  here  or  contiguous. 
Some  fragments  of  a  wrall  cemented  with  mortar  yet  remain,  and 
some  traditional  accounts,  which  are  the  only  evidences  in  support  of 
the  assertion,  are  very  dubious  to  the  antiquary,  if  not  entirely  disbe- 
lieved. 

At  the  distance  of  five  miles  from  Wrexham  we  pass  through 
RUABON,  Rhiwabon,  or  Rhiw-Vabon,  a  pleasant  village,  situate  on 
a  small  eminence,  and  around  which  are  the  residences  of  several 
gentlemen  of  fortune.  The  church,  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint 
Mary,  is  a  very  antique  building,  with  a  good  organ,  given  by  the 
late  Sir  W.  W.  Wynn.  It  has  also  several  monuments,  particularly 
an  ancient  table  of  marble  with  two  recumbent  figures,  having  round 
its  edge  an  obsolete  Latin  inscription  for  John  ap  Ellis  Eyton  and  his 
wife,  Mho  died  in  1524  and  1526.  There  are  likewise  four  other 
marble  monuments  for  the  following  persons: — Henry  Wynn,  of 
Wynnstay,  Esq.  who  died  in  1718;  Sir  W.  W.  Wynn,  Bart.  1749; 
Lady  H.  Wynn,  the  wife  of  Sir  Watkin ;  and  one  to  the  late  possessor 
of  Wynnstay,  which  is  very  handsome.  Dr.  Powell,  the  celebrated 
Welsh  historian  and  antiquary,  who  translated  into  English  the 
Chronicle  of  Caradoc  of  Llancarvan,  was  instituted  to  the  vicarage 
in  the  year  1571:  he  died  in  1590,  and  is  here  buried.  In  this 
parish  are  considerable  collieries.  Near  this  is  a  great  caer,  called 
the  Carthen,  i.  e.  Caer  Ddin,  situate  near  the  summit  of  a  hill,  and 
containing  about  four  acres  of  ground.  Within  the  area  are  many 
vestiges  of  buildings,  the  habitations  of  the  old  possessors.  A  fierce 
battle  was  fought  near  this  place,  between  Owain  Cyfeiliog,  Prince  of 
Powys,  and  the  English,  attended  with  victory  to  the  ancient  Britons; 
which  gave  rise  to  a  beautiful  poem,  called  Hirlas  Owain,  or  "  The 
Drinking  Horn  of  Owain,"  composed  by  the  prince  himself.  "  The 
best  wood  of  Bromfield,"  says  Leland,  "  is  in  Rhuabon,  a  big  parish, 
by  part  whereof  cometh  the  Dee  river." 

In  this  parish  is  Wynnstay,  the  magnificent  seat  of  Sir  Watkin 
Williams  Wynn,  Bart,  but  anciently  that  of  Madoc  ap  Gruffydd 
Maelor,  founder  of  Valle  Crucis  Abbey,  near  Llangollen.  The 
former  name  of  this  house  was  Ruabon:  it  was  the  property  of 
Edward  Eyton,  Esq.  whose  daughter  Mary,  the  heiress,  married 
Richard  Evans,  Esq.  son  of  Thomas  Evans,  Esq.  of  Oswestry, 
Attorney-General  in  the  Court  of  the  Marches.  Their  grandson, 
Eyton  Evans,  son  of  Thomas,  son  of  Richard,  altered  the  name  to 
Watstay,  on  account  of  its  situation  on  Wat's  Dyke;  and  Jane,  sole 
daughter  and  heiress  of  Eyton  Evans,  married  Sir  John  Wynn,  who 
again  changed  the  name  to  Wynnstay,  in  compliment  to  his  own 

familv 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  55 

family  (Gwydir),  he  being  grandson  of  Sir  John  Wynn,  of  the  house 
of  Gwydir,  by  his  tenth  son  Henry,  Representative  for  the  comity  of 
Merioneth.  The  above  Sir  John  Wynn,  of  Wynnstay  left  that  and 
other  estates  of  great  value  to  his  kinsman,  the  first  Sir  Watkin 
Williams  Wynn,  grandson  of  Sir  William  Williams,  of  Glascoed, 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons  in  the  time  of  Charles  the  Second. 
Sir  William  Williams,  his  father,  married  the  heiress  of  Plas  y  Ward 
and  Garthgynan,  grand-daughter  to  his  uncle,  William  Wynn,  of 
Garthgynan,  fifth  son  of  Sir  John  Wynn,  of  Gwydir.  Wynnstay 
consists  of  an  old  mansion  deficient  in  uniformity.,  having  been  erected 
at  different  times  and  in  different  styles  of  architecture,  pleasantly 
situated  on  a  rising  ground,  in  a  good  park,  well  wooded,  and  stocked 
with  a  quantity  of  red  deer.  Part  of  the  present  structure  appears  to 
have  been  built  in  the  sixteenth  century,  by  Sir  John  Wynn,  and  a 
part  erected  by  the  late  Sir  Watkin :  the  whole  has  undergone  consi- 
derable improvement  by  the  present  worthy  possessor.  In  the  park 
is  a  handsome  column  100  feet  high,  the  base  of  which  is  16,  and  the 
top  9  feet,  built  with  free-stone  and  fluted.  Round  the  top  is  formed 
a  gallery  with  a  handsome  urn  in  bronze,  after  an  elegant  design,  cast 
in  London.  The  base  of  the  column  has  round  it  wreaths  of  oak 
leaves  in  the  beaks  of  four  eagles,  cast  in  the  same  metal;  on  the 
south-west  side  is  a  door,  with  a  staircase  leading  to  the  gallery  at 
top,  which  affords  an  extensive  prospect,  but  by  no  means  beautiful. 
On  three  sides  are  carved  an  appropriate  inscription,  in  English, 
Welsh,  and  Latin.  Near  the  old  house  is  a  good  turnpike  road, 
about  two  miles,  on  a  bank  called  Clawdd  On%,  or  Ofta's  Dyke, 
thrown  up  as  a  boundary  between  the  Saxons  and  Britons  in  761. 
It  is  ten  feet  high,  and  broad  enough  to  admit  two  carriages  for  a 
long  space  of  ground,  called  Llwybyr-y-Gath,  or  the  Cat's  Path. 
Near  it  is  a  remarkable  tumulus  and  fine  view  of  the  river  Dee.  Sir 
Watkin  is  Lord  Lieutenant  and  Gustos  Rotulorum  for  the  Counties 
of  Denbigh  and  Merioneth,  and  Member  of  Parliament  for  the  former 
county;  he  is  also  President  of  the  Welsh  Charity  School  in  London, 
and  has  acquired  a  considerable  degree  of  popularity  from  his  coun- 
trymen by  his  liberal  patronage  of  Welsh  literature.  He  likewise 
raised  a  regiment  of  horse,  which  volunteered  their  services  with 
their  gallant  commander  to  quell  the  rebellion  in  Ireland,  and  again 
tendered  their  services  during  the  French  war  to  any  part  of  the 
continent.  William  Williams,  of  Chwaen  Issa,  in  Anglesea,  Esq. 
lineal  ancestor  of  Sir  Watkin,  was  the  fourteenth  in  lineal  descent 
from  Cadrod  Hardd  (or  the  handsome),  a  British  chieftain,  who 
resided  at  Tremadoc,  in  the  parish  of  Llanfaithley,  and  was  lord  of 
Talybolion  about  the  year  1100.  Sir  William  Williams,  the  first 
baronet,  was  a  barrister,  and  Recorder  of  Chester,  which  city  he 
represented  in  three  parliaments,  in  the  two  latter  of  which  he  was 
chosen  Speaker,  in  the  36th  of  Charles  the  Second.  He  was  tried 

for 


56  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

for  a  libel,  in  causing  to  be  printed  the  information  of  Thomas 
Dangerfield,  Gent. ;  and  though  he  pleaded  the  law  and  custom  of 
parliament  in  his  favour,  the  court  fined  him  ten  thousand  pounds 
tor  licensing  the  said  information  to  be  printed,  eight  thousand 
pounds  of  which  he  was  obliged  to  pay.  Roger  North  attributes  the 
severity  of  this  fine  to  the  resentment  of  Jefferies,  who  had  been 
reprimanded  on  his  knees  at  the  bar  of  the  House  of  Commons  by 
Williams  when  Speaker.  After  the  Revolution  this  judgment  was 
declared  illegal,  and  against  the  freedom  of  parliament.  Sir  William 
was  one  of  the  most  eminent  lawyers  of  his  time,  and  appears,  by  the 
debates  and  state  trials,  to  have  been  the  active  and  zealous  advocate 
of  the  popular  party  in  the  reign  of  Charles  the  Second,  but  was  after- 
wards made  (by  James  the  Second)  Solicitor-General,  and  knighted 
in  1687,  and  was  in  1688  created  a  Baronet.  Soon  after  the  Revolu- 
tion he  was  appointed  one  of  the  king's  counsel.  The  last  public  act 
of  his  life  was  the  introduction  of  the  act  for  the  preventing  charge 
and  expense  in  the  election  of  members,  commonly  called  the 
"  Treating  Act,"  which  still  continues  one  of  the  principal  safeguards 
of  the  independence  and  purity  of  parliament. — There  is  an  excellent 
likeness  of  Sir  William  Williams  in  the  town-hall  of  Chester.  The 
present  baronet  married  a  daughter  of  the  ancient  House  of  Powys ; 
and  report  says  "  he  brings  up  his  children  to  speak  the  Welsh 
language,"  an  example  worthy  of  imitation. 

Llanrwst  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Grwst,  but  according  to 
Mr.  Pennant  to  Saint  Reisted  or  Restitutus,  who  was  Bishop  of 
London  about  the  year  360.  Adjoining  the  church  is  a  chapel,  built 
in  the  year  1633  by  Sir  Richard  Wynn,  of  Gwydir,  from  a  design  of 
Inigo  Jones.  Against  the  wall  at  the  west  end  of  the  latter  are  five 
brass  plates,  chiefly  remarkable  for  the  excellence  of  their  execution, 
by  Silvanus  Crew  and  William  Vaughan  (who  is  pronounced  to  be 
the  best  engraver);  each, besides  an  inscription,  contains  a  portrait  of 
the  person  to  whose  memory  it  was  erected,  as  under : — Sarah  Wynn, 
wife  of  Sir  Richard,*  who  died  in  1671;  Sir  John  Wynn,  1626; 
Sydney  Wynn  his  wifef,  1632;  Owen  Wynn,  1660;  Mary,  his  wife, 
1653.  To  this  chapel  has  lately  been  removed  an  ancient  monument 
of  Howel  Coytmor,  which  used  to  lay  in  the  church  under  the  stairs 
leading  to  the  gallery.  It  is  an  armed  recumbent  figure,  with  his 
foot  resting  upon  a  lion,  and  this  inscription, — "  Hie  jacet  Howel 
Coytmor  ap  Gruffydd  Vychan  ap  Gruffydd,  Arm."  Near  this  place 
is  a  large  stone  coffin,  supposed  to  have  been  that  of  Llewelyn  ap 
lorwerth,  who  was  interred  in  the  abbey  of  Conway  in  1240,  but 
removed  here  upon  the  dissolution  of  that  monastery,  about  the  26th 
of  Henry  the  Eighth.  There  are  no  other  monuments  deserving  of 
notice,  except  one,  which  has  a  long  and  curious  inscription,  contain- 
ing 

*  He  attended  Charles  the  First  to  Spain  in  1623,  and  of  this  expedition  has  given  an 
interesting  description  in  some  of  his  letters  to  his  father,  which  have  been  published, 
f  She  was  the  daughter  of  Sir  William  Gerrard,  Chancellor  of  Ireland. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  57 

ing  a  pedigree  of  the  Wynn  family  from  Owain  Gwynedd  to  Sir 
Richard  Wynn.  Between  the  town  arid  Gwydir  is  an  elegant  bridge 
thrown  over  the  Con  way,  constructed  in  1636  by  the  ingenious  Inigo 
Jones,  who  was  a  native  of  this  place,  and  it  was  at  that  period 
considered  one  of  the  wonders  of  Wales. 

About  four  miles  to  the  south  of  Llanrwst  is  Gwytherin.  The 
church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Gwytherin ;  but  according  to  Ecton's 
Thesaurus  Gwytherin  is  dedicated  to  Saint  James,  and  according  to 
others  to  Saint  Elerius.  It  is  celebrated  for  the  honour  of  having 
first  received  the  remains  of  Saint  Winifred  after  her  second  death ; 
for,  according  to  the  fabulous  legend,  her  head  was  miraculously  fixed 
on  by  Saint  Beuno  after  it  had  been  cut  off  by  that  wicked  prince 
Caradoc.  On  the  decease  of  Saint  Beuno  she  was  warned  by  a  voice 
to  call  on  Saint  Deiver  at  Bodvari;  by  Saint  Deiver  she  was 
directed  to  go  to  Saint  Saturnus  at  Henllan ;  and  by  Saint  Saturnus 
to  seek  a  final  retreat  with  Saint  Elerius  at  Gwytherin ;  but  even  here 
her  body  had  no  rest,  for  the  monk  in  a  dream  was  admonished  to 
carry  her  remains  to  Shrewsbury.  Previous  to  her  death,  it  is  said, 
that  she  succeeded  the  abbess  Theonia  as  governess  at  this  place :  in 
the  church  is  shewn  a  chest  where  her  relics  were  kept.  Here  is 
also  an  ancient  gravestone,  with  a  cross  and  chalice  (the  last  denoting 
the  priestly  office  of  the  deceased),  bearing  the  words  "  Hie  jacet 
Lowarch  mab  Cadell." 

At  the  distance  of  eight  miles  from  Llanrwst  is  Capel  Voelas.  In 
this  chapelry  is  a  great  column,  with  an  inscription,  in  memory  of 
Llewelyn  ap  Seitsyllt,  who  was  slain  in  1021.  Here  is  also  a  vast 
mount,  the  site  of  a  Welsh  castle,  which  was  destroyed  by  Llewelyn 
the  Great.  At  Tre'r  Beddau,  near  Pentre  Voelas,  in  making  the  new 
line  of  road  about  the  year  1820,  the  workmen  discovered  a  cistvaen 
or  stone  coffin,  on  the  lid  of  which  was  the  following  inscription: — 
"  Brochmael  Leia  hie  jacet  et  Uxor  ejus  Canne."  , 

About  five  miles  beyond  Capel  Voelas  we  arrive'  at  Ysbytty  leuan 
(Hospitium  Sancti  Johannis).  The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint 
John  the  Baptist.  It  is  a  small  village  about  three  miles  below 
Llyn  Conway.  This  was  once  a  hospital  of  Saint  John  of  Jerusalem, 
and  a  manor  belonging  to  the  knights  of  that  order;  and  was  also 
their  sanctuary  until  their  abolition,  when  it  became  the  residence  of 
thieves  and  murderers,  who  committed  great  cruelties  in  the  county, 
but  were  afterwards  extirpated  by  the  bravery  and  prudence  of 
Meredydd  ap  Evan,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Seventh,  as  previously 
mentioned.  In  the  church  are  monuments  of  Rhys  ap  Meredith,  who 
was  appointed,  by  Henry  the  Seventh,  Standard-bearer  at  the  battle 
of  Bosworth ;  likewise  another  for  his  wife  Lowry;  and  a  third  for  his 
son  Robert,  Cross-bearer  and  Chaplain  to  Cardinal  Wolsey.  There 
is  also  another  to  Maurice  Gethin  ap  Robert  Gethin,  who  departed 
14th  June,  1598,  and  Ann  Gethin,  who  d-parted  May  24th,  1598. 

In 


58  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 

In  the  parish  of  Llangernyw  (the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to 
Saint  Digain,  or  according  to  some  to  Saint  Gernyw)  is  Havodunos,  a 
very  ancient  family  seat.  This  house  was  founded  by  Bleddyn,  son  of 
Bleddyn  Vychan,  a  descendant  of  Gwrgi,  third  son  of  HeddMolwynog; 
from  whom  many  of  the  Lloyds  of  North  Wales  are  descended. 

In  the  parish  of  Abergeley  or  Abergelau  (the  church  of  which  is 
dedicated  to  Saint  Michael),  on  one  of  the  lime-stone  hills,  isCoppa'r 
Wylva,  a  strong  British  post. — In  this  parish  is  Bryn  Ffanigle,  once 
the  residence  of  Marchudd  ap  Cynan,  head  of  one  of  the  fifteen 
tribes,  and  afterwards  of  his  descendant,  Ednyved  Vychan,  Minister 
and  General  to  Llewelyn  the  Great. 

Cerrig  y  Druidion  (the  stones  of  the  Druids),  or  Llanvair  Vagdalen 
(Saint  Mary  Magdalene),  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary 
Magdalene.  The  large  stones  from  which  this  place  is  supposed  to 
have  taken  its  name  have  been  removed  many  years,  and  the  descrip- 
tion given  of  them  by  Mr.  Pennant  wras  taken  from  the  Annotator  on 
Cumden :  the  largest,  it  appears,  was  a  fine  specimen  of  the  British 
cistvaen,  or  stone  chest  (sarcophagus) ;  the  top  stone  was  about  ten 
feet  long,  and  the  supporters  about  7  feet  each.  This  monument  was 
also  distinguished  by  the  name  of  Carchar  Cynrig  Rwth,  who  is 
represented  as  a  great  tyrant,  and  was  said  to  have  placed  those 
who  offended  him  in  the  hollow  of  these  stones.  At  Giler,  in  this 
parish,  was  born  that  upright  and  able  judge  Robert  Price,  Esq.  one 
of  the  Barons  of  the  Exchequer,  and  who  strenuously  opposed  the 
grant  of  the  Welsh  lordships  to  the  Earl  of  Portland  in  the  reign  of 
William  the  Third. 

CHIRK,  alias  Y  Waun,  alias  Llanvair,  or  Waun  Isav  (the  church  of 
which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary),  is  situate  about  six  miles  east  of 
Llangollen,  on  the  brow  of  a  hill,  and  carries  on  a  considerable 
trade  in  coals.  The  Ellesmere  canal  passes  within  half-a-mile  of  this 
village,  and  is  carried  over  the  river  and  the  vale  of  Ceiriog  by  a  long 
aqueduct,  somewhat  similar  to  that  over  the  Dee  at  Pontycysyllte, 
but  on  a  narrower  scale.  Within  half-a-mile  is  Chirk  castle,  which, 
like  Powys,  still  retains  a  mixture  of  the  castle  and  mansion.  It  is 
supposed  to  stand  not  far  from  the  site  of  Castle  Crogen,  which  was 
the  property  of  the  lords  of  Dinas  Bran,  and  situate  on  the  summit  of 
a  high  hill,  commanding  an  extensive  view  into  17  counties.  The 
river  Ceiriog  runs  below  the  castle  to  the  west  and  south,  giving  name 
to  the  vale,  which  was  guarded  by  two  mounts,  still  remaining  on 
each  side  of  the  road  through  the  valley,  but  rendered  more  remark- 
able as  being  the  place  where  the  famous  battle  of  Crogen  was  fought 
in  1165,  when  Henry  the  Second  made  a  most  inglorious  retreat 
from  Owain  Gwynedd.  This  place  is  still  called  Adwy'r  Beddau,  or 
passage  of  the  graves.  The  external  parts  of  Chirk  castle  retain 
much  of  its  antique  aspect,  being  a  square  building  with  four  towers 
one  at  each  corner,  and  a  fifth  in  the  front,  of  nearly  50  feet  each, 

which 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  59 

which  give  the  whole  a  clumsy  and  heavy  appearance.  Within  is  an 
elegant  court  165  feet  long  and  100  broad,  with  a  handsome  colon- 
nade on  each  side.  The  dungeon,  down  a  flight  of  42  steps,  is  said 
to  have  been  as  deep  as  the  walls  are  high.  The  chief  apartments 
are  a  saloon  56  feet  by  27,  and  a  drawing  room  within,  and  gallery 
100  feet  by  22,  in  which  are  many  fine  paintings  of  the  family;  also 
of  the  Duke  of  Ormond  and  his  son  Lord  Ossory ;  the  Countess  of 
Warwick,  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Myddelton,  and  Dowager  to 
Edward  Rich,  Earl  of  Warwick,  afterwards  wife  to  Mr.  Addison,  and 
the  reputed  cause  of  his  intemperance. 

After  the  death  of  Gruffydd  ap  Madog,  Chirk  Castle  became  part 
of  the  possessions  of  Roger  Mortimer,  son  of  Roger,  Baron  of  Wig- 
more.  The  present  castle  is  believed  to  be  the  work  of  the  said 
Roger  Mortimer,  who  died  in  the  Tower,  after  an  imprisonment  of 
four  years  by  Edward  the  First.  On  the  death  of  Mortimer  it 
reverted  to  the  crown,  and  was  then  granted  to  Fitz-Alan,  Earl  of 
Arundel.  Some  assert  that  it  was  sold  by  John,  grandson  of  Roger 
of  Wigmore,  and  afterwards  passed  to  Thomas  Mowbray,  Duke  of 
Norfolk,  Justice  of  North  Wales,  Chester,  and  Flint,  in  right  of  his 
wife  Elizabeth,  elder  sister  to  Thomas  Earl  of  Arundel,  but  was 
again  resumed  by  the  crown,  and  granted  to  William  Beauchamp, 
Earl  of  Abergavenny.  Henry  the  Eighth  bestowed  it  on  his  natural 
son,  Henry  Fitzroy,  Duke  of  Richmond  and  Somerset.  In  the 
following  reign  it  was  granted  to  Thomas  Lord  Seymour,  brother  to 
the  Protector  Somerset,  and  ultimately  granted  by  Queen  Elizabeth 
to  her  favourite,  the  Earl  of  Leicester,  and  on  his  death  became  the 
property  of  Lord  Fitz-John,  of  Bletso,  whose  son,  in  1595,  sold  it  to 
Sir  Thomas  Myddelton,  Lord  May  or  of  London,  in  a  branch  of  whose 
family  it  still  continues.  Sir  Thomas  Hanmer  was  governor  thereof 
in  the  time  of  Charles  the  First. 

According  to  a  paper,  communicated  by  John  Myddelton  to  the 
Society  of  Antiquarians,  the  castle  of  Chirk  was  begun  in  1011,  and 
finished  in  1013.  When  Sir  Thomas  Myddelton  in  the  civil  wars 
withdrew  from  the  parliament  cause  this  castle  was  besieged,  and  one 
side  with  three  of  its  towers  were  thrown  down,  and  again  rebuilt  in 
one  year  at  the  expense  of  £80,000.  The  entrance  is  now  between 
two  round  towers,  by  a  narrow  arch  near  the  centre  of  the  front, 
which  had  formerly  a  pair  of  iron  gates,  wrought  in  so  rich  and  costly 
a  style  as  to  be  honoured  with  the  appellation  of  one  of  the  wonders  of 
the  county.  On  the  road  side,  surrounded  by  the  high  lands  belong- 
ing to  Chirk  Castle,  is  Saint  Peter's  Well,  formerly  walled,  and  a 
bason  erected,  into  which  the  water  issued  forth ;  but  at  present  the 
well  is  disused,  and  the  bason  in  bad  repair.  This  well  was  in  great 
repute  for  its  medicinal  qualities  about  the  year  1726. 

To  the  south  of  Chirk  is  Llanrhaiadr-yn-Mochant,  the  church  of 
which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Dogvan,  who  lived  about  the  middle  of 

the 


60  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

the  fifth  century.  It  is  a  small  village,  partly  in  this  county  and 
partly  in  Montgomeryshire,  situate  in  a  deep  hollow,  surrounded  on 
all  sides  by  mountains  with  summits  frequently  nearly  obscured  by 
clouds.  The  celebrated  Dr.  Morgan,  who  translated  the  Bible  into 
Welsh,  was  vicar  of  this  place,  but  was  soon  afterwards  rewarded  by 
Queen  Elizabeth  with  the  bishoprick  of  Llandaffin  1595,  and  with 
that  of  Saint  Asaph  in  1601,  where  he  died  on  the  10th  of  September, 
1604.  The  facetious,  but  learned  and  excellent  preacher,  Robert 
South,  D.  D.  was  the  last  rector  of  this  parish.  On  his  decease,  the 
rectorial  tithes  were  appropriated  (29th  and  30th  of  Charles  the 
Second)  to  the  maintenance  of  the  choir  and  the  cathedral  church  of 
Saint  Asaph.  At  the  extremity  of  this  vale,  about  four  miles  from  the 
village,  is  Pistill-Rhaiadr,  the  most  remarkable  water-fall  in  North 
Wales.  Here  the  river  Rhaiadr  falls  from  an  almost  perpendicular 
crag  of  upwards  of  210  feet  high;  thence  it  rages  through  a  natural 
arch,  between  two  prominent  sides,  into  a  small  bason  at  its  bottom, 
whence  it  rolls  over  small  rocks  through  a  woody  vale  into  the 
Tanad,  a  tributary  of  the  Severn.  Nothing  can  be  imagined  more 
dreary  than  the  scenery  of  the  hills  and  rocks  enclosing  this  fall,  and 
the  masses  of  stone  contiguous  to  its  bason ;  but  the  whole  cataract 
is  destitute  of  wood,  yet  so  completely  composed  of  simple  grandeur, 
that  trees  would  seem  to  injure  instead  of  heighten  the  effect.  Near 
the  foot  of  the  rock  is  a  small  room,  built  by  Dr.  Worthington,  for 
the  use  of  visitors  or  strangers  who  bring  refreshments  with  them,  and 
is  of  great  utility  in  these  dreary  regions. 

HOLT,  the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Chad,  is  5  miles 
north-east  of  Wrexham,  and  was  once  a  considerable  market  town 
and  a  place  of  some  importance,  but  at  present  is  only  an  obscure 
village  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Dee,  though  according  to  ancient 
custom  it  is  still  governed  by  a  mayor  and  aldermen,  two  bailiffs,  and 
a  coroner,  agreeably  to  the  charter  granted  by  the  Earl  of  Arundel  in 
1410.  The  villages  of  Holt  and  Farndon  (in  Cheshire)  are  divided 
only  by  the  Dee,  and  have  a  communication  by  a  bridge  of  ten 
arches,  built  in  the  year  1345.  The  church,  or  more  properly  the 
chapel,  is  built  of  red  stone,  is  a  very  handsome  building,  and  seems 
to  be  of  the  same  antiquity  as  the  bridge.  The  scenery  about  this 
village  is  not  very  pleasant;  it  consists  chiefly  of  the  Dee,  which  takes 
its  course  through  low  and  uninteresting  meadows.  Of  the  castle 
little  remains,  except  its  site,  consisting  of  a  solid  rock,  and  a  moat 
near  the  river,  which  originally  formed  a  small  outpost  to  Deva; 
some  famous  outworks  are  yet  visible  about  it.  On  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river  Roman  coins  have  been  found ;  Mr.  Pennant  saw  some  of 
Antoninus,  Galienus,  Constantinus,  and  Constantius.  This  is  the 
situation  that  Camden  calls  the  ancient  Castrum  Leonis,  a  name 
probably  obtained  from  the  20th  Legion,  when  stationed  near  this 
place;  and  (confirmatory  of  this)  it  was  called  by  the  Welsh  Castell 

Lleon, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  61 

Lleon,  as  it  was  garrisoned  by  a  detachment  of  a  legion  stationed  at 
Chester.  This  castle  was  defended  on  three  sides  by  a  trench  40  or 
50  yards  wide,  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock;  indeed,  from  the  colour  of 
the  grit  used  in  the  building,  the  whole  was  probably  taken  from  this 
trench  to  erect  the  superstructure.  The  fortress  consisted  of  five 
bastions,  four  of  which  were  round  and  the  remaining  one  next  the 
river  square,  its  entrance  by  &  draw-bridge  over  the  trench,  on  the 
west  side;  but  by  its  present  appearance  it  is  impossible  to  form  an 
idea  of  its  ancient  strength  or  mode  of  defence.  In  the  reign  of  King 
Henry  the  Third  and  the  beginning  of  Edward  the  First  the  castle 
and  lands  about  it  were  the  property  of  Madog  ap  Gruflfydd,  Lord 
of  Dinas  Bran,  and  upon  the  death  of  his  two  sons,  Madog  and 
Llewelyn,  who  were  wards  of  John  Earl  of  Warren  and  his  friend 
Roger  Lord  of  Wigmore,  who,  according  to  a  doubtful  tradition, 
caused  them  to  be  drowned  under  Holt  bridge,  the  two  Barons  took 
possession  of  their  respective  lordships.  Richard  the  Second,  on  his 
departure  for  Ireland,  deposited  jewels  here  to  the  amount  of  200,000 
marks  in  money,  which  on  his  deposition  were  surrendered  to  the 
governing  power.  Henry  the  Eighth,  in  1534,  gave  this  lordship  to 
his  natural  son  the  Duke  of  Richmond;  but  Thomas  Seymour, 
brother  to  the  Protector,  had  it  in  the  next  reign,  and  formed  here  a 
magazine  of  stores.  The  castle  was  garrisoned  for  Charles  the  First 
in  1643,  but  besieged  by  the  parliament  in  1645,  and  with  four 
others  entirely  demolished.  The  lordship  now  belongs  to  the  crown, 
under  the  direction  of  the  Steward  of  Bromfield  and  Yale,  an  office  at 
his  Majesty's  disposal;  but  a  grant  of  the  minerals  was  made  to  the 
Grosvenor  family  in  the  reign  of  Charles  the  First,  which  is  far  more 
valuable,  and  subject  to  the  annual  payment  of  only  20  shillings. 

Three  miles  north-west  of  Holt  is  the  village  of  Gresford,  chiefly 
noticed  for  its  beautiful  church  (dedicated  to  All  Saints)  and  its  six 
bells,  formerly  allowed  to  excel  all  others.  The  church  stands  on  a 
rising  ground  at  the  end  of  the  village,  and  is  built  of  free-stone,  in 
length  123  feet  and  59  feet  broad,  with  a  quadrangular  tower  90  feet 
high,  and  on  the  one  side  a  fine  statue  of  Henry  the  Seventh.  The 
east  window,  which  is  21  feet  by  14,  has  been  full  of  beautiful 
groups,  appearing  to  have  been  the  history  of  the  several  saints  to 
whom  the  church  is  dedicated,  with  a  few  figures,  the  Virgin  Mary, 
&c  in  the  middle,  and  under  each  various  sentences  in  her  praise  : 
her  history  is  also  in  the  last  window  of  the  north  aisle.  Within  the 
church  are  two  ancient  monuments;  one  appeals  to  have  been  erected 
to  the  memory  of  Ithel  ap  Ednyved,  on  whom  Prince  Bleddyn  ap 
Cynvyri  bestowed  the  townships  of  Gresford  and  Alington ;  the  other 
is  a  figure  completely  armed  with  mail,  a  surcoat,  and  round  helmet, 
his  legs  are  not^crossed,  but  there  is  a  lion  at  his  feet,  and  likewise  on 
his  shield,  bearing  this  inscription, — "  Hie  jacet  Madog  ap  Llewelyn 
ap  Gruflfydd."  He  was  Lord  of  Eyton  and  Ruabon,  and  was  buried 

on 


62  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

on  Saint  Matthias  Vday,  1331.  Here  are  also  some  mural  monu- 
ments of  the  Trevors  of  Trevalyn. — Upper  Gwersyllt,  the  seat  of 
J.  C.  H.  Cawley,  Esq.  is  in  this  parish :  it  formerly  belonged  to 
Colonel  Robinson,  a  distinguished  Royalist,  who  on  the  death  of 
Charles  the  First  was  obliged  to  leave  the  country.  Chancellor 
Jeflferies  was  sixth  son  of  John  Jefferies,  of  Acton  Park,  in  this  neigh- 
bourhood. His  conduct  as  a  chancellor  was  able  and  upright,  but  as 
a  politician  he  was  unrestrained  by  principle,  and  devoted  to  the 
worst  measures  of  an  infatuated  court.  Since  the  year  1576  Gresford 
has  had  four  episcopal  vicars;  viz.  Bishop  Hughes,  of  Saint  Asaph; 
Bishop  Bellot,  of  Chester;  Bishop  Parry,  of  Saint  Asaph;  and 
Bishop  Lloyd,  of  Bangor.  The  last-named  prelate  built  a  suitable 
vicarage-house,  which,  together  with  the  church,  wras  greatly  im- 
proved by  the  late  incumbent.  Leland  says,  "  Gresford  is  as  pretty 
a  church  as  Wrexham,  having  a  steeple  seven-score  feet  high,  besides 
the  four  pinnacled  towers." 

LLAXGCLLEN 

Is  a  very  extensive  parish,  and  beautifully  seated  on  the  banks  of  the 
Dee.     The  beauties  of  the  Vale  of  Llangollen  are  celebrated  both  in 
prose  and  verse ;   and  the  traveller  may  here  have  a  view7  of  the  beau- 
tiful, the  grand,  and  the  sublime.     It  is  watered  by  "  Deva's  wizard 
stream,"  and  has   a  canal  from  Pontycysyllte  aqueduct   the  whole 
length  of  the  vale  to  the  foot  of  Oernant  slate  quarries;  the  river  Dee 
is  here  crossed  by  a  bridge  of  four  large  arches,  erected  on  a  rock, 
where  it  would  seem  impossible  to  fix  a  good  foundation,  and  is 
ascribed  to  John  Trevor,  Bishop  of  Saint  Asaph  in  the  year  1400, 
but  was   repaired  in   1656.     The  Dee  rolls  through  this  vale  over 
cataracts  at  almost  every  ten  yards,  but  beautifully  diversified  with 
meads,  woodlands,  and  hills,  finely  interspersed  with  houses.     This 
vale  in  richness  cannot  be  compared  with  the  Vale  of  Clwyd;  neither 
is  it  equal  in  picturesque  scenery  to  the  Vale  of  Ffestiniog.      The 
Eglwyseg  rocks,  a  formal  range  of  lime -stone  crags  on  the  north-east 
side,  greatly  disfigure  some  of  its  most   beautiful   scenes ;    but  the 
prospect  towards  the  plain  of  Salop  is  uncommonly  striking   and 
beautiful.     On  the  whole  it  is  a  desirable  situation  for  those  who 
wish  to  retire  from  the  noise  and  bustle  of  large  towns.     The  neigh- 
bourhood of  Llangollen  has  also  for  many  years  been  celebrated,  on 
account  of  its  having  been  selected  as  a  place  of  retirement,  early  in 
life,  by  two  distinguished  ladies,   Lady  Eleanor  Butler  and  Miss 
Ponsonby,  who  were  induced  to  fit  up,  in  a  truly  characteristic  style, 
an  elegant  little  cottage.     The  two  rooms  which  are  allotted  for  the 
inspection  of  strangers  are  very  handsomely  furnished,  and  the  dining 
room  is  ornamented  with  numerous  drawings  of  some  of  the  most 
favourite  scenes  in  its  vicinity,  and  the  window  commands  a  prospect 
of  the  mountains,  which  are  beautiful,   in  front;    and  the   study, 

containing 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  63 

containing  a  good  selection  of  modern  books,  looks  on  the  well- 
arranged  plantations  adjoining.  The  whole,  though  thus  veiled  in 
obscurity,  is  an  enviable  retreat,  and  well  worth  the  attention  of 
travellers.  Leland  says,  "  In  the  rock  side  that  Castell  Dinas  Bran 
standeth  on  an  eagle  breedeth  every  year,  and  doth  sorely  assault 
him  that  destroyeth  the  nest,  going  down  in  one  basket  and  having 
another  over  his  head  to  defend  him  from  the  sore  stripes  of  the 
eagle.  Llangothlan  is  nine  miles  above  Holt ;  and  there  is  a  great 
stone  bridge  over  the  Dee." 

About  two  miles  north  of  Llangollen   is  Valle  Crucis,  or   Llan 
Egwest  Abbey,  situate  in  the  centre  of  a  small  verdant  meadow  at 
the  foot  of  Bron-vawr,  a  high  hill  in  the  township  of  Maes-yr-Ychen. 
It  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  secluded  situations  in  the 
kingdom,  surrounded  by  high  mountains  and  abrupt  rocks  towering 
rudely  into  the  air,  with  a  bottom  in  many  places  covered  with  wood, 
besides  a  fine  winding  river,  verdant  meadows,  and  in  front  an  ancient 
and  truly-majestic  ruin,  affording  some  elegant  specimens  of  gothic 
architecture.     Of  all  this  ancient  pile  the  church  only  is  in  any  state 
of  preservation,  and  the  body  of  that  is  nearly"" choked  with  the  ruins. 
This  circumstance,  with  the   addition  of  several  large  trees  rising 
among  the  fragments,  render  it  very  difficult  to  take  a  measurement ; 
it  appears  to  have  been  180  feet  long,  the  nave  31  broad,  and  the 
side  aisle   13.      This  abbey  was  founded  by  Madog  ap  Gruffydd 
Maelor,  Lord  of  Bromfield,  and  grandson  (by  the  mother's  side)  to 
Owain  Gwynedd,  Prince  of  Wales  about  the  year  1200.     It  was  a 
house  for  Cistercians,  and  dedicated  to   the  Virgin  Mary,  with  a 
revenue  of  £188  per  annum;  and  since  its  dissolution  appropriated 
to  the  tithes  of  Wrexham  and  Llangollen.     The  last  abbot  was  John 
Hern :  two  of  the  abbots,  viz.  David  and  John,  were  highly  cele- 
brated by  the  bard  Gwttwn  Owain  for  their  hospitality  and  charitable 
deeds.     Of  the  magnificence  of  this  ancient  monastery  no  adequate 
description  can  possibly  be  given  by  what  remains,/  consisting  of  only 
two  gables  and  the  south  transept.     The  west  front  has  also  a  hand- 
some round-arched  door,  with  two  of  its  mouldings  adorned  with  a 
kind  of  nail-head  quatrefoil,  and  over  it  in  a  round  arch  are  three 
lancet  windows,  with  a  circular  or  marigold  one  above,  containing 
eight  divisions  and  a  mutilated  inscription.      The  west  gable  has 
three  long  lancet  windows  from  the  ground,  and  over  them  two 
others,  with  a  singular  kind  of  pilaster  dropping  from  them.     The 
north  transept  had  an  east  aisle,  and  at  its  north  end  an  arch  like  a 
tomb.      The  south-east  pillars  of  the  nave  are  still  standing,   but 
every  thing  to  the  north  is  destroyed.     Tradition  says,  this  monastery 
had  a  number  of  chapels,  governed  by  their  priests,  and  so  distin- 
guished  that  the   service  of  one  did  not  disturb  the  other.      The 
cloister  on  the  south  side  is  now  converted  into  a  dwelling  house, 

with 


64  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

with  two  doors  and  two  windows,  one  of  which  is  remarkable  for 
its  rich  tracing.  Three  rows  of  groined  arches  on  single  round 
pillars  support  the  dormitory,  now  converted  into  a  hay -loft,  which 
is  approached  by  steps  from  without.  A  chimney  in  one  of  the  bed- 
rooms has  the  relic  of  a  sepulchral  monument,  with  a  broken  inscrip- 
tion. The  floors  are  remarkably  thick,  and  partly  supported  by  rows 
of  gothic  arches.  It  is  now  the  property  of  the  family  of  Trevor 
Hall.— In  a  meadow  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  abbey  may  be 
seen  the  pedestal  and  mutilated  parts  of  the  pillar  of  Eliseg,  the 
earliest  inscribed  British  one  now  existing,  and  erected  upwards  of  a 
thousand  years  ago:  it  was  entire  till  the  rebellion  in  the  time  of 
Oliver  Cromwell,  when  it  was  thrown  down  by  some  ignorant  fana- 
tics. It  was  a  sepulchral  cross,  and  consequently  a  memorial  of  the 
dead.  It  is  said  that  the  stone,  when  complete,  was  12  feet  high, 
but  it  is  now  reduced  to  6  feet.  It  lay  neglected  until  Mr.  Lloyd,  of 
Trevor  Hall,  in  1799,  caused  this  valuable  remain  of  antiquity  to  be 
raised  from  obscurity  and  erected  on  its  pedestal,  though  only  the 
upper  part  of  the  original  shaft.  The  original  inscription  was  cor- 
rectly transcribed  by  Mr.  Edward  Lhwyd,  the  antiquary. 

Castell  Dinas  Bran  is  situate  on  a  vast  conical  hill  just  opposite  to 
Llangollen,  and  1  mile  from  Valle  Crucis :  the  hill  towards  the  summit 
is  so  very  steep  on  every  side  as  to  render  the  ascent  dangerous  and 
fatiguing,  notwithstanding  the  narrow  path  which  runs  under  an  arch 
from  its  eastern  point.  The  area  consists  of  little  more  than  ruins  of 
a  large  building,  which  appears  to  have  been  about  300  feet  long  and 
150  broad,  occupying  the  whole  summit  of  a  mountain;  and  from  its 
extremely  elevated  situation  must  have  been  a  place  of  great  strength. 
On  the  side  where  it  is  least  steep,  it  was  defended  by  trenches  cut 
out  of  the  solid  rock,  having  on  the  inside  a  building  with  two 
windows  as  of  a  chapel,  and  some  fragments  of  a  tower,  which,  with  a 
few  scattered  walls,  constitute  the  whole  of  its  present  remains.  Of 
the  origin  of  this  castle  there  has  been  some  dispute:  however,  the 
style  of  its  architecture  is  an  indisputable  proof  of  its  being  founded 
by  the  Britons,  although  antiquarians  and  sage  tradition  attribute  it  to 
Brennus,  the  Gallic  general,  who,  it  is  said,  came  into  Britain  to 
contend  with  his  brother  Belinus;  but  this  story  is  evidently  ill- 
founded.  Notwithstanding  the  preceding  contradictions,  we  do  not 
pretend  to  fix  a  period  when  this  became  a  military  station;  but  the 
present  ruins  will  justify  the  assertion  of  this  structure  being  of  the 
time  of,  and  probably  erected  by,  Gruffydd  ab  Madog.  In  the 
reign  of  Henry  the  Third  (1257)  the  castle  served  as  an  asylum  to 
the  traitor  Gruffydd,  who,  basely  taking  part  with  the  enemies  of  his 
country,  was  compelled  to  secure  himself  in  this  aerial  fastness.  In 
1390  this  castle  was  inhabited  by  Myfanwy  Fechan,  a  most  beautiful 
and  accomplished  female,  descended  from  the  house  of  Tudor  Trevor. 
She  was  beloved  by  Howel  ap  Eynion  Llygliw,  an  illustrious  bard, 

who 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  65 

who  addressed  her  in  a  charming  ode.  When  or  by  whom  the  castle 
was  demolished  is  equally  abstruse  as  its  origin.  Tradition  reports 
that  it  was  once  destroyed  by  fire  as  early  as  the  tenth  century. 
Leland  mentions  that  he  saw  some  considerable  ruins  of  it  in  his  time. 
From  Castle  Dinas  Bran  the  views  are  extensive  and  beautiful, 
perhaps  no  where  more  so,  excepting  those  of  Snowdon  or  Cader 
Idris.  It  is  remarkable,  considering  the  perpendicular  height  of  this 
hill,  which  is  nearly  600  yards,  that  the  two  wells  within  the  castle 
walls  are  never  deficient  in  water.  The  springs  are  probably  sup- 
plied from  the  adjacent  mountains  of  Gliseg,  which  are  considerably 
higher  than  the  castle,  and  even  detached  from  it  by  an  immense 
deep  and  long  vallum.  The  declivity  is  much  steeper  towards  Gliseg 
rocks  than  Llangollen;  but  even  this  side  cannot  be  approached  on 
horseback  nearer  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  Within  that  space  the 
castle  walls  were  defended  by  long  and  deep  intrenchments  of  earth, 
while  immediately  under  appears  a  deep  fosse,  excavated  from  the 
solid  rock  (the  materials  were  probably  used  in  erecting  the  fortifica- 
tions), with  two  entrances  by  a  draw-bridge  over  the  fosse.  The  two 
principal  eminences  are  denominated  Craig  Arthur  (Arthur's  Crag), 
and  Craig  y  Vorwyn  (the  Maid's  Crag).  Bwlch  y  Rhiw  Velen,  a 
narrow  pass  between  the  mountains  to  Ruthin,  is  mentioned  by 
Llywarch  Hen  as  the  place  where  two  of  his  sons  perished  in  battle. 

Henllan  (the  old  church),  alias  Henllan  yn  Rhuvoniog,  has  its 
church  dedicated  to  Sadwrn.  This  place  is  remarkable  (as  Mr. 
Pennant  jocularly  observes)  for  the  schism  between  the  church  and 
the  steeple,  the  first  having  retreated  into  the  bottom,  while  the  last 
maintains  its  station  on  the  top  of  the  hill.  Here  was  interred  Sir 
Peter  Mitton,  Knight,  descended  from  Richard  Mitton,  of  Ruddlan, 
and  Ellen,  daughter  of  John  (Aer  Hen)  Conway,  of  Bod  Ruddan. 
Sir  Peter  was  Chief  Justice  of  North  Wales,  a  Master  in  Chancery, 
Prothonotary  and  Clerk  of  the  Crown :  died  November  4,  1637. 
He  had  the  honour  of  representing  the  borough  of  Caernarvon.  Sir 
Peter  acquired  the  estate  of  Llannerch  by  purchase  from  Edward 
Griffiths,  Esq.  his  mother's  eldest  brother,  which  passed  with  his 
daughter  to  Robert  Davies,  of  Gwysaney,  Esq.  Not  far  from  hence 
are  the  remains  of  a  seat  of  Meredydd  ap  Meirchion,  once  Lord  of 
Is  Dulas.  Part  is  now  standing,  particularly  the  chapel,  which 
serves  for  a  farm-house ;  but  some  very  extensive  foundations  shew 
its  former  importance. 

Llangwm  Dinmael  (the  church  in  the  hollow  in  the  district  of 
Dinmael)  is  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  Geirw  river.  Here  are  the 
ruins  of  an  old  building,  called  Llys  Dinmael,  i.  e.  the  Palace  of 
Dinmael,  a  petty  prince,  who  according  to  tradition  resided  at  it. 
The  ruins  of  the  two  chapels,  called  Gwynog  and  Noethon,  were  of 
late  years  visible  near  the  mill.  The  Geirw  forms  a  beautiful  cata- 
ract near  the  high  road,  at  a  place  called  Glyn  Diffwys. 

Llanddoged 


66  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Llanddoged  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Doged,  who  was  the 
son  of  Cedig  ap  Ceredig  ap  Cunedda,  a  reputed  saint,  who  flourished 
about  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century.  Browne  Willis  says  it  is  de- 
dicated to  Dogvan ;  but  this  was  another  British  saint,  and  one  of  the 
sons  of  Brychan,  who  lived  in  the  fifth  century.  The  village  is  plea- 
santly situate  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  and  commands  a  fine  view  of  the 
vale  of  Conway. 

Llanelian  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Elian.  Here  is  a  well 
dedicated  to  the  Saint.  In  superstitious  times  it  was  much  fre- 
quented; and  its  waters  are  still  considered  to  be  beneficial  in  various 
disorders. 

Llanddulas  (the  church  on  the  river  Dulas)  has  its  church  dedi- 
cated to  Saint  Cybryd,  a  saint  of  whom  no  particulars  are  known. 
Here  are  some  lime-rocks,  in  one  of  which  is  a  large  cave  called 
Ceven  Ogo,  the  entrance  to  which  resembles  the  portal  of  a  cathedral. 

Llanfair  Talhaiarn  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Talhaiarn,. 
but  according  to  some  to  Saint  Mary.  Dr.  W.  O.  Pughe  asserts 
that  Talhaiarn,  chaplain  to  Emrys  Wledig,*  lived  at  a  place  in  Rhu- 
voniog,  where  a  church  was  afterwards  dedicated  to  his  memory. 
In  this  parish,  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Elwy,  at  a  place  still  called 
Yr  Hen  Llys  (the  old  palace),  are  the  ruins  of  one  of  the  residences 
of  Hedd  Molwynog,  who  was  descended  from  Rhodri  Mawr  (Roderig 
the  Great),  King  of  Wales.  It  was  surrounded  by  a  large  moat, 
which  is  still  visible.  Molwynog  was  founder  of  one  of  the  fifteen 
tribes  of  North  Wales,  and  was  cotemporary  with  Owain  Gwynedd, 
Prince  of  North  Wales.  The  church  is  situated  in  a  beautiful,  well- 
wooded  valley,  between  the  rivers  Elwy  and  Aled,  and  nearly  at  the 
conflux  of  the  two  streams.  William  Wynne,  of  Melai,  in  this 
parish,  Esq.  was  a  great  sufferer  in  the  loyal  cause :  he  was  killed  in 
a  battle  at  Wem,  in  the  county  of  Salop,  in  1643,  aged  31.  He 
raised  a  troop  of  horse  and  a  regiment  of  foot  at  his  own  expense ; 
and  a  handsome  monument,  with  a  Latin  inscription,  commemorates 
his  loyalty  and  good  deeds.  His  son,  John  Wynne,  Esq.  married 
Dorothy,  daughter  of  Owain  Salisbury,  of  Rug,  Esq.:  their  son, 
William,  married  Margaret,  daughter  and  heiress  of  Hugh  Lloyd, 
Esq.  of  Segroid ;  and  their  son,  John,  married  Sydney,  second 
daughter  of  Sir  W.  Williams,  of  Llanvorda,  Bart.  The  Rev.  Evan 
Evans,  the  Welsh  bard,  was  for  some  time  curate  of  this  parish;  and 
the  parish  clerk,  at  the  same  time,  was  also  a  good  poet. 

Llansannan  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Sannan.  The  village 
is  situated  in  a  well-sheltered  valley,  near  the  river  Aled.  William 
Salisbury,  the  translator  of  the  New  Testament  into  Welsh,  was  a 

native 

*  This  Talhaiarn  was  a  celebrated  bard,  and  a  distinguished  saint  of  the  congregation 
of  Catwg,  in  the  close  of  the  fifth  and  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  centuries.  He  composed 
a  prayer,  which  has  always  been  the  formula  used  in  the  Gorsedd  M organwg,  or  Session 
of  the  Bards  of  Glamorgan.  When  Prince  Emrys  Wledig  wa»  slain  Talhaiarn  turned 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  67 

native  of  Cae  Du,  in  this  parish,  and  lived  some  time  at  Plas-issa 
(Llanrwst).  Tudur  Aled,  the  Welsh  bard,  was  a  native  of  Garth 
Geri  yn  Chiwbren,  in  this  parish:  he  flourished  in  the  year  1490, 
and  was  a  pupil  of  David  ap  Edmond.  Saint  Sannan  is  said  to  be 
interred  at  Gwytherin,  near  the  remains  of  Saint  Winifred. 

Llangynhafal  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Cynhaval,  who  lived 
in  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century.  This  parish  is  bounded  on  the 
east  by  a  beautiful  serrated  line  of  hills,  one  of  which  (called  Moel 
Famma)  is  remarkable  for  the  volcanic  appearances  it  exhibits,  parti- 
cularly on  the  Flintshire  side :  it  is  one  of  the  highest,  and  is  crowned 
with  a  tower,  to  commemorate  one  of  Nelson's  victories,  and  the 
Jubilee  of  our  late  good  and  gracious  King  George  the  Third. 
Some  etymologists  whimsically  derive  the  name  of  this  parish  from 
Llan-,can-afal,  i.  e.  the  village  of  the  hundred  apples ;  and  in  support 
of  this  hypothesis  they  relate  a  ridiculous  tradition,  of  a  truly  legend- 
ary kind,  viz.  that  at  a  period  of  episcopacy  very  remote,  and  less 
pure  than  the  present,  this  valuable  benefice  was  procured  by  the 
present  of  one  hundred  apples  ;  and  to  render  the  boon  more  accept- 
able to  the  Right  Rev.  Patron,  and  more  efficient  to  the  applicant, 
this  worthy  son  of  Simon  dexterously  inclosed  a  guinea  in  each 
apple.  According  to  Mr.  Owen,  William  Wynn,  A.  M.  an  eminent, 
poet  and  divine,  of  the  family  of  Rhaged  in  Meirion,  was  rector  of 
this  church  and  of  Manafon:  he  flourished  from  the  year  1740  to  his 
death  in  1760. 

Llandyrnog.-— The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Dyrnog,  a  saint 
whose  history  is  not  known.  Michael  Roberts,  Bishop  of  Bangor, 
who  suffered  much  for  his  loyalty  in  the  time  of  Cromwell,  died  at  the 
parsonage-house,  and  was  buried  on  the  north  side  of  the  chancel,  in 
the  year  1665,  aged  80. 

Llansilin  Cynllaith  (the  church  of  Saint  Silin).  This  village  is 
about  5  miles  west  of  Oswestry,  in  Shropshire.  Glascoed,  in  this 
parish,  was  the  ancient  seat  of  the  Kyffins,  and  the  last  heiress  of  that 
name,  married  Sir  William  Williams,  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, and  it  is  now  the  property  of  his  descendant,  Sir  Watkin 
Williams  Wynn,  Bart.  Penybont,  formerly  a  seat  of  the  ancient 
family  of  Maurice,  and  Plas  Newydd,  once  the  seat  of  a  younger 
branch  of  the  family  of  Myddelton  of  Chirk  Castle,  are  both  in  this 
parish.  Morris  Kyffin,  the  excellent  translator  of  Bishop  Jewell's 
Apology  into  Welsh ;  Charles  Edwards,  the  pious  author  of  "  Hanes 
y  Ffydd;"  and  John  Davies,  author  of  "Heraldry  Displayed;"  were 
natives  of  this  parish.  The  sister  of  Mr.  Davies  married  Jacob 
Reynolds,  of  Chirk;  and  their  son,  John  Reynolds,  of  Oswestry, 
published  a  quarto  volume  of  pedigrees,  collected  from  his  uncle's 
manuscripts.  To  the  above  list  may  be  added  the  excellent  Hugh 
Morris  (or  according  to  the  Welsh  orthography  Huw  Morus),  of 
Pont  y  Meibion,  in  the  vale  of  Ceiriog,  who  was  born  in  1622,  and 

died 


68  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

died  in  1709,  and  was  buried  in  this  church-yard.  This  parish  is  on 
the  confines  of  the  counties  of  Denbigh,  Montgomery,  and  Salop ; 
and  some  part  of  its  outline  terminates  on  ten  parishes,  three  in 
Shropshire,  six  in  Denbighshire,  and  one  in  Montgomeryshire.  A 
very  interesting  history  of  this  parish  was  published  in  the  Cambro- 
Briton,  vol.  1,  1820,  bearing  the  signature  Idris,  supposed  to  have 
been  written  by  the  Rev.  Walter  Davies,  of  Manafon. 

The  following  celebrated  Men  were  Natives  or  Residents  of  Den- 
bighshire:— Richard  Davies,  D.  D.  Bishop  of  Saint  Asaph,  1561, 
afterwards  of  St.  David's;  Humphrey  Lhwyd,  the  historian,  1568: 
Griffith  Hiraethog,  a  celebrated  bard,  1530;   lolo  Goeh,  of  Coed 
Pantwn,  a  bard,   1400;    Edward  ap  Rhys  Maelor,  a  bard,   1440; 
Rev.  David  Powell,  D.D.  Vicar  of  Rhiwabon,  1580;  Rev.  Gabriel 
Goodman,  Dean  of  Westminster,  1601;   Right  Reverend  Godfrey 
Goodman,  D.  D.  Bishop  of  Gloucester,  1655;  William  Salisbury, 
the   translator  of  the   New   Testament  into  Welsh,  1560;    Charles 
Edwards,  of  Llansilin,  author  of  "  Hanes  y  Ffydd,"  1670;  Morris 
Kyffin,  translator  of  Bishop  Jewell's  Apology,  1594;  Sir  Thomas 
Myddelton,  of  Chirk  Castle,  Mayor  of  London,  1613;  Baron  Price, 
of  Giler;  Rev.  David  Jones,  Vicar  of  Llanfair  Dyffryn  Clwyd,  1600; 
Matthew  Bromfield,  bard,  1500;  Richard  Cynwal,  Capel  Garmon, 
bard,  1630;  David  ap  Robert,  Dyffryn  Clwyd,  bard,  1530;^Rhys 
Goch,  Glyn  Ceiriog,  bard,  1 580 ;   John  Tudor,  alias  Sion  Tudyr, 
Wigwair,   Llan   Elwy,  bard,   1580;  Gutto  'r  Glynn,  bard,    1450; 
Simwnt  (alias  Simon)    Fychan,    Ty  Brith,  Ruthin,    bard,    1570; 
Tudyr  Aled,    Garth    Geri,    Chiwbren,    Llansannan,  bard,    1490; 
Thomas  Prys,  Plas  lolyn,  bard,  1600;  Sir  Thomas  Trevor,  Master 
af  the  Roils,  1696;  Hugh  Morris,  Pont  y  Meibon,  1709;  Edward 
Morris,  Perth!  Llwydion,  Cerrig  y  Druidion,  bard, — died  in  Essex ; 
Rev.  John  Davies,  D.  D.  Rector  of  Mallwyd,  born  at  Llanverres, 
1620;   Right  Rev.  William  Morgan,  D.D. 'Bishop  of  St.   Asaph, 
1604,   translator  of  the  Old  Testament  into  Welsh;    Right  Rev. 
Richard  Parry,  D.D.  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph,  1604,— published  a  folio 
edition  of  the  Welsh  Bible,  1620;  Rev.  Richard  Lloyd,  Rector  of 
Chirk,  1630;  Richard  Jones,  Denbigh,  1675;  Rev.  William  Wynne, 
Rector  of  Llangynhaval,  1760;  Rev.  Peter  Roberts;   Mr.  Thomas 
Jones,  Bardd  Cloff,  of  Llang-ollen,  and  of  Dovey  Cottage,  Montgo* 
meryshire,  died  21st  February,  1828. 


CARDIGANSHIRE. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES, 


CARDIGANSHIRE 

bounded  on  the  north  by  the  counties  of  Merioneth  and  Mont- 
gomery, on  the  east  by  Radnor  and  Brecknock,  on  the  south  by 
Caermarthen  and  Pembroke.  The  sea  has  made  great  encroach- 
ments upon  this  county  even  within  the  memory  of  man,  and  tradi- 
tion speaks  of  a  well-inhabited  country,  stretching  far  into  the  Irish 
Channel,  which  has  been  carried  off  by  the  sea.  "  Of  an  extensive 
tract,  formerly  celebrated  for  a  hundred  towns,  nothing  now  remains 
but  two  or  three  miserable  villages,  and  a  good  deal  of  ground  in 
high  estimation  for  barley.  On  the  shore  between  Aberystwith  and 
the  river  Dyfi,  the  sea  doth  frequently,  after  stormy  weather,  discover 
the  trunks  of  large  groves  of  trees  In  many  places  the  roots  appear 
£0  thickly  and  uniformly  planted,  in  circles  and  parallel  lines,  that 
the  shore  resembles  much  an  extensive  forest  cut  down,  which,  from 
the  continual  flowing  of  the  sea,  appear  black  and  hard  as  ebony."  It 
is  probable  that  a  great  extent  of  country,  now  covered  with  water, 
has  ;been  an  ancient  forest,  or  at  least  a  well-wooded  and  fertile 
.country.  Sea-weed  is  the  manure  for  the  land  of  this  district ;  and  it 
is  said  that  for  at  least  these  70  years,  crops  of  barley  have  been 
annually  taken  from  it,  without  any  cause  for  complaining  of  a 
diminished  produce.  The  climate  is  much  more  mild  than  the 
midland  .counties  in  England ;  and  in  this  part  of  the  country  snow 
.seldom  lies  long.  The  county  town  is 

CARDIGAN, 

by  the  Welsh  named  Aberteifi,  and  in  Latin  called  Ceretica.     It  is 
pleasantly  situated  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  Teifi,  and  protected 
from  the  sea  by  a  long  projecting  hill:  the  town  may  be  called  large 
.and  populous,  regularly  built,  and  carrying  on  a  considerable  trade, 
particularly  in  lead,  which  is  exported  in  large  quantities  to  Ireland. 
The  church  (dedicated  to  Saint  Mary)  is  a  stately  edifice,  with  an 
elegant  tower,   but  situate  too  near  the  river :    at  the  end  of  the 
bridge  which  crosses  the  river  is  a  chapel,  said  to  be  erected  when 
Giraldus  preached  the  crusade;   and  here  are  also  the  ruins  of  a 
priory  of  black  monks,  cell  to  the  abbey  of  Chertsey,  in  the  county  of 
Surrey.     The  town-hall,  where  the  affairs  of  the  county  are  princi- 
pally transacted,  makes  a  grand  appearance.      At  the  close  of  the 
last  century  a  new   gaol  was  erected  by  Mr.  Nash,  thp  architect, 
which,  from  its  situation  and  external  appearance,  we  may  suppose  to 
be  a  .convenient  and  well-planned  building.     Here  are  considerable 
remains  of  an  old  castle,  built  by  Gilbert  de  Clare  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  the  Second,  on  an  eminence  nesr  the  Teifi,  consisting  princi- 
pally 


70  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

pally  of  outward  walls,  from  which  its  seems  to  have  been  an 
extensive  building  and  of  great  importance  in  the  time  of  our  Welsh 
princes.  The  castle,  like  many  others,  suffered  considerably,  at 
different  periods,  from  the  vindictive  disposition  of  our  princes,  and 
the  ambition  of  provincials.  In  1222  we  find  it  in  the  possession  of 
William  Marshall,  Earl  of  Pembroke;  but  in  1231,  Maelgon,  the 
son  of  Maelgon  ap  Rh}7s,  having  by  force  entered  the  town,  put  all 
the  inhabitants  to  the  sword,  and  then  laid  siege  to  the  castle,  with 
an  intention  to  destroy  it,  but  the  walls  appeared  so  strong  and  the 
gates  so  well  defended  that  it  seemed  impracticable  to  reduce  it  for 
a  considerable  time,  which  would  have  been  the  case  had  he  not 
fortunately  been  joined  by  his  cousin,  Owen  Gruflfydd  ap  Rhys,  and 
some  of  Prince  Llewelyn's  most  experienced  officers,  who  directed 
him  to  break  down  the  bridge  over  the  river  Teifi,  which  enabled 
him  to  invest  the  castle  more  closely,  so  as  to  batter  and  undermine 
the  fortifications,  which  soon  gave  possession  of  the  whole;  however, 
Gilbert  Marshall  won  it  back  from  Dafydd  ap  Llewelyn  in  1234, 
which  is  the  last  transaction  recorded  of  this  fortress.  The  castle 
green  now  belongs  to  a  gentleman,  who  has  erected  a  house  on  the 
site  of  the  keep,  the  dungeon  now  serving  as  his  cellar.  One  mile 
east  of  Cardigan,  at  Llan-Goedmore,  is  an  ancient  monument, 
consisting  of  a  stone  half  a  yard  thick,  and  eight  or  nine  inches  in 
circumference.  It  is  placed  inclining,  one  side  on  the  ground,  and 
the  other  supported  by  a  pillar  of  about  three  feet  high ;  near  it  is 
another  of  the  same  kind,  but  much  less ;  about  six  yards  from  it  lies 
a  stone  on  the  ground,  and  another  beyond  that  at  the  same  distance. 
Meinu  Cyvrivol,  or  the  numerary  stones,  near  Neuadd,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Cardigan,  seem  to  be  the  remains  of  some  barbarous 
monument;  they  are  19  in  number,  and  lie  confusedly  on  the  ground, 
deriving  their  names  from  the  vulgar  who  cannot  easily  enumerate 
them.  In  this  neighbourhood  also  is  Lkch-y-gowres,  i.  e.  the  stone 
of  a  gigantic  woman,  which  is  exceedingly  large,  placed  on  four  very 
great  pillars  or  supporters,  about  the  height  of  5  or  6  feet;  two  other 
stones  are  near,  placed  endways  under  the  top  stone,  but  much  lower, 
so  that  they  bear  no  part  of  the  weight;  three  more  stones  are 
adjacent,  two  of  which  are  large,  lying  on  the  ground  at  each  end; 
the  whole  of  which  are  indisputably  ancient  British  monuments. 

About  25  miles  from  Cardigan  we  come  to  Llansanfraid,  situate 
near  the  sea,  chiefly  remarkable  for  its  old  church  (dedicated  to  Saint 
Fraid  Leian,  or  Saint  Bridget)  and  a  few  remains  of  old  buildings, 
where  it  is  supposed  once  stood  the  abbey  of  Llanfraid,  mentioned  in 
a  book  entitled  "  De  Dotatione  Ecclesise  S.  Davidis,"  and  called 
Llan-Saint-Fraid  nunnery  in  Giraldus,  but  whether  either  of  the 
places  was  situated  here  is  uncertain,  though  there  has  evidently 
been  a  great  building  here. 

About  3  miles  north-east  of  Llansanfraid  stood  an  old  monastery, 

called 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  71 

called  Llanrhystyd,  erected  by  Cadwaladr,  brother  to  OwenGwynedd, 
in  the  year  1148.  This  village  is  composed  of  miserable  cottages, 
but  the  church  (dedicated  to  Saint  Rhystyd,  who  lived  in  the  former 
part  of  the  sixth  century)  stands  on  an  elevation  near,  and  is  a  neat 
building.  The  parish  is  delightfully  situated  on  the  bay  of  Cardigan, 
and  is  famous  for  its  barley.  The  church  of  Llanrhystyd  was 
destroyed  by  the  Danes  in  987.  The  castle  of  Llanrhystyd,  called 
also  Dinerth  Castle,  was  destroyed  by  Owain  Gwynedd  and  his 
brother  Cadwaladr,  in  conjunction  with  Hywel  ap  Meredydd  and 
Rhys  ap  Madog  ap  Idnerth :  and  when  Cadel  ap  Meredydd  and  Rhys 
ap  Gruflfydd  were  ravaging  this  county  in  1150,  they  lost  their 
bravest  men  whilst  besieging  this  castle,  which  so  enraged  them,  that 
when  they  got  possession  of  it  they  put  the  garrison  to  the.  sword. 
In  1158  it  was  fortified  by  Roger  Earl  of  Clare.  In  1199  Maelgon 
ap  Rhys  besieged  it,  and  slew  all  the  garrison  left  by  his  brother 
Gruflfydd  to  defend  it.  In  1204  Maelgon  ap  Rhys,  in  dread  of 
Llewelyn  ap  lorwerth,  razed  it,  with  several  others,  to  prevent  it 
falling  into  their  hands. — About  7  miles  beyond  Llan  Rhystyd  we 
arrive  at  the  town  of 

ABERYSTWITH, 

situate  on  a  bold  eminence  overhanging  the  sea,  at  the  conflux  of  the 
rivers  Ystwith  and  Rheidol,  which  here  empty  themselves  into  the 
Irish  Sea,  or  Saint  George's  Channel;  and  from  the  first  of  which 
rivers  the  town  derives  its  name,  viz.  Aber  Ystwith,  from  being 
built  exactly  opposite  the  Aber,  or  mouth  of  the  Ystwith,  where 
it  falls  into  the  river  Rheidol.  It  is  said  the  present  town  of 
Aberystwith  was  anciently  called  Llanbadarn  Caerog,  or  the  fortified 
Llanbadarn,  and  that  the  small  village  of  Aberystwith  stood  to  the 
westward  of  the  castle.  This  seems  to  be  confirmed  by  the  charter 
granted  by  Edward  the  First,  in  which  it  is  several  times  called 
Llanbadarn,  and  not  Aberystwith.  The  streets  are  well  laid  out, 
and  paved  with  stones,  supplied  in  great  quantities  from  the  shore : 
the  nouses  are  chiefly  built  with  the  black  slate-rock  of  the  country, 
which  gives  the  whole  rather  a  gloomy  appearance,  unless  where,  as 
is  now  commonly  done,  they  are  whitewashed  or  stuccoed.  Notwith- 
standing this,  it  has  long  been  a  favourite  resort  for  bathing  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  neighbouring  counties,  and  indeed  it  may  now  be 
said  of  the  united  kingdom.  The  beach  is  sufficiently  convenient  and 
pleasant,  with  good  bathing-machines  and  pleasure-boats.  Public 
rooms  have  lately  been  erected  at  a  great  expense  by  the  inhabitants, 
and  a  public  walk  or  terrace  has  been  formed  along  the  shore :  warm 
and  cold  baths  have  also  been  erected  at  the  expense  of  Dr.  Rhys 
Williams:  indeed  there  seems  to  be  no  expense  spared  to  render  the 
visitant  comfortable  and  happy.  A  company  of  comedians  attend 
every  bathing-season.  Aberystwith  is  also  a  place  of  considerable 

trade, 


72  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

trade,  having  a  harbour  deep  enough  at  high  water  to  receive  the 
larger  kind  of  Welsh  coasting  vessels :  by  means  of  which  it  exports  a 
great  quantity  of  lead,  calamine,  and  oak  bark ;  likewise  a  few  manu- 
factured goods,  such  as  webs,  flannels,  and  stockings,  mostly  sent  to 
Liverpool  and  Bristol.     It  also  imports,  for  the  use  of  the  country, 
cast-iron  goods  from  Coalbrookdale  (shipped  at  Bristol),  grain  from 
Ireland,  coal  from  the  southern  parts  of  Wales,  and  a  great  quantity 
of  porter  from  Bristol,  which  is  consumed  here  during  the  bathing- 
season,  although  their  own  malt-liquor  is  equal  to  any  in  the  Princi- 
pality.    In   1745  ten  thousand  barrels  of  herrings  were  taken  here; 
and  in  1732  there  were  taken  1)3  bottle-noses,  some  15  feet  long, 
which  yielded  a  great  quantity  of  blubber.     During  the  season,  or  in 
September,  October,  and  November,  a  great  number  of  herrings  are 
still  taken,  but  very  inconsiderable  compared  to  the  quantity  above- 
mentioned,  which  then  employed  annually  above  500  persons.     Here 
is,  likewise,  a  considerable  fishery  for  cod  and  mackerel,  which  are 
sent  as  far  as  Shrewsbury:  so  that  probably  the  whole  of  its  commerce 
employs  about  50  vessels,  manned  with  about  300  men.     The  church 
is  dedicated  to  Saint  Michael,  and  was  built  in  1787 :    it  stands 
within  the  ancient  precincts  of  the  castle,  and  was  erected  by  sub- 
scription, at  the  head  of  which  appears  the  Rev.  Richard  Lloyd  for 
£100,  as  a  legacy  from  a  deceased  Mrs.  Jones.     It  is  a  plain,  una- 
dorned structure,  containing  in  length  from  east  to  west  60  feet,  and 
in  breadth  26,  and  is  capable  of  holding  from  700  to  800  persons. 
It  is  a  perpetual  curacy,  in  the  gift  of  the  Bishop  of  Saint  David's. 
The  gallery  erected  at  the  west  end  of  the  church  was  built  at  the 
sole  expense   of  Mrs.   Margaret  Pryse,  of  Gogerthan,  in  the  year' 
1790,  and  cost  £104.  14s.     It  bears  an  inscription  commemorative  of 
Mrs.  Pryse's  donation,*     The  custom-house  was  erected  about  the 
year  1773,  near  the  beach,  and  the  business  thereof  removed  from  the 
port  of  Aberdovey.     A  new  custom-house  was  erected  in  1829,  on  a 
more  convenient  spot  in  the  west  part  of  the  town.     Many  beautiful 
corallines  have  been  picked  up  at  various  times  near  the  shore.     The 
town,   which   is  the  largest   in  the   county,   appears   to  have  been 
strongly  fortified,  and  shews  at  present  some  fragments   of  its  old 
castle,  occupying  a  projection  of  slate-rock,  and  protecting  the  town 
on  the  sea  side,  while  it  commands  on  the  other  the  whole  of  the 
conflux  of  the  Ystwith  and  Rheidol,  with  a  beautiful  view  of  the  vale. 
It  was  built  by  Gilbert  de  Strongbow  about  1107,  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  the  First,  but  demolished  soon  after,  and  agajn  rebuilt  by 
Edward  the  First  in  1277.     About  1377  we  find  it  in  the  possession 
of  Owen  Glyndwr,  who  was  besieged  in  it  by  Henry  the  Fourth, 

by 

*  The  chapel  of  Saint  Michael  bein£  found  .too  small  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
inhabitants  and  the  numerous  visitors  that  attend  here  during  the  summer  months.  The 
first  stone  of  a  new  church  was  laid  in  June,  1830,  near  to  the  above  chapel-of-ease ; 
and  the  interesting  ceremony  was  witnessed  by  a  vast  concourse  of  inhabitants  pf  this 
^town  and  neighbourhood,  and  visitors  from  all  parts. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  73 

by  whom  the  castle  was  taken ;  but  it  was  again  taken  by  Glyndwr, 
who  placed  in  it  a  strong  garrison  of  Welshmen.  During  the 
unhappy  contest  between  Charles  the  First  and  his  Parliament  this 
castle  was  kept  for  the  king,  until  the  garrison  were  compelled  to 
surrender  to  Cromwell,  who  again  garrisoned  it  for  the  Parliament. 
Since  that  time  it  has  remained  in  a  state  of  decay — a  picturesque 
heap  of  ruins;  the  gateway  and  several  towers  in  the  walls  alone 
marking  its  former  extent.  In  front  of  the  gateway  is  a  modern 
ravelin,  thrown  up  during  the  siege  in  1647  ;  the  rest  of  the  building, 
or  rather  the  remains,  was  the  work  of  Edward  the  First:  on  the 
north-west  is  part  of  a  tower  about  40  feet  high,  and  an  arched  door- 
way is  still  preserved.  A  round  tower  is  also  existing;  another 
has  been  repaired,  and  converted  into  a  kind  of  observatory,  but  is 
now  in  a  very  ruinous  situation.  Previous  to  the  castle  surrendering 
to  Cromwell,  a  mint  was  established  within  the  castle  walls,  for  the 
convenience  of  paying  the  miners.  Several  silver  pieces  coined  here, 
with  the  impression  of  an  ostrich  feather,  the  one  current  for  20s. 
others  for  10s.  and  several  smaller  sums,  are  now  in  the  possession  of 
respectable  individuals.  Contiguous  to  the  ruins  of  the  old  fortress, 
the  late  Mr.  Uvedale  Price,  of  Foxley,  in  Herefordshire,  erected  a 
fantastic  house  of  a  castellated  form,  intended  merely  as  a  summer 
residence ;  it  consists  of  three  octagon  towers,  with  a  balcony  towards 
the  sea.  A  public  walk  was  traced  with  considerable  taste  and 
ingenuity  among  the  fragments  of  the  castle,  at  the  expense  of  the 
late  John  Probert,  Esq.  of  Copthorn,  near  Shrewsbury,  agent  to  the 
Powis  family.  In  Queen  Elizabeth's  reign  a  company  of  Germans 
reaped  a  large  fortune  in  working  the  silver  mines  in  the  vicinity  of 
this  town.  Sir  Hugh  Myddelton,  after  them,  was  equally  ^successful, 
and  accumulated  £2000  a-month  out  of  one  silver  mine  at  Bwlch  yr 
Eskir,  which  enabled  him  (in  1614)  to  bring  the  New  River  to  London. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Bushell,  a  servant  of  SirFrancis  Bacon,  who 
also  gained  such  immense  profits  that  he  made  King  Charles  the  First 
a  present  of  a  regiment  of  horse,  and  clothed  his  whole  army;  he  also 
furnished  a  loan  of  £40,000  to  his  necessities,  which  was  considered 
as  a  gift;  and  when  that  unfortunate  prince  was  pressed,  he  raised  a 
regiment  among  his  miners,  also  at  his  own  charge.  On  a  very  high 
and  steep  hill,  near  the  bridge  over  the  Rheidol,  is  also  a  large 
intrenchment,  still  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  and  where,  Caradoc 
informs  us,  Rhys  ap  Gruffydd,  in  the  year  1113,  encamped  his 
forces,  which,  by  a  manoeuvre  of  the  English,  were  enticed  from  the 
hill  over  the  bridge  to  besiege  Aberystwith  castle,  where  they  were 
surrounded  and  cut  off  almost  to  a  man.  The  tradition  of  the  town 
attributes  this  intrenchment  to  the  forces  employed  by  Oliver 
Cromwell  to  besiege  the  castle.  Opposite  this,  on  a  hill  at  the 
extremity  of  the  town,  are  two  other  intrenchments,  in  bad  preserva- 
tion,, and  destitute  of  the  tumuli  or  barrows  often  found  contiguous  to 

Welsh 


74  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Welsh  intrench  men  ts;  the  one  is  square  and  the  other  circular, 
having  beneath  it,  on  one  side,  several  shelves  of  earth.  The  old 
church  stood  to  the  west  of  the  town. 

One  mile  and  a  quarter  north-east  of  Aberystwith  is  Llanbadarn- 
fawr,  anciently  called  Mauritanea,  and  supposed  to  be  the  seat  of  one 
of  the  earliest  bishopricks.  Here  Paternus,  in  the  sixth  century, 
founded  a  monarchy,  and  an  episcopal  see,  afterwards  united  to 
Saint  David's.  He  was  an  Armorican,  and  governed  the  church  here 
by  feeding,  and  fed  it  by  governing.  The  church  (dedicated  to  Saint 
Padarn)  was  given,  in  the  year  1111,  to  Saint  Peter's  at  Gloucester, 
and  some  time  after  to  the  abbey  of  the  Vale  Royal  in  Cheshire. 
The  present  structure  has  traces  of  great  antiquity,  being  large,  and 
built  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  and  is  supposed  to  be  one  of  the  oldest  in 
Wales,  with  a  door  of  early  gothic  architecture,  and  by  its  style  was 
probably  erected  previous  to  the  Itinerary  of  Giraldus,  in  whose  time 
this  place  was  an  abbey,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  a  layman,  the 
enormity  of  which  he  laments  in  the  following  clerical  strain : — "  We 
rested  one  night,  at  Llanbadarn-fawr,  where  the  church,  like  others 
in  England  and  Wales,  is  preposterously  governed  by  a  lay  abbot,  the 
origin  of  which  is  thus :  the  clergy  formerly  appointed  the  powerful 
men  of  their  neighbourhood  to  act  as  stewards,  patrons,  or  guardians 
of  their  churches.  In  process  of  time  these  imprudent  stewards  usurp- 
ed the  whole  authority,  and  impiously  appropriated  to  themselves 
not  only  the  exterior  possession,  but  even  the  real  use  of  all  the 
church  lands,  leaving  the  tithes  and  offerings  as  the  only  portion 
belonging  to  the  clergy,  who  were  generally  some  relations  or  sons  of 
the  abbot.  In  this  situation  we  found  the  church  of  Llanbadarn-fawr, 
without  a  head,  having  an  old  man  named  Eden  Oen,  son  of 
Gwaithvaed,  long  practised  in  the  badness  of  the  times,  officiating  as 
abbot,  while  his  son  performed  the  duties  of  the  altar."  This  is  now 
a  parish  church,  but  was  many  years  a  bishop's  see,  until  the  inhabit- 
ants killed  their  bishop ;  whence  arose  the  proverb,  "Ac  ni  bu  un  da, 
o  honynt  byth  gwedi ;"  that  is,  there  never  was  one  good  person  of 
them  since.  Its  external  appearance  is  large  and  ancient,  erected  of 
common  stone.  The  interior  consists  of  a  nave  and  chancel,  formed 
of  rough  materials,  with  a  few  modern  monuments,  particularly  one 
for  Lewis  Morris,  well  known  among  his  countrymen  for  a  profound 
knowledge  of  British  history  and  antiquities,  and  as  the  author  of  a 
valuable  work,  entitled  "  Celtic  Remains,"  which  has  since  been 
republished,  with  considerable  additions,  by  that  learned  and  re- 
spected Divine,  the  Rev.  Walter  Davies,  Rector  of  Manafon,  Mont- 
gomeryshire. There  are  also  several  monuments  of  ancient  families, 
whose  descendants  reside  at  their  mansions  in  this  parish,  particularly 
the  Pryses  of  Gogerthan.  The  present  proprietor  of  that  estate  is 
M.  P.  for  the  contributory  boroughs  of  Cardigan,  &c.  Here  are 
also  two  ancient  stone  crosses.  Above  the  church  is  a  small  narrow 

dingle, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  75 

dingle,  in  a  particular  spot  of  which  if  any  one  stands  he  cannot  hear 
the  church  bells  while  ringing,  yet  if  he  moves  but  a  little  one  way  or 
the  other  he  will  hear  them  distinctly.  The  Roman  road,  called 
Sarn  Helen,  passes  through  a  farm  in  this  parish,  called  Llwyn 
Rhingyll.  The  Danes,  in  the  year  987,  with  marked  animosity, 
destroyed  part  of  this  church ;  it  was  afterwards,  in  1037,  utterly 
destroyed  by  Gruffydd  ap  Llewelyn  ap  Sitsyllt. — In  this  parish  are 
several  old  British  forts,  as  Pen-y-Dinas,  near  Aberystwith ;  Y-Gaer, 
near  Cwm-bwa;  and  Llys  Arthur,  or  Arthur's  Palace,  in  Dyffryn 
Castell. 

Plas-Grug,  or  Glas  Grig,  is  a  fortified  mansion  on  the  banks  of 
the  Rheidol,  between  Aberystwith  and  Llanbadarn-fawr,  situated  on 
lands,  part  of  the  Nanteos  estate,  and  common  report  distinguishes  it 
as  one  of  the  residences  of  Owen  Glyndwr.  The  remains  are  very 
considerable,  and  pleasantly  situated  in  a  bottom,  terminating  with 
the  town  of  Aberystwith.  Of  this  mansion  a  square  embattled  tower 
appears  very  perfect,  and  there  is  a  narrow  passage  leading  into 
another  quadrangular  division,  which  has  still  the  outward  walls  in 
good  preservation.  The  entrance  and  hall  are  immediately  opposite 
the  chimney,  with  a  mutilated  floor  of  rough  stones  similar  to  those 
in  its  exterior  walls;  the  former  has  still  the  hearth  and  a  rustic 
chimney-piece  remaining,  affording  a  good  specimen  of  its  ancient 
magnificence.  The  extent  of  the  original  fabric  cannot  be  minutely 
described,  but  the  apartments  have  been  very  spacious  and  numerous, 
as  the  remaining  walls  will  certify,  being  in  many  places  from  6  to  7 
feet  high;  but  the  base  area  within  is  completely  choked  with  the 
fallen  fragments  of  its  superstructure.  A  small  part  of  its  ruins  is 
now  used  as  a  hay-loft,  but,  like  the  other  parts,  has  neither  a  hewn 
stone  or  a  single  letter  of  inscription.  When  this  old  mansion  was 
erected  is  no  where  to  be  found  in  history ;  yet  it  appears  to  have 
been  known  to  Gruffydd  ap  Rhys  in  1113,  when  he  encamped  here, 
previous  to  his  defeat  by  the  Normans  before  Aberystwith  Castle. 
That  it  has  been  the  residence  of  our  princes  cannot  be  denied ; 
for  it  is  particularly  mentioned  by  Eineon  ap  Gvvgan,  who  flourished 
about  1244;  when  speaking  of  Llewelyn  the  Great,  he  (Eineon  ap 
Gwgan)  expressed  himself  to  this  purpose, — 

"  His  spear  flashes  in  the  hands  accustomed  to  martial  deeds ; 

"  It  kills,  and  puts  his  enemies  to  flight,  by  the  palace  of  the  Rheidol." 

It  appears  afterwards  to  have  been,  as  above-mentioned,  one  of  the 
residences  of  Owen  Glyndwr.  It  is  said  that  a  subterraneous  passage 
led  from  this  mansion  to  the  old  sanctuary  of  Llanbadarn-fawr,  and 
another  to  the  castle  of  Aberystwith,  but  notwithstanding  repeated 
trials,  the  remains  of  either  cannot  be  discovered.  The  castle  of 
Aber-Rheidol  was  taken  by  Rhys  ap  Gruffydd  (in  1164)  from  Roger 
Earl  of  Clare,  and  demolished.  This  was  but  a  retaliative  piece 
of  justice;  for  the  Earl,  a  little  time  before,  had  instigated  Llywarch, 

'**''  servant 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTIC'KS. 

servant  of  Eineon,  Rhys's  nephew,  to  murder  Eineon  in  bis  bed. — 
Castell  Strad  Pythyll,  not  far  from  Aber-Rheidol,  was  taken  in  1116 
by  Gruffydd  ap  Rhys.  It  then  belonged  to  Ralph,  steward  to 
Gilbert  Earl  of  Strigil. 

In  the  parish  of  Llanfihangel  Genau'r  Glyn  is  Gwely  Taliesin,  or 
Taliesin's  bed.     It  stood  by  the  high  road,  about  four  miles  from 
Aberystwith;   the    popular  superstition  respecting    which  is,  that 
should  any  one  sleep  in  this  bed  for  one  night  he  would  the  next  day 
become  either  a  poet  or  a  fool.     Tradition  informs  us  that  this  was 
the  sepulchre  of  Taliesin,  ben-beirdd  Cymru,  or  chief  bard  of  Wales, 
who  flourished  about  the  year  540.     It  seems  to  have  been  a  sort  of 
cistvaen,  four  feet  long  and  three  broad,  composed  of  four  stones,  one 
at  each  end  and  two  side  stones,  the  highest  nearly  a  foot  above  the 
ground;    but  no  part  of  this  monument  is  now  remaining,   some 
ruthless  hand  having  broken  the  stones,  and  converted  them  after- 
wards to  gate-posts.     Camden  (p.  647)  says,  "  I  take  this,  and  all 
others  of  this  kind,  for  old  heathen  monuments,  and  am  far  from 
believing  that  ever  Taliesin  was  interred  here."     But  to  proceed 
from  these  barbarous  monuments  (which  yet  are  no  more  rude  than 
those  of  our  neighbouring  nations  before  they  were  conquered  by  the 
Romans)  to  something  later  and  more  civilized. — In  this  parish  is 
Castle    Walter    (Sam  Gwallog).      Here    is  a  curious    echo    that 
reiterates  twice;    and  the  eminent   antiquary  Edward  Lhwyd   was 
born  here.     A  large  rude  stone  in  Penbryn  parish,  not  far  from  the 
church,  was  standing  some  years  ago,  in  a  small  heap  of  other  stones, 
close  by  the  place  where  it  now  lies  on  the  ground :  the  stone  is  as 
hard  as  marble,  and  has  an  inscription  in  large  and  fair  letters,  and 
deeper  inscribed  than  ordinary,    but  what  they   signify  does    not 
appear  to  have  been  ascertained.     In  the  same  parish  of  Penbryn  was 
found,  some  years  since,  a  British  gold  coin  weighing  more  than  a 
guinea.     From  this  and  many  others  found  in  several  places  in  this 
kingdom,  it  is  manifest  the  Britons  had  gold  and  silver  coins  of  their 
own  before  the  Roman  conquest;    unless  such  as   contend  for  the 
contrary  can  make  it  appear  that  these  coins  were  brought  in  by  the 
Phoenicians,  or  some  other  trading  nation,  which  has  not  yet  been 
shown.     There  are  several  tumuli  in  this  parish,  in  which  coins  and 
urns  have  been  discovered.      The  shore  at  Traeth  Saith,  i.  e.  the 
shallow  shore,  to  which  it  answers,  is  esteemed  the  finest  on  the  coast 
for  sea-bathing.     No  parish  in  the  principality  can  boast  of  a  greater 
number  of  fortresses   than  Penbryn,   as   every  hill  and  knoll  have 
been  used  as  places  of  defence.     Two  Agrarian  fortresses,  however, 
deserved  to  be  particularly  noticed,  viz.  Castell  Nadolig  and  Pwntan. 
Castell  Nadolig  is  a  large  camp,  with  three  moats  and  ramparts  at 
some  distance  from  each  other.     Being  intersected  with  fences,  and 
situate  on  a  level  hill,  it  is  often  passed  unnoticed,  though  adjoining 
the  road,  on   the  right-hand    side,    leading  from    Aberystwith   to 

Cardigan, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  77' 

Cardigan.  A  farm  hard  by  retains  the  name ;  and  close  to  it  is  a 
barrow.  Pwntan  stands  half-a-mile  to  the  south-west,  and  seems  to 
have  been  a  rival  camp;  it  is  of  equal  extent,  and  similarly  fortified 
with  Castell  Nadolig:  there  is  also  a  tumulus  adjoining  this  fortress. 
To  the  west  of  the  church  stands  the  inscribed  rude  stone  mentioned 
above,  and  the  farm  on  which  it  is  situated  is  called  Dyffryn  Bern. 
The  names  of  several  places  in  this  parish  are  indicative  of  the 
great  slaughter  in  former  times:  viz.  a  plain  called  Maes  Glas,  or 
Maes  Galanas,  meaning  the  field  of  massacre ;  and  not  far  off,  Pwll 
Glas,  the  pit  of  the  massacre;  and  Clos  Glas,  the  slaughtering 
inclosure.  Mr.  Evans  supposes  some  of  King  Arthur's  men  to  have 
been  slain  here,  through  the  treachery  of  Medrod  or  Mordred  his 
nephew.  Longborth  is  celebrated  by  Llywarch  Hen  as  being  the 
place  where  Geraint  ap  Erbin,  a  prince  of  Devon,  was  slain :  he  is 
mentioned  in  the  Triads  as  being  one  of  the  three  owners  of  fleets  of 
the  Isle  of  Britain,  the  other  two  being  March  ap  Meirchion  and 
Gwenwynwyn  ap  Naf.  There  is  a  farm  in  this  parish  called  Forth 
Geraint,  supposed  to  be  the  place  of  his  interment.  According  to 
the  before -mentioned  bard,  in  his  elegy  on  Geraint,  we  may  conclude 
the  carnage  to  have  been  dreadful, — "  the  warriors  standing  knee- 
deep  in  blood."  There  is  also  a  cistvaen  at  Cwm  Barren,  in  this 
parish.  The  parish  lies  along  the  bay  of  Cardigan,  and  is  very 
extensive,  but  barren  and  uncultivated. 

In  this  county  is  situate  Ystrad  Flur  Abbey,  or  Strata  Florida, 
near  the  source  of  the  Teifi,  a  monastery  according  to  Camden,  but 
Leland,  Farmer,  and  Dugdale  say  it  was  devoted  to  the  Cistercian 
monks  of  the  Cluniac  order.  It  is  in  the  farthest  recess  of  a 
mountainous  semicircle,  amid  numerous  coppices  of  wood,  and 
having  cultivated  land  to  the  steep  acclivities,  which  render  the 
situation  very  pleasant  and  desirable.  Of  this  abbey,  called  by  the 
Welsh  Mynachlog  Ystrad  Flur,  there  are  still  some  remains,  although 
they  are  very  inconsiderable  and  scarcely  worth  notice,  having  only  a 
wall  on  the  west  end  of  the  church,  with  a  gateway  of  Saxon  archi- 
tecture, which  is  of  fine  proportion  and  well  preserved.  The  church 
is  large,  with  a  long  and  cross  aisle,  but  the  foundation  appears  to 
have  been  60  feet  longer  than  it  is  at  present.  Near  the  large 
cloister  is  an  infirmary,  now  in  ruins ;  also  a  burying-ground,  meanly 
walled,  having  in  Leland's  time  39  large  yew-trees;  but  the  court 
before  the  abbey  is  spacious  and  handsome.  Tradition  says  Dafydd 
ap  Gwylym,  the  celebrated  bard,  was  buried  under  one  of  the  yew- 
trees.  This  abbey  was  originally  founded  by  Rhys  ap  GrufFydd, 
Prince  of  South  Wales  in  1164*  and  burnt  down  in  the  time  of 
Edward  the  First,  about  the  year  1294,  but  soon  after  rebuilt.  At 
the  dissolution  of  these  religious  institutions  it  was  valued  at  £1 18. 1  Is. 
per  annum.  The  extent  of  the  old  cemetery  is  said  to  be  120 
acres,  and  lead  coffins  are  frequently  dug  up  within  that  space ;  but 

what 


78  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

what  tends  to  confirm  this  is,  that  so  much  of  the  abbey  land  pays  no 
tithe.  Within  these  ancient  walls  was  regularly  kept  a  chronicle  of 
the  principal  transactions  among  our  British  princes,  with  all  the 
records  complete  from  1156  to  1273.  It  is  likewise  celebrated  as 
the  place  of  interment  of  many  of  our  Welsh  princes  and  abbots ;  but 
at  present  not  a  single  fragment  of  their  tombs  remains,  nor  even  a 
solitary  inscription  is  any  where  to  be  found.  Among  the  illustrious 
persons  interred  here,  the  monk  of  Llancarvan  gives  the  following 
names:— A.  D.  1176,  Cadell  ap  Gruffydd  ap  Rhys;  1185,  Hywelap 
leuaf;  1191,  Owen  ap  Rhys;  1202,  Rhys  ap  Gruffydd,  Prince  of 
South  Wales,  the  founder;  1204,  Howel  ap  Rhys,  by  the  side  of 
Gruffydd;  1209,  Maud  de  Bruce,  wife  of  Gruffydd  ap  Rhys,  buried 
in  a  monk's  cowl;  1221,  Rhys  ap  Rhys  Fychan;  1239,  Maelgon,  the 
son  of  Rhys  ap  Gruffydd;  1235,  Cadwallon  ap  Maelgon,  of  Maelie- 
nydd;  1235,  Owen,  the  son  of  Gruffydd  ap  Rhys ;  1238,  Llewelyn 
ap  lorwerth,  who,  being  indisposed,  assembled  before  him,  at  Ystrad 
Flur,  all  the  barons  and  lords  of  Wales,  to  do  homage  to  his  son 
David,  whom  he  named  his  successor. 

About  12  miles  from  Aberystwith,  on  the  Llanidloes  road,  is  Pont- 
ar-Fynach,  or  the  Devil's  bridge.  It  consists  of  two  arches,  one 
thrown  over  the  other.  The  old  bridge  (which  is  the  lower  arch)  is 
said  to  have  been  built  about  the  year  1087,  in  the  reign  of  William 
the  Second,  by  the  monks  of  Strata  Florida.  Giraldus  mentions 
passing  over  this  bridge  when  he  accompanied  Baldwin,  Archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  at  the  time  of  the  Crusades,  in  the  year  1188:  the 
upper  arch  was  built  perpendicularly  over  it  in  the  year  1753,  at  the 
expense  of  the  county,,  for  the  greater  safety  and  convenience  of 
travellers.  A  few  years  ago  the  bridge  was  embellished  with  iron 
railing,  at  the  expense  of  the  late  respected  Mr.  Johnes,  of  Havod. 
These  arches  span  a  chasm  in  a  tremendous  rock,  which,  when 
viewed  from  the  dingle  where  the  stream  runs,  has  an  appearance 
awfully  sublime;  and  the  rays  of  the  sun  being  intercepted  by  the 
elevated  situation  of  the  trees,  which  grow  impending  over  this 
impetuous  torrent,  add  greatly  to  the  sublimity  of  the  scene.  The 
cleft  in  the  rock  has  been  greatly  enlarged,  if  not  originally  caused, 
by  the  force  of  the  stream,  the  rapidity  of  which  is  increased  by  its 
confinement.  The  depth  of  the  water  on  the  south-west  side  is  in 
some  places  upwards  of  12  feet,  and  from  the  highest  arch  to  the 
water  99  feet.  On  the  north-east  side,  close  to  the  bridge,  it  mea- 
sures 1 14  feet;  this  difference  may  be  ascribed  to  the  declivity  under 
it,  which  is  very  considerable.  The  river,  bursting  from  its  re- 
strained course,  proceeding  through  broken  rocks,  and  interrupted 
by  fragments,  becomes  a  more  even  and  translucid  stream  for  about 
4  miles  north-east  from  the  bridge  till  within  a  few  yards  of  the  fall, 
where  it  is  confined  to  narrow  limits  by  the  rocks;  from  whence, 
bursting  with  terrific  roar,  it  is  carried  about  6  feet  over  the  craggy 

ridge, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  79 

ridge,  and,  descending  18  feet,  is  received  into  a  bason,  along  which 
it  flows  24  feet,  and  then  rushes  with  equal  impetuosity  to  a  descent 
of  60  feet,  Here  the  fall  is  again  interrupted  by  another  receiver, 
which,  like  the  former,  appears  to  have  been  worn  to  an  amazing 
depth.  The  agitation  of  the  water,  and  the  mist  occasioned  by  the 
fall,  which  for  some  time  is  taken  for  rain,  prevents  its  depth  being 
sounded ;  from  this  bason  it  hastens  to  another  descent  of  nearly  20 
feet,  but  reaching  that  extent  meets  with  obstructions  of  massy  rocks 
and  stones  of  a  prodigious  size,  which  it  encounters  with  irresistible 
violence,  and  forces  its  way  about  22  feet  to  the  precipice  of  the 
greatest  cataract:  the  water  then  uniting  passes  with  an  almost 
inconceivable  force  over  the  brink  of  the  rock,  and  becomes  a  large 
sheet;  in  that  state  it  falls  upwards  of  1 10  feet. 

*'  Between  two  meeting  hills  it  bursts  away» 

"  Where  rocks  and  woods  o'erhang  the  turbid  stream; 

"  There  gathering  triple  force,  rapid  and  deep, 

'<  It  boils,  and  wheels,  and  foams,  and  thunders  through."— THOMSON. 

The  river,  for  near  tliree  miles  from  this  spot,  is  enclosed  by  hills 
of  prodigious  magnitude,  some  wholly  clothed  with  trees,  except  an 
intervention  here  and  there  of  frightfully  projecting  rocks,  the  bot- 
toms of  which  are  very  dangerous  and  difficult  of  access;  but  a 
situation  near  the  brink  of  the  river  once  obtained,  the  spectator  is 
amply  repaid  with  a  scene  the  most  solemn  and  beautiful.  To 
describe  the  various  sounds  the  different  breaks  in  the  cataract  pro- 
duce can  but  be  done  by  a  simile  to  a  variation  of  the  keys  in  music; 
and  to  depict  the  scenery  with  which  you  are  here  surrounded,  ele- 
vated woods,  rocks,  and  the  rushing  of  the  river  (falling  more  than 
280  feet),  can  be  more  justly  done  by  an  accurate  drawing  than  by 
the  most  descriptive  pen.  At  the  jut  of  the  lowest  fall  in  the  rock  is 
a  cave,  said  to  have  been  inhabited  by  robbers,  two  brothers  and  a 
sister,  called  Plant  Mat  or  Plant  Fat/ who  used  to  steal  and  sell  the 
cattle  of  their  neighbours,  and  whose  retreat  was  not  discovered  for 
many  years.  The  entrance  being  just  sufficient  to  make  darkness 
visible,  and  admitting  but  one  at  a  time,  they  were  able  to  defend  it 
against  hundreds.  At  length,  however,  they  were  taken,  after 
having  committed  a  murder,  for  which  they  were  tried,  condemned, 
and  executed. 

Eglvvys  Newydd,  or  New  Church,  is  in  the  parish  of  Llanfihangel 
y  Creuddin,  and  situate  on  the  river  Ystwith.  The  original  church 
stood  at  a  place  called  Llan  Tri-Saint,  tliree  miles  nearer  the  mother 
church;  but  the  church  was  erected  on  the  present  spot  for  the 
convenience  of  the  Herbert  family,  who  lived  at  Hafod,  and  of  the 
Cwm  Ystwith  miners,  in  the  year  1620;  this  was,  however,  taken 
down,  and  the  present  elegant  structure  erected  about  the  year  1803, 
entirely  at  the  expense  of  Thomas  Johnes,  Esq.  M.  P.  for  the  County, 
and  Lord  Lieutenant,  who  thereby  added  an  additional  proof  to  the 
many  before  given  of  his  taste  and  unbounded  liberality.  It  is  a 

peculiarity 
A  a 


80  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

peculiarity  that  this  church  points  N.  E.  and  S.  W.  Mr.  Cumberland 
has  so  well  succeeded  in  his  attempt  to  describe  Hafod,  that  the 
reader  is  referred  to  his  little  treatise  for  a  full  account  of  the 
numerous  beauties  in  the  grounds  there.  Dr.  Meyrick,  in  his 
History  of  Cardiganshire,  page  371,  says,  "  Since  writing  the  above, 
a  most  dreadful  fire  (which  happened  early  in  the  morning  of  Friday, 
the  13th  of  March,  1807)  has  destroyed  this  classical  and  elegant 
mansion,  the  most  valuable  part  of  the  library,  all  the  painted  glass, 
and  two  of  the  pictures,  Cleopatra  by  Guercino,  and  Elijah  by 
Rembrandt.  Independent  of  the  £30,000,  for  which  a  part  was 
insured,  Colonel  Johnes's  loss  was  estimated  at  £70,000.  But  the 
pecuniary  loss  to  a  man  of  true  taste,  whose  whole  life  had  been 
occupied  in  forming  a  most  astonishing  concentration  of  literature  and 
the  Fine  Arts,  must  be  but  trifling  when  compared  with  the  dreadful 
sight  of  sudden  desolation  to  all  his  labours.  However,  happy  for 
himself  and  those  devoted  to  literature  and  taste,  his  assiduity  and 
perseverance  in  making  this  wonder  of  Wales,  have  been  only 
equalled  by  his  more  than  human  reconciliation  to  the  ci<  cumstance, 
and  his  determined  resolution  to  raise  another  Phoenix." — Mr.  Johnes 
again  rebuilt  the  mansion ;  which,  after  his  death,  passed,  with  the 
estate,  into  the  hands  of  trustees. 

Cwm  Ystwith  lead  mines  are  subterraneous  excavations,  which  lie 
on  the  side  of  two  mountains  to  the  right  of  the  river  Ystwith,  near 
Pentre  and  Pont-ar  Fynach.  These  mines  are  the  property  of  the 
Nanteos  family. 

At  the  distance  of  7  miles  from  Pont-ar  Fynach  wre  pass  (on  our 
right)  Ystradmeirig,  a  small  village,  formerly  defended  with  a  castle, 
which  was  destroyed  in  1136  by  Owen  Gwynedd,  but  again  rebuilt 
in  1150  by  Rhys,  Prince  of  South  Wales.  It  afterwards  suffered 
considerably,  and  was  entirely  destroyed  by  Maelgon  ap  Rhys  in 
1207,  to  prevent  its  falling  into  the  hands  of  Llewelyn  ap  lorwerth. 
There  was  here,  a  short  time  ago,  an  excellent  Grammar  School,  and 
perhaps  one  of  the  best  in  the  Principality,  which  had  been  estab- 
lished for  above  a  century,  and  always  continued  in  high  repute. 
At  this  seminary  most  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  county  were  educated, 
and  for  the  knowledge  and  profound  erudition  of  several  of  its 
professors  it  justly  gained  the  appellation  of  the  "  Welsh  College" 
at  Ystradmeirig. 

In  the  year  1827  a  new  college,  dedicated  to  Saint  David,  and 
under  the  Patronage  of  the  Bishops  of  St.  David's  and  Llandaflf,  was 
built  at  Lampeter,  in  this  county;  to  assist  the  building  of  which  his 
late  Most  Gracious  Majesty  George  the  Fourth,  with  his  usual 
munificence,  subscribed  the  sum  of  £1000.  Its  Tutors  are  selected 
from  the  English  Universities,  arid  possess  great  classical  knowledge ; 
and  Scholars  from  this  College  are  entitled  to  graduate,  &c.  as  from 
the  other  principal  Seminaries. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  81 

'  At  the  distance  of  5  miles  from  the  last-mentioned  place,  we  pass 
through  Caron,  or  Trefgaron  (the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to 
Saint  Caron,  who  assumed  the  sovereignty  of  Britain  about  the  year 
300),  a  poor,  ill-built,  straggling  town,  situate  in  an  abrupt  hollow, 
and  watered  by  an  arm  of  the  Teifi,  but  is  plentifully  interspersed 
with  woods,  which  form  a  pleasing  relief  to  the  surrounding  dreari- 
ness. The  church  is  a  respectable  old  building,  and  the  town  boasts 
the  dignity  of  a  Mayor,  but,  owing  to  improper  conduct  at  an  election 
in  the  year  1742,  the  Corporation  was  voted  by  the  House  of  Com- 
mons to  have  forfeited  their  Charter.  The  general  accommodation  in 
this  secluded  place  is  very  indifferent.  Llynymaes  (the  Lake  of  the 
Field),  where  tradition  says  the  town  of  Trefgaron  formerly  stood,  is 
three  miles  from  this  place.  In  our  road  is  a  large  mound,  encircled 
by  a  moat,  but  whether  it  was  the  site  of  an  ancient  citadel  or  a 
sepulchre  is  uncertain. 

Three  miles  beyond  Trefgaron  we  pass  (on  the  left  of  our  road) 
Llanddewi  Brefi,  situated  on  the  river  Teifi.  A  horn  of  an  ox  of  a 
very  extraordinary  size  was  preserved  in  this  church,  being  at  the 
root  17  inches  in  circumference,  and  as  heavy  as  a  stone,  seemingly 
petrified,  and  said  to  have  been  in  the  church  since  the  time  of  Saint 
David,  who  lived  in  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  century.  This  horn 
is  represented  as  full  of  large  cells  and  holes,  and  was  called  in 
Welsh  Matkorn-Ych-Dewi.  At  this  place  Thomas  Beck,  Bishop  of 
Saint  David's,  founded  a  college,  which  was  dedicated  to  that  Saint, 
in  the  year  1187,  for  a  precentor  and  12  prebendaries;  its  value  at 
the  Dissolution  was  £38.  11s.  per  annum.  A  synod  was  held  at  this 
place  in  522,  and  at  a  full  meeting  St.  David  opposed  the  opinions 
of  the  Pelagians,  at  that  time  reviving  in  Britain,  and  that  not  only 
out  of  Sacred  Scripture,  but  likewise  by  miracle;  for  it  is  reported 
that  the  ground  on  which  he  stood  preaching  mounted  up  to  a  hillock 
under  his  feet.  St.  Dubricius,  Archbishop  of  Caerleon,  having 
assisted  at  the  synod,  resigned  his  see  to  St.  David,  and  betook  him- 
self to  Bardsey  Island  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  devotion. 
In  the  church  of  Llan-Ddewi-Brefi  Humphrey  Lhwyd  tells  us  he 
found,  above  the  chancel  door,  an  ancient  inscription  on  a  tomb-stone 
now  destroyed.  Besides  the  inscriptions  of  the  Romans,  their  coins 
have  sometimes  been  found  here,  and  they  have  frequently  dug  up 
bricks  and  large  free-stone  neatly  wrought ;  for  which  reasons  Dr. 
Gibson  thinks  proper  to  fix  here  Lovantinum  or  Levantinum,  which 
Ptolemy  places  in  the  country  of  the  Dimeta3:  Mr.  Horsley  also  joins 
him  in  this  opinion.  Cam  Ddwr,  in  this  parish,  is  the  place  where  a 
battle  was  fought  in  the  year  1073,  between  Gronw  and  Llewelyn, 
the  sons  of  Cadwgan  ap  Bleddyn,  and  Rhys  ap  Owain  and  Rhydderch 
ap  Caradog :  the  chieftains  of  Powys  were  victorious,  Rhydderch 
was  slain,  and  notwithstanding  the  defeat,  Rhys  remained  the  sole 

'A  a  2 


82  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

sovereign  of  South  Wales.  Such  unnatural  contests,  it  is  much  to  be 
lamented,  continually  stain  the  British  annals.  A  society  is  estab- 
lished in  this  parish  fe  for  promoting  Christian  Knowledge  and 
Church  Union  in  the  Diocese  of  Saint  David." 

At  the  distance  of  six  miles  from  Llanddewi  Brefi  and  nine  from 
Trefgaron,  we  arrive  at  Llanbedr-Pont-Stephen,  a  small  town  in 
Camden's  time,  but,  like  most  others,  now  considerably  improved. 
Near  this  place  was  a  large  old  seat  of  Sir  Herbert  Lloyd,  which  is 
built  close  to  the  town,  and  exhibits  a  very  striking  appearance,  with 
its  four  great  towers,  crowned  with  domes,  in  the  middle  of  a  well- 
planted  inclosure.  The  town  and  its  environs  may  amuse  the  traveller 
with  a  transient  ray  of  cultivation,  when  compared  with  the  steep 
turf  fences,  amid  bleak  and  barren  mountains,  which  almost  encom- 
pass the  place,  excepting  within  the  distance  of  a  mile  each  way. 
Several  experiments  have  been  tried  in  planting  live  fences  to  the 
farms  of  this  district,  but,  we  are  told,  in  vain,  for  the  various  thorns, 
elders,  hazel,  and  birch  that  were  planted,  all  seem  decaying  or 
decayed.  The  furze  succeeded  best,  and  flourished  for  some  time  to 
a  good  height,  then  fell  a  sacrifice  to  the  same  hard  fate.  With  the 
powerful  assistance  of  lime  the  farmers  are  enabled  to  raise  a  small 
produce  of  oats  and  rye,  but  of  a  very  inferior  kind;  saintfoin  and 
clover  have  been  raised,  with  great  trouble  and  expense,  to  a  moderate 
degree  of  perfection,  which  will  suffice  to  give  a  provincial  some  idea 
of  its  wretchedness,  and  the  poor  subsistence  to  be  procured.  A  late 
writer  says  Llanbedr-Pont-Stephen  is  situated  in  the  beautiful  vale  of 
the  Teifi ;  and  about  half-a-mile  distant  from  the  town  is  a  bridge 
over  the  Teifi,  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  erected  by  King 
Stephen  in  one  of  his  excursions  into  Wales.  He  is  also  thought 
to  have  encamped  on  a  meadow  near  the  river,  still  called  the  King's 
Meadow;  and  in  an  adjoining  field  a  subterraneous  chamber  was 
discovered,  called  Seler  y  Brenhin,  i.  e.  the  king's  cellar.  Several 
curious  stone  steps  led  down  to  this  royal  apartment;  but  a  neigh- 
bouring farmer  lately  demolished  it  for  the  sake  of  the  stones  with 
which  it  was  constructed.  This  appears  to  have  been  a  much  larger 
place  formerly  than  at  present ;  and  the  number  of  its  inhabitants 
gave  them  some  consequence,  as  frequent  mention  is  made  in  the 
Welsh  Chronicle  of  the  men  of  Saint  Peter  having  accomplished 
some  action  or  other;  and  this  is  further  confirmed  by  a  piece  of 
ground  on  the  south-east  of  the  town,  called  Mynwent  Twmas,  i.  e. 
Saint  Thomas's  Church-yard,  in  which  pieces  of  lead  coffins  are 
frequently  dug  up.  The  tradition  is  that  the  ruins  of  the  church 
were  standing  about  two  hundred  years  ago,  and  the  street  leading  to 
it  is  called  Saint  Thomas's  Street.  There  is  a  house  in  the  town 
called  The  Priory,  in  the  garden  of  which  are  some  low  ruined  walls, 
and  an  old  yew-tree;  and  tradition  says  that  a  priory  formerly  stood 
near  this  spot,  but  it  is  not  mentioned  in  any  records  now  extant. 

J  There 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  83 

There  are  several  mineral  springs  in  the  neighbourhod,  but  they  are 
seldom  resorted  to.  Here  are  two  tumuli  or  castles,,  one  of  which  is 
not  far  from  the  church,  and  the  other  is  near  the  road  to  Aberyst- 
with;  the  fosses  round  the  latter  are  almost  complete.  On  a  common 
are  some  remains  of  a  Roman  road ;  and  near  Olwen  is  a  curious 
artificial  hill,  on  which  was  a  Roman  camp,  and  where  part  of  a 
Roman  military  mill  was  lately  discovered.  On  the  summit  of  the 
hill  to  the  eastward  of  this  camp  are  some  druidical  remains;  on  one 
side  whereof  is  a  large  Roman  encampment,  and  on  the  other  side  is  a 
«till  larger  British  or  Flemish  encampment  of  an  oval  form.  Casteli 
Rhegett  is  also  in  this  parish;  and  nearly  opposite  it,  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Teifi,  is  the  Gaer,  an  entrenched  British  post.  The 
Britons  seem  here  to  have  disputed  every  inch  of  ground  with  the 
invaders.  The  church  (dedicated  to  Saint  Peter  the  Apostle)  is  very 
ancient,  and  has  the  remains  of  a  rood-loft  within  it,  and  some  monu- 
ments of  the  family  of  Lloyd  of  Millfield. 

Millfield  was  a  very  ancient  seat  of  the  Lloyds,  Baronets.  The 
Vicar  of  Llandovery's  favourite  son  having  perished  in  an  intrigue 
there,  the  father  uttered  the  well-known  curse,— 

u  The  curse  of  God  on  Maes  y  Felin  hall, 
"  And  every  stone  in  its  detested  wall." 

The  country-people  will  have  it  that  the  family  never  throve  since — 
that  the  place  was  reduced  to  a  heap  of  ruins— and  when  the  estate 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Lloyds  of  Peterwell,  that  they  soon  felt  the 
•effects  of  the  same  malediction,  and  every  family  that  subsequently 
came  into  possession  of  these  obnoxious  lands;  in  proof  whereof  they 
shew  the  beautiful  house  of  Peterwell,  now  a  mass  of  rubbish.  In  a 
charming  situation,  on  the  side  of  a  sloping  hill  to  the  west  of  the 
church,  stood  anciently  the  mansion  of  the  lords  of  Llanbedr,  called 
Arglwyddi  Llanbedr.  Tradition  represents  them  as  men  of  great 
opulence,  and  points  out  the  remains  of  a  causeway  that  led  by  a 
stone  bridge  over  the  river  Croyw  Ddwr,  in  a  direct  line  from  the 
mansion  house  to  the  west  door  of  the  church.  This  estate  fell 
subsequently  into  the  hands  of  Lord  Marchmont's  family,  and 
some  elderly  persons  lately  living  remembered  Lord  Marchmont  in 
possession  of  part  of  it.  Archbishop  Baldwin  and  Giraldus  de 
Barri  are  stated  to  have  successfully  promoted  the  service  of  the  cross 
here  by  their  united  exhortations. 

About  3J  miles  from  Llanbedr  is  Llanwnen.  The  church  is 
dedicated  to  Saint  Gwynin,  a  saint  who  lived  in  the  middle  of  the 
sixth  century.  This  place  is  situated  on  the  river  Crannel.  Not  far 
from  the  church  is  a  moated  tumulus,  called  Casteli  Ddu.  or  the 
Black  Castle.  A  few  years  ago  several  curious  silver  coins  were  dug 
up  in  a  field  belonging  to  a  farm  called  Cefn  Llew  Tref. 

In  the  parish  of  Llandysilio  Gogo,  or  Gogofau,  situate  on  the  bay 
of  Cardigan,  is  a  very  curious  inelosure,  called  Garn  Wen,  i.  e.  the 

white 


84  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

white  heap,  above  a  farm  of  the  name  of  Cilieu.  It  is  nearly  circular, 
being  68  yards  in  diameter,  and  composed  of  loose  stones  divided 
into  three  compartments.  It  is  encompassed  by  a  low  rampart, 
constructed  also  of  stone.  A  piece  of  ground  about  three  acres,  to 
the  south-west,  seems  to  have  had  a  mound  of  earth  thrown  up  round 
it,  and  appears  to  have  been  an  appendage  to  Garn  Wen.  For 
whatever  purpose  it  was  erected,  it  must  have  been  a  place  of  great 
celebrity  and  strength,  as  the  stone  walls  in  its  vicinity  seem  all  to 
have  been  taken  from  the  agger.  Perhaps  it  was  an  ancient  court  of 
justice,  such  as  were  termed  Grithhail  by  the  Scots,  and  Parle  or 
Parling  Hill  by  the  Irish.  The  hill  to  the  west  of  it  is  called  Ceven 
y  Cwrt,  i.  e.  The  Court  Hill,  to  this  day.  Above  Llwyn  Dafydd  is 
a  fortress  known  by  the  names  of  Castell  Llwyn  Dafydd  and  Castell 
Caerwedros.  It  has  two  circumvallations,  and  is  about  200  feet  in 
diameter.  The  inner  part  has  the  appearance  of  a  large  tumulus, 
the  ditches  are  deep,  and  the  mounds  proportionably  high.  To  the 
north,  adjoining  the  outer  moat,  is  a  small  square  piece  of  ground, 
fortified  with  a  single  work  only.  It  seems  too  limited  to  have  been  a 
place  of  defence,  but  looks  like  the  barrow  of  a  chieftain  strongly 
moated  round,  or  the  scene  of  bardic  meetings.  If  a  castle,  as 
commonly  called,  it  must  have  beeu  Castell  Mab  Wynion,  i.  e. 
the  castle  of  the  sons  of  Wyneaon,  being  in  the  Cwmwd  of  Mab 
Wynion,  and  not  of  Caerwedros,  which  borders  the  river  Teifi. 
Castell  Mab  Wynion  was  taken  by  Rhys  ap  Griffith  in  1164;  and 
in  an  arbitration  between  the  family  of  Rhys  ap  Griffith,  this  castle 
was  allotted  to  young  Rh)7s.  Castell  Caerwedros  was  taken  by 
Owain  Gwynedd  and  Cadwalader  in  1136,  which  is  all  the  history  of 
it  that  now  remains. 

In  the  parish  of  Bangor,  or  Bann  Cor,  i.e.  the  choir  on  the  steep 
hill,  is  an  old  round  tump  of  earth,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant 
from  the  church,  called  Castell  Pistog,  i.e.  the  Castle  of  Pistog,  who, 
as  report  says,  was  anciently  the  proprietor  of  all  the  land  in  this 
lordship.  There  is  a  hollow  on  the  top  of  this  tump,  where,  it  is  said, 
Pistog  regaled  his  tenants  once  a  year,  under  a  large  woollen  canopy 
erected  for  that  purpose.  The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  David. 
Blaen  Porth  has  its  chapel  dedicated  to  Saint  David.  Blaen 
Porth  is  derived  from  Blaen  (a  source)  and  Porth  (a  port).  The 
term  is  not  very  appropriate,  as  the  tide  comes  no  further  inland  than 
Aber  Porth.  There  is  a  chalybeate  spring  close  to  Tyllwyd,  but  its 
efficacy  is  little  known.  There  is  a  hilly  fortress,  called  Gaer,  but 
sometimes  called  Castell  Gwythan,  erected  by  Gilbert  Earl  ofStrygil, 
and  the  Flemings,  at  Blaen  Porth  Gwythan,  about  200  yards  north 
of  the  church.  It  was  besieged  by  Gruffydd  ap  Rhys  in  the  year 
1116,  and  being  taken,  after  many  assaults,  with  the  loss  of  41  of  his 
own  men,  it  was  burnt  to  the  ground.  It  must  have  been  a  strong 
plate  both  by  nature  and  art  from  what  remains  of  it.  It  has  but  a 

single 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 


85 


single  ditch  and  rampart.  At  one  end  of  it  is  a  lofty  mount,  either  a 
watch  tower  or  tumulus.  There  is  another  camp  in  this  parish,  not 
far  from  the  above,  called  Gaer  Sonydd,  but  much  smaller.  There 
is  also  a  small  but  very  strong  one  by  the  sea-coast,  called  Tudor's 
Castle.  Near  the  church  of  Bryn  Gwynn  (dedicatee!  to  Saint  Mary) 
is  a  very  strong  intrenchment,  called  Gaer,  a  denomination  given  to  a 
vast  number  of  similar  camps  or  fortresses.  The  name  Bryn  Gwynn 
implies  "  the  White  Mount." 

Capel  Cynin. — The  chapel,  which  is  now  in  ruins,  was  dedicated 
to  Saint  Cynin,  a  saint  who  lived  in  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century. 
There  are  two  fairs  held  annually  on  an  adjoining  hill.  Cwm  Cynin, 
or  Cynin's  Vale,  was  anciently  a  place  of  more  grandeur  than  at 
present,  and  was  the  seat  of  the  Parry  s  of  Gernos.  King  Henry  the 
Seventh,  with  the  army  that  joined  him  under  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas, 
encamped  for  one  night  on  a  small  eminence  opposite  Cwm  Cynin,  in 
their  march  to  Bosworth.  The  country-people  relate  a  story  of  a 
golden  goblet  left  behind  him,  and  claimed  afterwards,  by  the  king's 
orders,  by  the  Vaughans  of  Golden  Grove,  in  the  county  of  Caer- 
marthen ;  where,  they  say,  it  is  kept  to  this  day. 

Maelgon,  having  entered  the  country  of  his  nephews  in  an  hostile 
manner,  encamped  at  Cil  Cennin  in  1210,  where  he  was  attacked  by 
Rhys  and  Owain  in  the  night,  at  the  head  of  only  300  men,  who  slew 
many  in  their  sleep,  and  obliged  the  rest  to  make  their  escape  by 
favour  of  the  darkness  of  the  night ;  only  Maelgon's  guard  valiantly 
kept  their  post,  and  defended  their  lord  till  he  had  time  and  oppor- 
tunity to  escape.  His  nephew,  Conan  ap  Hywel,  with  his  chief 
counsellor  Gruflfydd  ap  Cadwgan,  were  both  taken  prisoners;  and 
Einion  ap  Caradog,  with  a  great  number  more,  were  slain  on  the 
spot. 

There  is  an  ancient  monumental  stone  in  the  church-yard  of  Llan- 
wnws  (the  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Gwnnws). 

The  parish  of  Hen  Fynyw  is  mostly  celebrated  as  having  been  the 
place  in  which  Saint  David,  in  his  early  days,  was  brought  up. 
The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  David. 

In  the  parish  of  Henllan,  which  is  situate  on  the  banks  'of  the 
river  Teifi,  is  one  of  the  finest  cascades  on  that  river,  called  Ffrwden 
Henllan. 

In  the  parish  of  Llanarth  Henry  the  Seventh  encamped  the  second 
night  on  his  march  through  this  country,  at  Wern  Newydd.  The 
church  of  this  parish  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Vylltyg,  and  stands  on  the 
summit  of  a  high  hill  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Llethy,  which  falls 
into  the  sea  at  Llanina. — Noyaddarth  is  a  large  modern  house  belong- 
ing to  Colonel  Brooke. 

The  parish  church  of  Llanbadarn  Odwyn,  dedicated  to  Saint 
Padarn,  is  situated  on  a  very  high,  cold,  and  bleak  hill,  commanding 
a  delightful  prospect  of  the  fertile  vale  of  Aeron.  It  consists  simply 

of 


86  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

of  a  nave  and  chancel,  and  stands  on  a  cemetery  walled  in.  Its 
name  imports  that  it  was  dedicated  to  Saint  Paternus  or  Patrick,  the 
founder  of  Llanbadarn-Fawr :  and  its  epithet  Odwyn  (very  white) 
seems  to  have  been  judiciously  applied,  as  it  may  be  seen  for  some 
miles  off  on  every  side,  conspicuously  exhibiting  a  contrast  to  the 
green  turf  beneath. 

Llanddygwydd  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Tegwedd,  a 
female  saint,  who  lived  about  the  beginning  of  the  fifth  century. 
Near  Cefnarth  bridge,  in  this  parish,  is  the  famous  salmon  leap  (and 
not  at  Cilgerran  as  mentioned  by  Camden).  The  church  has  lately 
been  rebuilt  in  a  neat  and  elegant  manner.  There  were  two  chapels 
belonging  to  this  church :  the  one  at  Noyadd,  of  which  some  traces 
remain  in  a  field  called  Pare  y  Capel;  and  the  other  at  Cefnarth, 
close  to  the  bridge,  on  the  site  of  which  a  turnpike  gate  now  stands. 
East  of  the  church  is  a  small  camp  called  Gaer,  and  within  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  to  the  south  a  barrow;  and  there  are  barrows  on  Pen  y 
Bryn  Bwa.  This  is  a  very  extensive  and  well-wooded  parish. 

In  the  parsh  of  Llandyssil  were  formerly  6  chapels,  each  of  which 
stood  in  a  separate  hamlet,  but  they  are  all  now  so  dilapidated  that 
scarcely  any  vestige  of  them  remains.  In  the  church-yard  is  an  old 
inscribed  stone,  and  in  different  parts  of  the  parish  are  some  carneddau 
and  tumuli.  Castell  Hywel,  or  Howel's  Castle,  is  in  this  parish;  but 
there  is  no  historical  record  of  it. 

In  the  parish  of  Llanfair  Trelygon,  the  church  (which  was  dedi- 
cated to  Saint  Mary)  is  in  ruins.  On  the  south  side  of  the  church  is 
a  singular  moated  tumulus,  formerly  used  as  a  place  of  defence. 

Llanfihangel  Llethyr-Troed  (the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to 
Saint  Michael)  is  nine  miles  south-east  of  Aberystwith.  In  the 
church-yard  is  the  grave  of  that  celebrated  bard,  the  Rev.  Evan 
Evans  (born  at  Cynhan-dref  about  the  year  1730),  who  is  called  (very 
justly)  by  Mr.  Yorke  "  that  wayward  child  of  genius."  He  was 
known  among  his  brother  poets  by  the  name  of  Prydydd  Hir  (or  the 
long  bard).  He  was  undoubtedly  a  good  scholar,  an  eminent  Welsh 
poet,  and  a  great  compiler  and  transcriber  of  Welsh  manuscripts ;  but 
the  most  imprudent  of  all  men.  All  the  manuscripts  that  Mr.  Evans 
possessed  at  his  death,  in  1790,  became  the  property  of  the  late 
Paul  Panton,  Esq.  of  Plas  Gwyn,  in  Anglesea,  in  consideration  of  an 
annuity  of  £20,  which  that  gentleman  settled  upon  him.  The  name 
Llethyr-Troed  probably  means  "  the  foot  of  a  declivity  or  slope." 
There  is  a  spring  of  chalybeate  water  in  this  parish,  which  was 
formerly  much  resorted  to,  but  its  virtue  is  not  now  generally 
known.  There  are  several  carneddau  or  tumuli  to  be  seen  on  the 
hills,  which  the  superstition  of  the  vulgar  has,  as  usual,  attributed  to 
the  agency  and  work  of  the  devil. 

Llan-Gynfelin  is  situate  in  the  hundred  of  Genau-'r-Glyn.     The 
church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Cynfelyn,  a  saint  who  lived  about  the 

beginning 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  87 

beginning  of  the  sixth  century.  Cynfelyn  is  also  the  British  name  for 
Cunobeline.  This  parish  is  situate  on  the  river  Lery,  and  extends  to 
the  bay  of  Cardigan.  Caer  Wyddno,  or  Patches,  is  a  patch  of  foul 
ground  lying  about  two  leagues  from  Aberystwith,  dry  at  times  and 
very  dangerous  ;  from  whence  there  is  a  narrow  ridge  of  foul  ground 
to  Gwallog,  called  Sam  Gynfelyn,  which  makes  the  bay  of  Aber- 
ystwith. A  perch  or  landmark  might  be  erected  on  Caer  Wyddno, 
which  would  be  of  great  service  to  navigation,  and  be  the  means  of 
preventing  numbers  of  ships  being  lost.  Tradition  says  that  Caer 
Wyddno  was  the  city  or  castle  of  Gwyddno  Garanhir,  Prince  of 
Cantref  y  Gwaelod,  whose  extensive  domains  were  overflowed  by  the 
sea  about  the  close  of  the  sixth  century.  Yet  tradition  is  but  a 
vague  authority,  unless  attended  by  some  corresponding  circum- 
stances, and  which  we  fortunately  have  in  this  instance.  A  Welsh 
bard  records  this  disastrous  event  in  the  following  words: — 

"  Uchenaid  Gwyddno  Garanhir; 

"  Pan  droes  y  dou  droes  ei  dir." 

The  lamentation  of  Gwyddno  the  Long-headed, 

When  his  land  was  overflowed. 

Cantref  y  Gwaelod  is  supposed  to  have  occupied  that  portion  of 
Saint  George's  Channel  which  lies  between  the  mainland  and  a  line 
drawn  from  Bardsey  Isle  to  Ramsay,  in  the  county  of  Pembroke. 
Mr.  Edward  Lhwyd  greatly  corroborated  this  tradition;  having 
observed  roots  and  stumps  at  a  low  ebb  in  the  sands  between  Borth 
and  Aberdyfi,  in  the  county  of  Cardigan.  And  Giraldus  says,  that 
Saint  David's  head  extended  farther  into  the  sea,  and  that  trunks  of 
trees  with  fresh  marks  of  the  axes  were  apparent. 

Llanio  is  situate  in  the  hundred  of  Penarth,  and  is  generally  consi- 
dered as  the  ancient  Loventinum  of  the  Romans,  and  a  considerable 
station  on  the  great  western  road,  called  Sarn  Elen,  between  Mari- 
dunum  or  Caermarthen  and  Penallt,  near  Machynlleth.  Several 
coins  and  culinary  utensils  have  been  dug  up  here ;  and  three  Roman 
inscribed  stones  are  built  up  in  the  walls  of  two  cottages  on  this  spot. 
On  one  of  them  in  the  wall  by  the  side  of  the  door  is  to  be  read,  "  Caii 
artis  manibus  primus:"  and  on  a  chimney  of  another  cottage  may  be 
read — "  Overioni."  The  porch  of  this  last  house,  a  very  large  one, 
now  serving  for  a  seat,  but  much  obliterated,  has  on  it  "  Cohors 
Secundee  Augusta  fecit  quinque  passus;"  which  shews  that  a  cohort 
of  the  second  legion  of  Augustus  was  stationed  here,  and  built  a  part 
of  the  walls  of  the  city.  Almost  the  whole  of  this  place  is  covered 
with  fragments  of  the  finest  brick,  which  the  Romans  must  have 
brought  with  them.  There  are  also  some  small  remains  of  pieces  of 
brick-work  and  lime  mixed  with  common  stone  still  to  be  seen ;  and 
one  entire  piece,  having  its  surface  smooth  and  polished,  was  taken 
up  not  long  ago,  and  placed  at  the  bottom  of  an  oven  then  making  at 
a  neighbouring  mill,  where  it  still  remains.  In  one  of  the  grounds  of 
this  farm  a  large  piece  of  uushapen  lead  was  dug  up,  which  when 

melted 


88  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

melted  weighed  16  pounds.  There  is  a  piece  of  ground  to  the 
south-east  of  the  church,  called  Cae  'r  Castell,  or  the  field  of  the 
castle,  in  which  are  still  the  remains  of  the  foundations  of  buildings. 

Llanwenog  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Gwynog,  a  saint  of 
the  congregation  of  Catwg  or  Cadog  (the  wise),  and  who  lived  in  the 
middle  of  the  fifth  century.  The  Danes,  under  their  leader  Godffryd, 
invaded  South  Wales  in  981,  desolated  the  county  of  Pembroke,  and 
demolished  Saint  David's;  but  having  fought  the  celebrated  battle  of 
Llanwenog,  in  which  the  Welsh,  probably  commanded  by  Eineon  ap 
Hywel  Dda,  were  victorious,  they  were  forced  to  retire  out  of  the 
country.  There  is  a  fortress  in  this  parish,  called  Castell  Moyddyn. 
It  is  inserted  in  Mr.  Owen's  map,  but  history  makes  no  mention  of  it; 
and  being  in  the  Cwmwd  of  Caerwedros,  it  is  highly  probable  that 
they  are  the  same. 

Llan  y  Gwyryddon  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Ursula  and 
the  Eleven  Thousand  Virgins.  There  is  in  this  parish  a  large 
common,  containing  about  800  acres,  uninclosed,  called  King's  Com- 
mon :  it  is  situate  on  the  south-west  bank  of  the  river  Gwyrefawr. 
In  the  church-yard  is  an  ancient  monumental  stone,  which  serves  as  a 
gate-post,  bearing  the  figure  of  a  cross,  much  ornamented,  but  with- 
out any  inscription. 

Silian  (or  Sulien)  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Sulien,  a  saint  who 
lived  in  the  former  part  of  the  sixth  century.  In  the  church-yard  is 
an  ancient  carved  stone  monument. 

Tref  liar  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Hilary.  This  parish 
lies  in  the  vale  of  Aeron.  The  old  church  was  pulled  down  in  the 
month  of  May,  1806,  and  a  new  one  of  much  smaller  dimensions 
erected  in  its  stead.  The  castle  of  Tref  liar  was  begun  by  Maelgon 
ap  Rhys,  and  finished  by  Maelgon  Fychan,  his  son,  in  the  year  1233. 

Tremaen,  or  Tremain,  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Michael. 
It  is  supposed  to  take  its  name  from  the  vast  stone  called  Llech  yr 
Ast,  and  the  cistvaens  near  it,  which,  although  in  the  parish  of  Llan- 
goedmawr,  stand  within  half-a-mile  west  of  this  church. 

Troed  yr  Aur  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Michael.  Tradi- 
tion says  that  there  was  formerly  a  chapel  in  this  parish,  called  Capel 
Twr  Gwynn  ;  but  there  are  now  no  vestiges  of  it.  The  present  name 
of  the  parish  "Troed  yr  AUF,"  signifies  the  golden  foot,  from  the 
supposition  that  gold  was  formerly  found  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain 
on  which  the  church  stands;  but  it  was  anciently  called  Llanfihangel 
Tref  Teyrn. 

At  Bronginin,  in  the  parish  of  Llanbadarn-fawr,  the  celebrated 
poet  Dafydd  ap  Gwylim  was  bom ;  he  is  generally  styled  the  Welsh 
Ovid,  and  flourished  from  about  the  year  1330  to  1370.  In  the 
early  period  of  his  life  he  enjoyed  the  munificent  patronage  of  Ifor 
the  Generous.  What  signalized  his  life  the  most  arose  from  his 
passion  for  the  fair  Morfudd,  uncler  the  influence  of  which  he  com- 
posed 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  89 

posed  147  poems,  addressed  to  her.  After  all,  he  failed  of  obtaining 
her,  though  their  love  was  mutual;  for  her  friends  sought  to  render 
her  happy  by  a  wealthy  connexion,  rather  than  listen  to  the  persuasive 
eloquence  of  his  muse.  She  was,  therefore,  married  to  Rhys  Gwgan, 
an  officer  who  served  in  the  English  army  in  the  celebrated  battle  of 
Cressy,  in  the  year  1346;  but  Davydd  ap  Gwylim  seduced  Morfudd 
to  elope  with  him  during  the  absence  of  her  husband  in  France,  and 
in  consequence  of  such  a  breach  of  the  laws  he  was  put  in  prison.  He 
was  soon  liberated  by  the  inmnence  of  the  principal  people  of  the 
counties  of  Glamorgan  and  Monmouth;  to  whom,  in  return  for  their 
good  offices,  he  composed  a  most  beautiful  poem.  The  works  of 
Davydd  were  printed  in  London  in  1789,  edited  by  Owen  Jones  and 
William  Owen.  The  above-named  Ifor  the  Generous  was  an  ancestor 
of  the  Tredegar  family. 

Ferwick  has  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Pedrog,  a  saint  who  lived 
about  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  century.  In  this  parish  is  a  farm^ 
called  Nant  y  Flymon  (or  Flyman),  which  takes  its  name  from  the 
Flemings  having  landed  at  a  beach  near  a  small  brook  just  by.  The 
desperate  resistance  they  met  with  is  confirmed  by  a  large  heap  on 
this  farm,  near  the  sea,  composed  of  the  bones  of  the  invaders,  which 
frequently  now  appear  as  the  wind  disperses  the  sand  in  which  they 
are  buried.  This  mound  of  sand  is  very  near  Mount  Church,  and  the 
tradition  is,  that  the  Flemings,  having  landed  on  a  small  beach  called 
Traeth  y  Mwnt,  were  met  by  the  natives,  and  a  bloody  battle  ensued 
on  the  first  Sunday  after  New  Year's  Day,  which  from  that  circum- 
stance was  called  the  Red  Sunday,  in  Welsh  Sul  Coch.  This  appella- 
tion was  given,  no  doubt,  in  consequence  of  blood  having  been  shed 
on  that  day.  The  neighbourhood  was  accustomed  to  meet  on  that 
Sunday  till  within  a  few  years  ago,  when  wrestling  and  kicking 
football  usually  took  place.  It  appears  to  have  been  an  anniversary 
commemorating  a  victory,  as  the  recollection  of  a  defeat  would  hardly 
be  revived.  The  parish  skirts  the  river  Teifi  to  its  mouth;  this  river 
is  theTuerobis  fl.  sestium  of  Ptolemy,  where  vast  quantities  of  salmon, 
turbot,  dories,  flounders,  herrings,  cod,  whitings,  &c.  are  taken. 
A  barrow  here  gives  to  the  tenement  whereon  it  stands  the  name  of 
Crtig. 

Aber  Aeron  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  bay  of  Cardigan,  at  the 
entrance  of  the  river  Aeron,  and  has  a  small  port,  the  bar  of  which  is 
dry  at  low  water.  Near  this  place  is  Sarn  Cadwgan. 

Plinlimmon,  or  Puml union,  is  a  dreary  mountain  among  many 
others,  situate  partly  in  Cardiganshire  and  partly  in  Montgomery- 
shire, about  15  miles  from  Aberystwith.  The  surface  of  the  lower 
parts  of  the  mountain  is  covered  with  soft  mossy  turf  and  low  heath, 
but  often  broken  with  rugged  and  tremendous  bogs,  or  in  some 
places  entirely  overspread  with  large  loose  stones,  while  in  others  the 
protuberances  of  white  rocks  give  it  a  singular  appearance  on 

approaching 


90 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 


approaching  its  base.  The  toil  in  ascending  is  very  considerable,  and 
generally  not  advisable,  unless  the  day  is  clear  and  free  from  fogs, 
the  concomitants  of  these  mountains;  otherwise  the  curious  are 
involved  in  impenetrable  darkness.  On  ascending  the  east  side  of  the 
peak  the  view  is  remarkably  fine,  but  the  ascent  very  troublesome  to 
a  pyramid  of  loose  stones  resembling  a  earn,  with  two  more  on  the 
summit  much  larger,  supposed  to  have  been  used  formerly  as  beacons 
to  give  notice  of  an  enemy  approaching,  by  burning  fire  on  the  tops, 
which  might  be  seen  from  more  than  ten  counties.  In  a  bog  near  the 
first  earn  was  found,  some  years  since,  the  blade  of  a  British  spear  or 
pike,  called  Ffonwayw;  it  was  two-edged,  and  about  10  inches  long, 
for  fastening  to  the  end  of  a  pole,  such,  perhaps,  as  Owen  Glyndwr 
used  in  1401,  when  he  posted  himself  on  this  mountain,  with  130 
men,  to  receive  succours  from  his  friends  and  vassals  in  North  and 
South  Wales.  From  hence  his  followers  made  their  plundering 
excursions,  and  were  the  terror  of  all  that  refused  to  espouse  his 
cause.  Having  attained  the  summit,  on  a  clear  day,  the  views  unfold 
themselves  more  wild  and  extensive  than  it  is  possible  to  describe : 
they  exhibit  mountains,  as  it  were,  over  each  other,  and  under  the 
most  sublime  forms  and  beautiful  hues  imaginable,  varying  and  shifting 
until  they  insensibly  lose  themselves  in  the  horizon,  and  including 
Cader  Idris  and  Snowdon.  Such  are  the  grandeur  and  picturesque 
scenery  on  a  clear  day,  which  is  rather  uncommon,  these  mountains 
being  generally  attended  by  a  heavy  and  hazy  atmosphere,  the 
common  precursors  of  rain.  After  a  copious  fall  of  rain  this  mountain 
teems  with  innumerable  cataracts  of  considerable  beauty ;  but  the 
most  celebrated  characteristic  of  this  mountain  is,  that  it  gives  rise  to 
no  less  than  five  springs,  or  rivers,  from  whence  is  derived  the  name 
Pum  (five)  Lumon  (springs  or  fountains).  The  river  Wye  issues 
from  a  spacious  hollow  in  this  mountain,  where  the  water  falls,  in  a 
narrow  stream,  several  hundred  yards  nearly  perpendicular,  till, 
meeting  with  various  small  currents,  it  soon  forms  a  cataract  rolling 
with  astonishing  rapidity  over  a  rocky  course.  From  the  same  ridge 
of  mountains,  north-east  of  the  top,  rise  the  Severn  and  the  Rheidol: 
the  latter  empties  itself  into  the  Irish  Channel  at  Aberystwith;  and 
the  former,  after  an  extent  of  200  miles,  runs  into  the  sea  below 
Bristol.  The  Llyflfnant  and  Fynach  are  also  considerable  streams, 
but  not  so  important  as  the  preceding.  This  and  all  the  adjacent 
hills  and  enclosures  are  destitute  of  wood ;  neither  has  the  hand  of 
cultivation  yet  approached  its  vicinity,  which  gives  the  whole  a  wild 
and  solitary  gloom.  At  a  hovel  near  the  bottom  of  the  mountain  a 
guide  is  sometimes  to  be  had;  and  the  ascent  without  one  is  very 
precarious  and  difficult. 

The  following  eminent  Men  were  Natives  of  Cardiganshire  :^- 
EdwardLhwyd,  antiquary;  Rev.  Robert  Evans,  bard;  and  David  ap 
Gwylim.  the  Welsh  Ovid. 

RADNORSHIRE. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  91 


RADNORSHIRE. 

(called  in  the  Ancient  British  language  Sir  Vaes 
Yved)  possesses  every  advantage  of  water,  particularly  the  rivers 
Wye,  Tame,  Jthon,  and  Somergil :  likewise  several  copious  streams, 
asDulas,  Clewedog,  Marteg,  and  Cymaron,  which  run  nearly  through 
the  centre  of  the  county,  and  are  much  praised  by  the  angler  and 
epicure  for  an  abundance  of  salmon,  trout,  and  grayling:  together 
with  several  standing  lakes,  particularly  Llyn  Gwyn,  near  Rhayader, 
and  Glanhilyn,  on  Radnor  Forest,  both  of  which  afford  plenty  of 
fish.  In  the  vale  of  Radnor  are  numerous  lime-kilns ;  but  coal  is 
not  obtained  in  this  county,  though  at  Llandrindod  a  brown  or 
blackish  earth,  plentifully  mixed  with  a  mineral  bitumen,  the  certain 
effect  of  coal,  is  very  conspicuous.  In  this  district  are  many  mineral 
springs  of  great  celebrity ;  and  the  woods  and  hills  are  no  less  cele- 
brated for  game. 

RHAYADER, 

or  Rhaiadr-Gwy,  so  called  from  the  rumbling  noise  and  impetuosity 
of  the  river  rustling  amidst  the  resisting  rocks,  is  situate  on  the 
river  Wye,  near  the  cataract,  from  whence  it  takes  name  (Rhaiadr 
signifying  a  cataract).  It  was  formerly  the  chief  village  in  Maelienydd, 
the  district  being  so  called  from  its  yellowish  mountains;  but  at 
present  Rhayader  is  a  considerable  market  town.  It  lies  in  a  valley 
environed  by  the  neighbouring  hills,  divided  into  four  streets  in  the 
form  of  a  cross :  the  county  gaol  was  formerly  here,  but  a  new  one 
has  been  erected  at  Presteign,  where  the  Quarter  Sessions  are  now 
held.  The  site  of  the  old  gaol  is  at  present  a  meeting-house,  which 
shews  some  massive  stone  pillars;  and  several  rings  were  found  in 
erecting  this  religious  edifice.  In  the  centre  of  the  town  stands  the 
town-hall,  a  handsome  modern  square  building,  erected  about  the 
year  1768.  The  church  is  also  a  modern  structure,  built  in  the  form 
of  an  oblong  square,  with  a  quadrangular  stone  tower,  and  turrets: 
the  internal  parts  consists  of  a  nave  and  chancel.  In  ancient  times 
Rhayader  derived  considerable  importance  from  its  castle,  which 
stood  on  a  nook  of  the  river  Wye,  at  the  extremity  of  Maes-bach,  a 
small  common  near  the  town.  Of  the  superstructure  nothing  re- 
mains, but  the  original  foundation  may  be  traced  to  the  south-east, 
where  it  has  still  a  deep  trench,  cut  out  of  a  hard  rock  leading  to  the 
river :  there  is  another  trench  more  south,  forming  three  sides  of  a 
quadrangle,  and  about  8  feet  deep.  There  appears  to  have  been 
left  originally,  between  the  two  trenches,  a  narrow  space,  by  which 
the  town  held  communication  with  the  castle,  and  which  is  at  present 
the  only  entrance.  Immediately  below  the  latter  is  a  fosse,  about  16 

feet 


92  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

feet  deep  and  12  wide,  running  along  the  foundation  of  the  old 
fortress  until  it  communicates  with  a  steep  precipice,  the  bottom  of 
which  is  even  with  the  bed  of  the  river.  Adjoining  this  fosse,  at 
irregular  distances,  are  several  barrows,  for  purposes  unknown ;  and 
at  the  distance  of  two  furlongs  below  the  site  of  the  castle  there  is  a 
large  tumulus,  called  Tommen  Llansaintfraed,  supposed  to  be  the 
cemetery  of  Saint  Fraid;  near  which,  on  the  other  side,  are  two 
others,  but  smaller  ones.  On  Cefn  Ceido,  about  half-a-mile  from 
Rhayader,  is  a  tract  of  land  called  Pant  yr  Eglwys,  where  formerly 
stood  a  church,  and  it  is  said  that  the  borough  extended  to  that  place. 
To  elucidate  the  form  and  strength  of  the  primitive  fortress  of 
Rhayader  is  impossible  at  this  remote  period,  when  not  even  a  stone 
remains  to  assist  our  conjectures;  however,  we  are  enabled  to  fix  its 
origin  as  a  military  station  in  the  year  1177,  and  to  have  been  first 
built  by  Rhys  ap  Gruffydd,  Prince  of  South  Wales,  as  a  check  to  the 
depredations  and  cruelties  of  his  Norman  neighbours,  who  were  very 
troublesome  to  the  Welsh  at  that  period.  Caradoc  of  Llancarvan,  in 
his  Chronicles  of  Wales,  briefly  mentions  that  it  was  completed  in  the 
same  year;  but  in  1178  we  find  the  sons  of  Conan  (the  latter  an  ille- 
gitimate son  of  Owen  Gwynedd),  having  joined  their  forces,  marched 
to  attack  this  castle,  but  after  resting  before  it  for  a  considerable 
time  without  success,  they  raised  the  siege  and  returned  to  North 
Wales  greatly  disappointed.  Tn  1192  Maelgon  formed  a  conspiracy 
against  his  father  and  burnt  the  castle,  which  Prince  Rhys  rebuilt  in 
1194;  but  it  was  soon  surrendered  to  Cadwallon,  who,  after  several 
battles,  was  defeated  by  Roger  Mortimer,  and  dispossessed  of  all  his 
possessions  in  Maelienydd.  From  this  period  hostilities  seem  to 
have  ceased,  and  no  mention  is  made  of  Rhayader  Castle  until  the 
time  of  Henry  the  Third,  when  it  was  burnt  to  the  ground  by  Lle- 
welyn ap  lorwerth,  and  has  not  since  been  rebuilt. 

Abbey  Cwmhir,  the  only  religious  house  of  this  kind  in  the  county, 
is  situate  in  a  delightful  valley  7  miles  from  Rhaiadr-Gwy,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Clewedog.  The  hills  around  appear  very  grand,  form- 
ing an  amphitheatre  round  the  fertile  site  whereon  this  venerable 
monastery  stood,  in  a  place  well  calculated  to  inspire  devotion,  having 
many  objects  truly  beautiful  and  sublime.  The  stupendous  hill  on  the 
north  is  1511  yards  high,  with  a  gradual  ascent  on  one  side,  called 
the  Park,  which  was  formerly  9  miles  in  circumference,  and  stocked 
with  about  300  deer ;  one  of  the  old  gates  was  visible  a  few  years 
ago.  According  to  Leland,  Abbey  Cwmhir  was  founded  by  Cad- 
wallon ap  Madawc,  in  1143,  for  60  Cistercian  monks,  but  never 
finished;  the  walls  remaining  are  very  considerable,  and  shew  an 
area  of  255  feet  long  and  73  broad,  but  what  the  superstructure  might 
have  been  is  uncertain.  It  is  uncertain  also  of  what  species  of  archi- 
tecture this  great  monastery  was  originally  composed,  having  neither 
door,  window,  arch,  or  column  remaining;  yet  the  refectory  might 

be 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  93 

be  traced,  with  a  few  square  apertures  in  the  north  side,  about  two 
feet  from  the  ground,  but  for  what  purpose  they  were  originally 
designed  is  uncertain,  being  too  low  and  small  for  windows,  though 
possessing  every  requisite  for  the  admission  of  air.  Amid  the  fallen 
fragments  on  the  north-east  side  the  habitations  of  the  monks  are 
supposed  to  have  been,  and  probably  the  same  which  Leland  calls 
the  third  part,  but  which  was  never  finished.  At  this  time  it  is  much 
to  be  regretted  that  we  have  such  imperfect  accounts  of  this  place, 
which  Leland  briefly  mentions  as  having  been  destroyed  by  Owen 
Glyndwr  in  1401,  in  his  rebellion  against  Henry  the  Fourth.  Fol- 
lowing this  period  to  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Eighth,  we  find  Abbey 
Cwmhir  reported  by  the  Commissioners  to  be  worth,  in  manors, 
lands,  &c.  £28.  17s.  4d.  per  annum,  which  were  granted  to  Henley 
and  Williams,  who  are  found  mentioned  in  the  civil  list  of  that 
monarch;  but  how  it  descended,  or  by  what  means  it  came  to  the 
family  of  the  late  Sir  Hans  Fowler,  Bart,  is  uncertain.  So  it  conti- 
nued till  1771,  when  the  Baronet  dying  without  issue  the  title 
became  extinct,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  estate  which  formed 
the  revenue  of  this  abbey  was  sold,  except  what  belongs  to  Thomas 
Hodges  Fowler,  Esq.  Report  says  that  some  fine  specimens  of  the 
architecture  of  this  abbey  are  still  in  good  preservation  in  Llanidloes 
church,  consisting  of  6  arches  surrounded  with  small  columns,  ending 
in  capitals  of  palm  leaves;  and  which,  according  to  a  date  en  the 
roof,  were  brought  from  Abbey  Cwmhir  in  1542,  a  date  corresponding 
with  the  dissolution  of  the  monasteries  in  this  kingdom.  Some 
mutilated  specimens  are  likewise  to  be  found  about  the  dwelling 
house  and  out-houses  on  the  farm,  particularly  in  the  chapel  contigu- 
ous, founded  by  Sir  William  Fowler  in  1680,  and  endowed  with  a 
small  charge  on  his  tenants  in  Llanbister,  whose  church  is  also 
reported  to  have  been  erected  with  the  stone  purloined  from  the  old 
abbey,  as  is  Y  Vanner.  This  place  was  many  years  the  residence  of 
the  Fowlers,  who  became  seated  here  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Eliza- 
beth, as  appears  by  the  style  of  building.  The  importance  of  that 
family  cannot  be  better  expressed  than  by  introducing  the  subsequent 
adage : — 

There's  neither  park  or  deer  in  Radnorshire, 

Or  a  man  worth  five  hundred  a  year, 

Except  Sir  William  Fowler,  of  Abbey  Cwmhir. 

Cam,  carneddau,  or  carnedd,  are  heaps  of  stones  common  on  the 
Radnorshire  mountains,  and  in  many  other  places  in  Wales.  The 
most  perfect  that  are  to  be  seen  in  this  county,  is  one  at  Camlow,  near 
Abbey  Cwmhir,  and  another  on  Gwastedwyn  Hill,  near  Rhaiadr- 
Gwy.  They  consist  of  stones  to  the  amount  of  30  or  40  cart  loads, 
thrown  down  promiscuously  to  form  what  is  termed  a  Cam.  The 
origin  and  use  of  such  memorials  have  often  been  discussed,  and 
generally  admitted  to  have  been  sepulchral  monuments  erected  by  the 

Britons 


94  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Britons  in  commemoration  of  their  heroes  or  chieftains  who  fell  in 
battle,  and  not  what  some  have  denominated  Carnedd  Lladron,  or  the 
Carn-Buttain.     For  those  unaccustomed  to  see  these  little  memorials 
of  the  dead,  a  more  general  description  may  be  useful  and  satisfactory. 
These  heaps  are  found  in  various   situations,   and   are  of  different 
dimensions ;  but  the  largest  does  not  much  exceed  60  feet  in  diameter, 
and  about  7  feet  deep  in  the  middle,  where  the  earn  is  always  most  pro- 
tuberant, to  conceal  the  chest  or  stone  coffin,  which  is  usually  found  in 
this  part  covered  with  a  large  stone.      It  frequently  happens  that  a 
circular  range  of  large  stones  are  pitched  an  end  on  the  outside  of  the 
heaps,  while  the  stones  contained  within  are  piled  loosely  in  circles 
about  the  tomb,  and  the  interstices  filled  up  with  lesser  stones.    Some 
of  the  earns  are  covered  with  earth,  are  almost  conical,  and  approach 
near  the  form  of  a  tumulus.     In  many  of  these  earns  the  stones  bear 
marks  of  ignition,  being  remarkably  red  and  brittle  by  the  action  of 
the  fire,  which  appears  to  have  been  so  vehement  in  some,  that  the 
stones  are  in  a  great  measure  vitrified.     To  a  perfect  earn  there  is 
always  a  large  stone  placed  endways  within  10,  20,  30,  40,  or   50 
yards  of  it,  and  such  as  are  without  them  at  present  may  be  supposed 
to  have  been  deprived  of  them   since  their  first  erection,  and  in 
consequence  of  their  having   been    converted    to   other    purposes. 
There  is  likewise  a  small  distinction  to  be  observed;  for  instance,  the 
tumulus  and  earn  appearing  together  prove  the  interred  to  have  been 
some  chieftain,  while  the  sepulchres  of  the  commonalty  are  always 
found  on  the  hills,  where  there  is  a  small  declivity  and  hollow  to  be 
seen  of  an  oblong  form,  and  the  earth  heaped  like  a  small  hillock; 
when  these  are  opened  a  stratum  of  ashes,   blackish,  or  red  burnt 
earth,  is  discovered;  but  in  digging  a  little  deeper  we  soon  perceive 
a  difference,  and  come  to  the  native  soil.     Mr.  Camden  (page  588) 
says,  "  On  the  top  of  a  hill  called  Gwastedin,  near  Rhaiadr-Gwy, 
there  are  three  large  heaps  of  stones  of  that  kind  which  are  common 
on  mountains  in  most,  if  not  in  all,  the  counties  in  Wales,  and  are 
called  in   South  Wales  Karneu  and  in  North  Wales  Karnedheu; 
they   consist  of  any  such  lesser  stones,  from  a  pound  weight  to  a 
hundred  weight,  as  the  neighbouring  places  afford,  and  are  confusedly 
piled  up,  without  any  further  trouble  than  the  bringing  them  to- 
gether and  throwing  them  in  heaps.     On  Plinlimmon  mountain,  and 
some  other  places,  there  are  these  Karnedheu  so  considerably  big 
that  they  may  be  supposed  to  consist  of  no  less  than  100  cart-loads 
of  stones,  but  generally  they  are  much  less.     They  are  also  found  in 
the  North  and  other  parts  of  England;  and  are  frequent  in  Scotland 
and  Ireland,  being  called  there  by  the  same  British  name  Kaim, 
whereof  I  can  give  no  other  account  to  the  curious  reader,  than  that 
it  is  a  primitive  word,  and  appropriated  to  signify  such  heaps  of 
stones.     That  most,  of  these  karnedheu  (not  to  say  all)  were  intended 
as  memorials  of  the  dead  I  am  induced  to  believe :  for  that  I  have 

myself 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  95 

myself  observed,  near  the  summit  of  one  of  them,  a  rude  stone 
monument  (which  I  shall  have  occasion  hereafter  to  prove  sepulchral), 
somewhat  of  the  form  of  a  coffer  or  chest,  and  I  have  received  unques- 
tionable information  of  two  more  such  monuments  being  found  of  late 
years  in  similar  places.  But  what  removes  all  scruple,  and  puts  this 
question  beyond  farther  debate,  is,  that  it  is  still  the  custom  in 
several  places  to  cast  heaps  of  stones  on  the  graves  of  malefactors  and 
self-murderers ;  and  hence,  perhaps,  it  is,  since  we  can  assign  no 
other  reason,  that  the  worst  of  traitors  are  called  Karn-Vradwyr,  the 
most  notorious  thieves  Karn-Lhadron."  That  this  was  also  a  custom 
among  the  Romans,  appears  from  the  epitaph,  ascribed  to  Virgil  on 
the  infamous  robber  Balista :  "  but  that,  nevertheless,"  continues 
Mr.  Camden,  "  it  was  usual  among  the  Britons,  before  they  were 
known  to  the  Romans,  seems  evident,  for  that  they  are  common  also 
in  the  highlands  of  Scotland  and  in  Ireland,  where  their  conquests 
never  reached.  Now  if  it  be  demanded  whether  malefactors  only 
were  thus  served  in  ancient  times,  or  whether  other  persons  indiffer- 
ently had  not  such  heaps  of  stones  erected  to  them  as  sepulchral 
monuments,  I  answer,  that  before  Christianity  was  introduced  men 
of  the  best  quality  seem  to  have  had  such  funeral  piles,  and  such  I 
take  to  be  the  largest  of  them,  those  especially  that  have  the  monu- 
ments above-mentioned  within  them.  But  since  the  planting  of 
Christianity,  they  became  so  detestable,  and  appropriated  to  male- 
factors, that  sometimes  the  most  passionate  wish  that  a  man  could 
express  to  his  enemy  is,  that  a  Cam  be  his  monument ;  and,  as  we 
have  already  observed,  the  most  profligate  and  notorious  criminals 
are  distinguished  by  that  word." 

Rowland,  in  his  Mono,  Antigua  Restaurata,  p.  48,  says — ff  There 
are  also  in  many  places  huge  coped  heaps  of  stones,  as  well  in  this 
island  as  in  other  countries,  to  be  yet  seen,  which  I  take  to  be  the 
relics  of  some  ancient  modes  and  ceremonies  of  that  first,  but  by  that 
time  perverted  religion  [Druidism]  ;  and  these  heaps  they  generally 
call  Carnedde — perhaps  from  Keren-Nedh,  a  coped  heap.  It  is 
believed  also  that  these  are  the  burial  places  of  some  eminent  com- 
manders, who  falling  and  being  interred  in  those  places,  their 
admiring  soldiers,  as  a  signal  specimen  of  their  love  and  respect  to 
their  memory,  and  to  make  shew  of  their  numbers,  carried  each  one 
his  stone  to  lay  upon  their  graves,  as  they  carried  earth  in  their 
helmets  in  other  countries  to  raise  up  a  tumulus,  or  a  lasting  monu- 
ment and  memorial  of  them.  But  the  latter  part  of  this  surmise  is 
not  like  to  be  the  true  reason  of  these  tumuli ;  for  there  are  some  of 
these  heaps  so  large,  that  they  require  a  more  numerous  army  than 
was  in  this  island  to  bring  every  one  his  stone  to  raise  it  up  ;  and, 
besides,  there  are  certain  kinds  of  stones  to  be  found  in  some  of  these 
Carneddau  that  have  been  carried  there,  as  will  appear  from  the 
quality  of  them,  from  very  distant  parts  of  the  country,  which  will 

B  b  seem 


96  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

seem  rather  to  infer  that  they  were  the  effects  of  some  kind  of  sacri- 
fice, where  every  family,  or  perhaps  every  particular  person,  either 
at  some  peculiar  festivals,  or  occasionally  as  they  passed  by,  brought 
and  offered  every  one  his  stone ;  of  which  we  have  some  glimmering 
in  the  ancient  compound  word  Coel-Faen,  used  to  this  day,  by  which 
is  expressed  what  is  good  and  valuable." 

Returning  from  this  digression,  on  leaving  Rhayader  we  proceed  in 
an  easterly  direction,  and  at  the  distance  of  nine  miles  pass  through 
Penybont,  formerly  called  Rhyd-y-Clyfon,  a  small  hamlet  by  the 
side  of  the  river  Ithon,  which  takes  its  course  from  Llanbadarn- 
Vynydd,  and  passes  by  this  place.  There  is  a  spring  of  sulphureous 
water  in  the  village,  and  another  of  chalybeate  on  an  adjacent  com- 
mon ;  they  are  well-known,  but  as  this  country  abounds  with  springs 
of  this  nature  they  are  not  in  use. 

Three  miles  north  of  Penybont  is  Llan-Ddewi-Ystrad-Ennau,  the 
church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  David:  it  is  a  small  village 
in  a  narrow  vale  near  the  river  Ithon.  The  church  is  a  tolerable 
structure,  consisting  of  a  nave  and  chancel,  and  has  two  small  tablets, 
in  commemoration  of  Phillips  and  Burton ;  the  latter  of  whom,  an 
eccentric  character,  resided  in  a  large  old  house  there,  and  possessed 
a  considerable  estate  in  the  neighbourhood,  which,  to  the  exclusion  of 
his  relatives,  he  devised  to  a  stranger.  In  this  district  are  several 
vestiges  of  antiquity,  particularly  the  Gaer  (or  fortification),  which 
occupies  the  summit  of  a  high  hill  close  to  the  village,  and  is  appa- 
rently a  camp  of  great  extent ;  it  is  inaccessible  on  the  side  towards 
the  Ithon  ;  the  remainder  is  defended  by  two  parallel  intrenchments, 
probably  the  work  of  Cadwallon,  or  of  some  of  the  Mortimers,  in  the 
twelfth  century. 

The  Mortimers,  who  were  descended  from  the  niece  of  Gonora, 
wife  of  Richard  the  First,  Duke  of  Normandy,  and  were  the  first  of 
the  Normans  who,  having  overcome  Edric  Sylvaticus,  or  the  Wild,  a 
Saxon  chieftain,  gained  a  considerable  part  of  this  small  territory, 
and  having  continued  for  a  long  peviod  the  leading  men  of  the 
county,  at  length,  in  the  person  of  Roger  Mortimer,  Lord  of  Wig- 
more,  rose  to  the  distinction  of  Earl  of  March,  so  created  by  Edward 
the  Third  about  1328.  Roger,  the  first  Earl,  soon  afterwards  was 
sentenced  to  death,  having  been  accused  of  insolence  to  the  King  and 
treason  to  the  State,  of  favouring  the  Scots  to  the  prejudice  of 
England,  of  conversing  over-familiarly  with  the  King's  mother,  and 
of  contriving  the  death  of  Edward  the  Second,  father  of  the  King; 
Earl  Roger  had  by  his  wife  Jane  Jenevil  (who  brought  him  large 
revenues  as  well  in  Ireland  as  England),  a  son  called  Edmund,  who 
suffered  for  his  father's  crimes,  and  was  deprived  of  his  inheritance 
and  the  title  of  Earl;  but  his  son  Roger  was  received  into  favour,  and 
had  not  only  the  title  of  Earl  of  March  restored,  but  was  also  created 
Knight  of  the  Garter  at  the  first  institution  of  that  noble  order. 

This 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  97 

This  Roger  married  Philippa  Montague,  by  whom  he  had  Edmund 
Earl  of  March,  who  married  Philippa,  the  only  daughter  of  Lionel 
Duke  of  Clarence,  the  third  son  of  King  Edward  the  Third,  whereby 
he  obtained  the  earldom  of  Ulster  in  Ireland,  and  the  lordship  of 
Clare.  After  his  decease  in  Ireland,  where  he  had  governed  with 
great  approbation,  his  son  Roger  succeeded,  being  both  Earl  of 
March  and  Ulster,  whom  King  Richard  designated  as  his  successor 
to  the  crown,  as  being  in  right  of  his  mother  the  next  heir,  but  he 
died  before  King  Richard,  leaving  issue  Edmund  and  Anne.  King- 
Henry  the  Fourth  (who  had  usurped  the  government),  suspecting 
Edmund's  interest  and  title  to  the  crown,  exposed  him  to  many 
hazards,  so  that,  being  taken  prisoner  by  Owen  Glyndwr,  he  died  of 
grief  and  discontent,  leaving  his  sister  Anne  to  inherit :  she  was 
married  to  Richard  Plantaganet,  Earl  of  Cambridge,  whose  posterity 
became  (in  her  right)  Earls  of  March,  and  laid  claim  to  the  crown, 
which  in  the  end  they  obtained,  and  Edward  the  Fourth's  eldest  son, 
who  was  Prince  of  Wales  and  Duke  of  Cornwall,  had  also  conferred 
on  him,  as  an  additional  honour,  the  title  of  Earl  of  March. 

On  a  hill  opposite  the  Gaer  is  Bedd  Ygre,  or  Ygris's  grave,  a 
large  mound  or  tumulus  of  earth,  encompassed  by  a  small  moat  like 
Caersws.  Of  this  description  were  all  the  monuments  which  the 
ancient  Britons  erected  in  honour  of  their  chiefs  or  great  men.  This 
mode  of  interment  continued  many  ages  before  and  after  the  intro- 
duction of  Christianity;  but  when  the  custom  of  burying  in  church- 
yards became  general,  they  were  condemned,  and  afterwards  chiefly 
used  for  criminals. — Two  miles  from  hence,  on  a  small  elevation, 
stood  Castle  Cymaron,  of  which  not  a  fragment  of  the  superstructure 
remains ;  the  site  and  moat  are  still  visible  The  fortress  is  supposed 
to  have  been  erected  by  the  Normans  in  the  eleventh  century,  but 
was  soon  after  destroyed  by  the  Welsh,  and  again  rebuilt  by  Hugh, 
the  son  of  Randolph,  Earl  of  Chester,  in  1142,  when  all  Maelienydd 
became  subject  to  the  Normans.  In  1174,  Cadwallon  ap  Madoc 
obtained  this  castle  and  lordship,  for  which  he  did  homage  to  Henry; 
but  Roger  Mortimer,  having  raised  a  considerable  force  in  1194. 
entered  Maelienydd  and  dispossessed  Cadwallon  of  all  his  lands  in 
this  district,  and  fortified  the  Castle  of  Cymaron.  In  this  family 
it  evidently  continued  for  ages,  as  we  find  Roger  Mortimer  died,  in 
1360,  possessed  of  the  castles  of  Knuclas,  Gwyrthrynion,  Cwmdau- 
ddwr,  Maelienydd,  and  Pilleth,  in  the  same  lordship,  which  perhaps, 
on  the  demise  of  Llewelyn,  in  1282,  Edward  the  First  confirmed  as  a 
legal  inheritance.  Henry  the  Eighth,  however,  being  of  Welsh 
extraction,  curtailed  the  power  and  ambition  for  conquest  of  these 
provincial  chieftains,  and  redressed  many  grievances  to  which  the 
Welsh  were  before  subject. 

About  seven  miles  southward  of  Penybont  are  Llandrindod  Wells, 

with 

Bb2 


98  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

with  the  village  of  Llandrindod,  having  its  church  dedicated  to  the 
Holy  Trinity  :  this  place  is  situate  on  a  common  five  miles  in  length 
and  one  broad  ;  the  land  adjoining  Llandrindod  is  rural  and  gradu- 
ally ascending,  exhibiting  a  spacious  plain,  with  moderately  high  and 
steep  hills,  so  that  the  air  cannot  stagnate,  nor  the  plain  be  inces- 
santly watered  with  a  deluge  of  rain ;  the  soil  or  surface  of  the  earth 
about  these  wells  is  of  a  blackish  brown,  particularly  rich,  and 
plentifully  mixed  with  a  mineral '  bitumen,  which  is  generally  the 
indication  of  coal,  but  no  attempt  has  yet  been  made  to  obtain  that 
valuable  fossil.  There  are  several  tumuli  and  ancient  fortifications  in 
this  parish  ;  and  a  lead  mine  had  been  worked  from  the  remotest 
antiquity  down  to  1797,  but  it  is  now  deserted.  The  foundations  of 
an  ancient  chapel,  called  Llan  Faelon,  were  lately  dug  up  in  the 
middle  of  a  corn  field,  but  nothing  traditionary  now  remains  respect- 
ing it.  When  the  Llandrindod  waters  were  first  used  for  their 
medicinal  virtues  is  uncertain,  but  they  are  generally  believed  to  have 
been  introduced  to  public  notice  about  1670,  and  then  used  indis- 
criminately ;  but  since  1750  a  great  number  of  people  from  different 
parts  of  the  kingdom  have  resorted  here  to  use  these  waters  for 
various  complaints,  and  with  great  success.  It  appears  that  the 
increasing  fame  of  Llandrindod  Wells  had  induced  a  Mr.  Gros- 
venor,of  Shrewsbury,  in  1749,  to  make  some  alterations  and  improve- 
ments for  the  reception  of  company,  who  annually  made  their 
pilgrimage  here ;  for  that  purpose  he  took  a  lease  of  several  houses, 
and  at  a  great  expense  repaired  them  with  additional  buildings, 
particularly  one,  which  was  spacious  enough  to  contain  several 
hundred  visitors,  besides  affording  every  accommodation  and  amuse- 
ment that  could  be  wished  during  a  residence  at  this  place.  The 
wells,  three  in  number,  are  all  within  a  short  distance  of  each  other, 
without  either  participating  in  the  qualities  of  the  other,  and  are 
thus  denominated — 1st,  the  rock  water;  2d,  saline  pump-water ;  and 
3d,  sulphur  water. — Llandrindod  now  ranks  high  among  the  places 
of  fashionable  resort. 

Returning,  at  the  distance  of  about  three  miles,  we  pass  through 
the  village  of  Llandegle,  or  Llan-degla,  pleasantly  situate  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  Cammeron,  and  remarkable  for  its  antique  church 
(dedicated  to  St.  Tecla,  a  female  saint),  and  for  its  rural  situation. 
Contiguous  to  this  place  is  Blan-Edw  Well,  containing  a  sulphureous 
vitriolic  water,  which  rises  in  a  field  near  the  road :  the  spring  is 
conducted  into  a  dilapidated  building,  which  serves  also  for  a  bath  : 
the  water  is  covered  with  a  brown  scum,  appears  rather  blackish,  and 
emits  an  abominable  stench,  but  has  not  an  unpleasant  taste. 

At  the  distance  of  four  miles  from  Llandegle  is  the  village  of  Llan- 
vihangel-Nant-Melin.  It  is  pleasantly  situate  on  a  small  stream, 
which  empties  itself  into  the  river  Somergil,  and  the  name  signifies 
"  Saint  Michael's  on  the  mill  brook." 

About 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  C;9 

About  two  miles  beyond  this  place  is  New  Radnor,  or  Maes-yfed- 
newydd,  situate  near  the  head  of  the  Somergil  at  a  narrow  entrance 
of  a  pass,  between  two  pointed  hills,  called  Radnor  Forest,  and 
covered  with  verdure  to  the  very  summit,  which  is  the  characteristic 
of  this  district.  Camden  says,  "  Near  this  place  is  a  vast  wilderness 
dismal  to  behold,  by  reason  of  many  crooked  ways  and  high  moun- 
tains, into  which,  as  a  place  of  safe  refuge,  that  bane  of  his  native 
country,  King  Vortigern  (whose  very  memory  the  Britons  curse), 
withdrew  himself  when  he  had  at  last  seriously  repented  of  his 
abominable  wickedness,  in  calling  in  the  English  Saxon,  and  marry- 
ing incestuously  his  own  daughter :  but  God's  vengeance  pursuing 
him,  he  was  consumed  by  lightning,  together  with  his  city,  Kaer- 
Gwortigern,  which  he  had  built  for  his  refuge."  This,  however,  is 
clearly  an  error,  as  will  appear  to  the  reader  by  referring  to  Vorti- 
gern's  Valley,  in  the  county  of  Carnarvon. 

New  Radnor,  or  Maes-yfed-newydd,  was  formerly  the  chief  town 
in  the  county,  but  is  at  present  a  most  miserable  place,  consisting  of 
about  one  hundred  houses,  and  several  of  these  of  very  mean  appear- 
ance, the  town  haying  fallen  off  very  much  from  its  former  importance. 
Its  decline  was  originally  occasioned  by  the  tranquillity  of  the  times 
not  requiring  it  to  be  kept  fortified  and  garrisoned  as  a  frontier  town, 
its  proximity  to  Presteigne  and  Kington,  and  its  cold  situation, 
arising  from  its  contiguity  to  the  neighbouring  hills,  together  with  the 
scarcity  of  fuel.  From  the  present  appearance  of  the  town,  it  seems 
to  have  been  regularly  laid  out,  having  three  longitudinal  streets 
called  High  Street,  Broad  Street,  and  Water  Street,  which  were 
intersected  by  transverse  ones ;  of  these  several  have  at  present  no 
buildings,  and  some  of  them  are  only  footpaths.  The  town  hall  and 
prison  are  opposite  to  each  other,  and  are  situate  in  Broad-street. 
The  church  of  New  Radnor  is  dedicated  to  St.  Mary,  and  stands  on 
an  eminence  above  the  town :  it  is  a  small  edifice,  consisting  of  a  nave, 
a  side  aisle  on  the  south,  and  a  chancel ;  it  has  also  a  tower,  which 
contains  four  large  bells,  a  smaller  one,  and  a  clock.  Whoever  care- 
fully examines  the  masonry  of  this  building,  will  perceive  that  the 
tower  and  a  considerable  part  of  the  church  were  erected  on  a  portion 
of  wall  which  was  probably  part  of  a  former  church,  and  which  is 
supposed,  from  the  quality  of  the  stones  with  which  it  was  built,  to 
have  been  coeval  with  the  castle.  The  style  of  the  windows  gives 
some  reason  to  believe  that  the  latter  edifice  was  erected  in  the  reign 
of  Edward  the  Third :  the  tower,  which  is  at  present  covered  with  a 
tiled  roof,  was  originally  higher,  and  most  probably  embattled.  In 
ancient  times  New  Radnor  was  evidently  of  greater  importance  than 
it  is  at  present,  being  originally  enclosed  by  a  square  wall,  with  four 
gates,  which  appear  to  have  been  Roman,  from  the  similarity  they 
bear  to  the  stations  of  those  at  Caerleon  and  Caerwent.  It  had  also 
a  castle,  built  on  an  eminence  above  the  town,  and  was  probably  a 

fortress 


100  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

fortress  of  considerable  strength,  having  an  entire  command  of  the 
town,  besides  defending  a  narrow  pass  leading  to  it  between  two 
hills.  Owen  Glyndwr,  according  to  Caradoc,  defaced  the  town  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  the  Fourth,  and  burnt  the  castle ;  he  afterwards 
ordered  sixty  of  the  garrison  to  be  immediately  beheaded  in  the  yard. 
Camden  mentions  that  the  castle  was  in  ruins  in  his  time,  and  much 
neglected,  except  a  piece  of  gate,  which  was  then  repaired.  There 
are  some  walls  still  remaining,  and  they  are  traditionally  reported  to 
have  been  of  considerable  height.  The  entrenchments  about  the 
castle  are  nearly  entire ;  the  outer  ward,  called  Baili  Glas,  or  the 
green  court  yard,  is  still  distinct  from  the  inner  one  or  keep,  and 
retains  its  original  form.  The  site  of  the  town  walls,  with  the  moat, 
are  very  visible. 

Near  New  Radnor,  but  in  an  obscure  situation,  is  a  cataract,  70 
feet  in  height,  called  "  Water -break-its-Neck,"  so  nominated  on 
account  of  its  precipitous  descent  into  a  vast  hollow ;  it  is  situate 
about  two  miles  westward  of  the  town,  and  is  surrounded  by  craggy 
declivities  of  loose  fragments  of  schistus,  which  are  frequently  set  in 
motion  by  the  wind,  and  roll  down  in  all  directions,  making  the 
amazed  spectator  almost  tremble  for  his  safety.  This  cataract  would 
appear  to  much  greater  advantage  if  it  possessed  the  concomitants, 
trees  and  shrubs,  or  was  in  the  vicinity  of  good  plantations :  instead 
of  this,  the  whole  has  a  barren  appearance,  for  nothing  seems  to 
vegetate  in  the  soil  or  places  adjacent,  but  everything  is  as  rude  and 
wild  as  when  by  nature  formed.  There  is  an  entrenched  dyke  at  the 
western  extremity  of  the  parish  of  New  Radnor,  about  a  mile  from  the 
town,  which  was  continued  from  one  side  of  the  narrow  vale  to  the 
other,  and  tradition  still  preserves  the  remembrance  of  a  battle  having 
been  fought  in  War  Close,  a  field  at  a  short  distance  from  the  town. — 
At  the  distance  of  about  six  miles  from  New  Radnor  is 

TRESTEIGN, 

or  Llan-Andras,  once  a  small  village,  but  by  the  countenance  of 
Martin,  Bishop  of  Saint  David's,  it  rose  to  such  a  degree  of  elegance 
as  to  eclipse  the  borough  town  of  Radnor.  It  was,  in  Leland's  time, 
noted  for  a  good  market  of  corn,  where  many  from  the  cantref  of 
Maelienydd  resorted  to  buy  and  sell.  The  town  is  pleasantly  situated 
near  the  river  Lug,  which  is  celebrated  for  its  pleasant  trout  and 
grayling  fishing,  and  may  be  properly  called  the  modern  capital  of 
Radnorshire,  and  where  the  County  Assizes,  &c.  are  kept.  The 
place  likewise  exhibits  strong  traces  of  great  extent  and  original 
grandeur,  far  superior  to  its  present  appearance,  although  the  streets 
it  now  contains  are  neat  and  well-formed. — From  hence  the  little 
vale  inclosing  Presteign,  and  watered  by  the  river  Lug,  may  be  seen 
to  great  advantage,  as  also  Stepleton  Castle,  an  ancient  gothic  man- 
sion, rising  from  a  rock  in  its  centre,  where  (tradition  says)  a  gentle- 
man 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  101 

man  of  the  name  of  Wallwyn  resided  about  1282,  who  is  reported  to 
have  been  very  active,  or  the  principal  concerned,  in  betraying 
Prince  Llewelyn  ap  Gruffydd  at  Buallt  in  that  year.  The  chief 
object  worthy  of  attention  is  the  parish  church,  dedicated  to  Saint 
Andrew,  which  contains  a  few  tablets  of  the  families  of  Owen,  Price, 
and  Davies,  with  an  altar-piece  of  tapestry,  representing  Christ's 
entry  into  Jerusalem :  the  walls  are  decorated  with  figures  of  Moses, 
Aaron,  Time,  and  Death,  which  are  well  executed.  Over  the  great 
chancel  window,  on  a  stone,  is  inscribed  M.P.L.  1244,  which  letters 
are  generally  supposed  to  mean  Martin,  the  Pope's  Legate.  On  the 
west  of  the  town  is  a  beautiful  little  eminence,  or  site  of  an  ancient 
castle,  now  called  Warden  Walk,  and  is  a  donation  given  by  Lord 
Oxford  for  the  use  of  the  inhabitants.  Near  this  town  is  a  place 
called  "  The  King's  Turning,"  meaning,  as  it  is  generally  supposed, 
King  Charles's  turning,  there  being  in  one  of  the  old  parish  registers 
the  following  t\ote:—^In  the  time  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  Nicholas 
Taylor,  Esq.  lived  at  the  Lower  fleath,  in  this  parish,  and  when 
King  Charles  the  First  fled  before  Oliver  Cromwell,  then  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Hereford,  he  dined  and  slept  at  the  Unicorn  Inn, 
in  Leominster,  the  first  day,  and  the  next  two  nights  he  slept  at 
Mr.  Taylor's  (a  short  distance  from  the  King's  Turning}  ;  from 
thence  he  rode  over  the  hills  to  J\ewtown,  and  from  thence  to 
Chester"  At  that  time  the  Reverend  John  Scull  liad  the  living  of 
Presteign,  but,  like  many  of  his  unfortunate  brethren  of  that  tumult- 
uous period,  was  deprived  of  it,  and  an  entry  in  Latin  to  that  effect  is 
made  in  another  part  of  the  said  old  register.  Presteign  is  a  very 
improving  town;  and  New  Courts  for  holding  the  Assizes,  &c.  have 
recently  been  erected  here.— A  small  bridge  over  the  Lug,  close  to 
the  town,  connects  the  counties  of  Hereford  and  Radnor. 

KNIGHTON, 

orTref-y-Clawdd,  (the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  JEdward, 
and  was  erected  in  the  year  1752,)  is  so  called  from  its  situation  near 
Oflfa's  Dyke,  which  runs  below  it,  and  extends  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Dee  to  that  of  the  Wye.  Camden  and  other  authors  have  confounded 
this  celebrated  boundary  with  Watt's  Dyke,  in  North  Wales,  which 
is  nearly  equal  in  depth  but  not  in  length.  Knighton  is  situate  at 
the  head  of  a  deep  vale,  and  is  the  handsomest  town  in  the  county, 
descending  in  several  steep  streets,  which  present  very  picturesque 
objects  to  the  adjacent  country.  This  romantic  vale  is  also  surrounded 
by  hills,  which  are  well  clothed  with  wood  and  verdure;  and  it  is 
considerably  enriched  by  the  winding  course  of  the  river  Teme. 
There  was  formerly  a  castle  here,  which  is  entirely  demolished:  here 
are  also  two  barrows. 

A  little  to  the  north  of  Knighton  is  Caer  Caradpc,  a  hill  much 
honoured  in  former  times,  as  the  place  which  Caractacus  fortified 

(A.D.  53) 


102  TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES. 

(A.  D.  53)  with  a  rampart  of  stones,  and  where  he  held  out  against 
the  Romans  under  Ostorius  (whose  camp  is  visible  opposite)  till  the 
rude  fortification  was  broken  through,  which  compelled  the  Britons 
to  retreat,  and  their  leader,  betrayed  by  Queen  Cartismandua,  was 
carried  in  chains  to  Rome. 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  parish  of  Pillith,  or  Pwll  Llaith,  i.e. 
the  moist  pit,  which  is  an  elevated  common,  there  are  several 
tenements,  called  Hendrecarreg,  i.  e. ( '  the  old  town  of  stone,"  where 
a  town  of  that  name  is  said  to  have  been  anciently,  and  those  within 
the  limits  of  that  borough  now  pay  less  chief  rent.  On  the  north 
side  of  the  church  (which  is  dedicated  to  St.  Mary),  in  the  church- 
yard, is  a  well,  which  was  formerly  esteemed  beneficial  in  diseases  of 
the  eyes ;  the  well  is  walled  round,  but  some  of  the  stones  are  now 
fallen  into  it.  Upon  a  hill  in  this  parish,  called  Bryn  Glas,  about  a 
mile  north  of  the  church,  a  battle  was  fought  on  the  2d  of  June,  1402, 
between  Owain  Glyndwr  and  Sir  Edward  Mortimer,  in  which  the 
latter  was  defeated  and  taken  prisoner,  with  the  loss  of  1 100  men 
slain.  Shakspeare  makes  particular  mention  of  it,  from  the  circum- 
stances of  some  indecencies  committed  by  the  Welsh  women  on  the 
dead  bodies  of  the  men  of  Herefordshire,  who  were  the  friends  and 
vassals  of  the  powerful  house  of  Mortimer,  whose  castle  was  situate  at 
Wigmore,  about  seven  miles  distant. 

In  the  parish  of  Llananno,  about  nine  miles  north-west  of  Knighton, 
is  Castle  Timboth,  or  Daybod,  situate  on  a  steep  hill  called  Crogen, 
above  the  river  Ithon.  The  situation  is  extremely  wild  and  pleasant, 
but  the  scite  is  naturally  strong,  and  almost  inaccessible  on  all  sides 
but  one,  which  appears  to  have  been  well  defended  by  intrenchments 
still  visible.  Of  the  old  structure  nothing  remains  except  a  confused 
heap  of  thick  walls;  but  the  scite  and  a  portion  of  the  keep  may  still 
be  traced,  having  a  deep  moat  round  the  whole.  Nothing  is  known 
of  its  history,  except  that  it  was  destroyed  by  Llewelyn  ap  Gruffydd, 
Prince  of  Wales,  in  the  year  1260.  Here  is  a  spring  of  mineral  water 
called  New  Well,  which  is  said  to  be  very  efficacious  in  scorbutic  and 
scrofulous  complaints ;  there  are  also  the  remains  of  an  old  castle, 
called  Ty-yn-y-bwlch,  or  (f  the  house  in  the  defile,"  situate  on  an 
almost  inaccessible  rock  in  a  narrow  passage,  overhanging  the  river 
Ithon,  and  was  probably  the  residence  of  the  Reguli  of  Maelienydd. 

Cefn  Llys  Castle)  is  situate  in  the  borough  of  that  name,  and  stands 
on  the  bank  of  the  river  Ithon,  which  almost  surrounds  it,  except  on 
one  side.  The  scite  of  this  castle  appears  strongly  fortified  by  nature, 
and  so  admirably  situated  for  a  place  of  defence,  as  to  be  almost 
invulnerable  before  the  invention  of  artillery,  except  on  one  side, 
where  one  hundred  men  might  defend  it  against  a  thousand.  It  is 
called  Castle  Glynn  Ithon,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  built  by 
some  of  the  Welsh  princes  to  prevent  the  incursions  of  the  Normans. 
About  the  year  1262  a  detachment  of  Llewelyn's  men  took  this  for- 
tress 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  103 

tress  by  surprise,  and  made  the  governor  prisoner,  but  most  of  the 
garrison  were  put  to  the  sword.  The  same  year  Sir  Roger  Mortimer 
retook  it,  when  he  repaired  it,  and  appointed  a  governor  for  its 
defence.  Camden  describes  it  as  in  ruins  in  his  time. — The  church 
of  this  place  is  dedicated  to  St.  Michael. 

Passing  through  the  villages  of  Norton  (the  church  of  which  is 
dedicated  to  Saint  Andrew)  and  Kinnerton  (where  was  formerly  a 
castle,  and  the  church  of  which,  dedicated  to  Saint  Edward,  is  a 
modern  structure,  erected  in  1752),  we  arrive  at  Old  Radnor,  or 
Maesyfed-Hen,  frequently  called  Pen-y-craig,  i.  e.  "  the  summit  of  a 
rock."  It  is  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Somergil.  Its  castle 
was  entirely  destroyed  by  Rhys  ap  Gruffydd  in  the  reign  of  King 
John.  This  was  probably  the  city  Magos,  called  by  Antoninus 
Magnos,  and  where  the  Notitia  Provinciarum  informs  us  the  com- 
mander of  the  Pacensian  regiment  lay  in  garrison,  under  a  Lieutenant 
of  Britain,  in  the  reign  of  Theodosius  the  younger.  Most  of  the 
writers  of  former  periods  called  the  inhabitants  of  this  county  Maga- 
seta.  Charles  the  First,  after  the  battle  of  Naseby,  and  during  his 
flight  from  the  parliamentary  forces,  slept  on  the  6th  of  August,  1645, 
at  the  Priory  house  at  Brecon,  and  dined  with  Sir  Henry  Williams, 
of  Gwernevet,  whence  he  continued  his  route  to  Old  Radnor,  where 
he  supped  on  the  7th,  and  was  perhaps  the  only  royal  guest  that  ever 
sought  accommodation  in  this  ancient  city.  This,  like  many  other 
Welsh  towns,  must  be  considered  and  respected  more  for  what  it  has 
been  than  anything  it  can  at  present  boast  of,-  for  at  this  time  the 
houses  are  few  and  mean ;  indeed  a  more  decayed  place  cannot  well 
be  found.  The  church  is  a  venerable  old  edifice,  with  a  large  tower 
and  six  excellent  bells,  and  consists  of  a  nave  and  chancel,  within 
which  are  several  handsome  monuments  to  the  family  of  Lewis  of 
flarpston,  whose  feeat  lies  contiguous,  and  also  a  curious  skreen  richly 
carved  in  wood,  which,  contrary  to  the  usual  mode  of  architecture, 
extends  across  the  nave  and  two  side  aisles.— Lime  is  burnt  in  great 
quantities  at  Old  Radnor  to  supply  the  county. 

On  leaving  Old  Radnor,  proceeding  in  a  southerly  direction,  at  the 
distance  of  about  seven  miles  we  arrive  at  Pain's  Castle,  situate  in  a 
small  hamlet  of  that  name,  containing  a  few  good  houses,  and  where 
several  fairs  are  held.  It  is  believed  to  have  received  its  name  from 
Paganus  or  Pain,  a  Norman,  who  built  the  castle,  which  was  besieged 
and  taken  by  Prince  Rhys  in  the  year  1196,  and  kept  until  William 
4e  Bruce  humbly  desired  of  him  peace  and  the  castle,  which  the 
Prince  granted.  In  1 198  Gwenwynwyn  besieged  the  castle,  and  after 
laying  before  it  for  three  weeks  was  obliged  to  raise  the  siege.  In 
1215,  according  to  Caradoc,  Giles  de  Bruce,  Bishop  of  Hereford, 
bestowed  the  castle  on  Walter  Fychan,  the  son  of  Eineon  Clyd ;  and 
this  is  the  last  account  we  have  of  it  in  history.  The  remains  are  very 
inconsiderable,  being  little  more  than  the  scite  and  a  few  loose 

fragments 


104  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 

fragments  of  its  outward  walls,  which  shew  that  there  was  formerly  a 
building  on  this  spot,  but  as  to  its  form  and  extent  we  have  neither 
history  nor  tradition  to  assist  our  conjectures  on  the  subject. 

About  four  miles  to  the  north-west  of  Pain's  Castle  is  Collwen 
Castle,  or  Maud's  Castle ;  it  is  situate  in  Colwent,  and  stands  on  the 
Forest  Farm,  south-east  of  Aberedw,  in  the  parish  of  Llansaintfred. 
This  castle  was  anciently  very  famous,  and  belonged  to  Robert  de 
Todney,  a  man  of  considerable  rank  in  the  time  of  Edward  the 
Second.  It  is  supposed  to  have  taken  its  name  from  Maud  de  Saint 
Valery,  the  wife  of  William  Breose,  who  rebelled  against  King  John ; 
it  was  afterwards  destroyed  by  the  Welsh,  but  rebuilt  in  1231  by 
Henry  the  Third,  on  his  return  to  England,  after  a  fruitless  attempt 
against  the  Welsh.  Of  the  original  fortress  nothing  now  remains, 
except  a  grass-plot,  which  was  the  scite  of  the  old  castle. 

In  Aber-Edw  parish  there  are  the  remains  of  an  old  castle,  about 
400  yards  from  the  church  (which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Gwydd),  and 
near  the  confines  and  junction  of  the  rivers  Edw  and  Wye  ;  and  at  a 
little  distance  is  a  high  mount  hanging  over  the  river  Edw,  and  com- 
manding a  romantic  view  of  the  inaccessible  rocks  on  the  other  side, 
which  are  greatly  admired.  Out  of  this  castle  Llewelyn  ap  Gruffydd, 
the  last  Prince  of  Wales,  retired  in  order  to  meet  in  conference  with 
the  Lords  of  Llandovery,  and,  to  prevent  being  pursued,  he  caused 
his  horse  to  be  shod  the  wrong  way ;  but  the  blacksmith  afterwards 
betrayed  him,  and  he  was  killed  in  a  field  about  two  miles  from 
Buallt  and  six  from  his  own  castle,  which  gave  rise  to  the  epithet, 
Bradwr  Aber-Edw,  i.  e.  "  Aber-Edw  Traitors."  About  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  from  the  castle  is  a  cave  formed  in  the  rock,  about  sixteen  feet 
square,  having  a  very  small  entrance,  and  called  Llewelyn's  Cave, 
whither,  it  is  said,  he  used  to  retire  for  security  in  cases  of  imminent 
danger.  The  river  Edw  is  small,  but  is  famous  for  its  trout,  which 
are  very  abundant  and  good. 

In  the  parish  of  Bugaildy  or  Bugail-dy,  i.  e. ff  the  Shepherd's  Cot" 
(the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Michael),  is  an  ancient 
British  fortification,  with  great  remains  of  building,  which,  according 
to  immemorial  tradition,  was  the  residence  of  Uthyr,  commonly  sur- 
named  Pendragon,  and  at  the  bottom  of  the  hill  is  a  field  called 
the  Bloody  Field,  where  it  is  said  a  battle  was  fought. 

The  church  of  Cwm-y-dau-ddwr,  dedicated  to  Saint  Fraed,  is  a 
neat  structure,  having  been  rebuilt  in  1778;  the  stone  wall  is  of 
excellent  masonry. — At  Nant-wyllt,  four  miles  S.  W.  by  W.  from  the 
mother  church,  a  chapel  was  erected  in  1772,  which  is  a  handsome 
but  small  edifice. — At  Nant-Madoc,  between  the  church  of  Cwm-y- 
dau-ddwr  and  chapel  of  Nant-wyllt,  the  ruins  of  Chapel  Madoc  are  to 
be  seen,  near  to  which  there  was  a  monastery.  An  adjoining  farm, 
called  Coed-y-Mynach,  /.  e.  "  the  Monk's  Wood,"  supplied  the 
monastery  with  wood  for  culinary  and  other  purposes.  The  road  may 

be 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  105 

be  traced  from  hence  over  the  mountains  to  the  Abbey  of  Strata 
Florida,  in  the  county  of  Cardigan,  whither  the  monks,  on  certain 
occasions,  went  in  procession. 

In  the  parish  of  Glas  Cwm  are  the  Blaen  Edw  wells:  they  are 
famous  for  the  cure  of  cutaneous  diseases.  In  the  month  of  June, 
1806,  a  boy  discovered  a  great  quantity  of  silver  coins  of  King 
William  in  a  mole-hill  on  the  mountains.  There  is  a  fine  cascade 
between  the  parishes  of  Llan-dcilo-Graban  and  Llan-Stephan,  formed 
by  the  brook  Bach-wy,  which  is  the  boundary  between  them. 

Llandeilo-Graban  is  situate  in  a  wild  romantic  spot,  almost  sur- 
rounded with  rocks  of  a  great  height,  and  difficult  of  access.  The 
pool  below,  called  Craig-pwll  du,  or  "  the  Rock  of  the  Black  Pool," 
is  of  great  depth,  and  one  of  the  rocks  is  called  Domini  Castra. 

The  parish  of  Llandeilo  Tal-y-bont  (the  church  of  which  is  dedi- 
cated to  Saint  Teilo),  abounds  with  coal,  and  is  situate  upon  the  river 
Lloughor.  The  ancient  monastery  of  Court-y-Carne,  now  in  ruins, 
to  which  belonged  a  manor  and  a  mill,  was  appendant  to  the  Abbey 
of  Cadoxton. 

Boughrood  (the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Cynog)  is 
pleasantly  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Wye,  and  makes  a  beau- 
tiful bend  in  the  form  of  a  horse -shoe.  Below  the  ford  here,  and  from 
which  it  probably  derives  its  name,  part  of  the  wall  of  the  old  castle 
of  Boughrood  and  the  moat  still  remain,  and  the  site  commands  a 
noble  view  of  the  river  and  adjacent  country. 

Clyro  has  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Michael,  and  is  situated  on 
the  banks  of  the  river  Wye.  The  castle  that  once  stood  here  is 
demolished.  Here  are  some  monastic  lands,  called  Tir  y  Mynach ; 
and  a  spring  of  mineral  water,  which  is  said  to  be  efficacious  in 
complaints  of  the  eyes.  This  parish  is  separated  from  the  county  of 
Hereford  by  a  small  brook,  and  from  the  county  of  Brecknock  by  the 
river  Wye. 

Diserth  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Ithon ;  here  are  some 
ancient  fortifications  which  are  supposed  to  be  British ;  and  a  place 
called  Maes  Madoc  is  celebrated  for  a  battle  fought  there  between 
Prince  Llewelyn  and  the  English,  a  short  time  before  that  Prince's 
death.  The  church  is  dedicated  to  St.  Gwydd,  a  saint  of  whom 
little  is  known. 

Llanbadarn  Fynydd.  In  this  parish  is  a  sulphureous  spring  called 
Ffynnon  Ddewi,  or  "  Saint  David's  Well,"  which  is  said  to  be  useful 
in  scorbutic  complaints,  but  it  is  not  of  a  very  strong  quality.  This 
village  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Teme,  and  the  church  is 
dedicated  to  St.  Padarn. 

In  the  parish  of  Llanbister  are  two  or  three  black  sulphureous 
mineral  springs,  and  one  whose  waters  are  of  a  reddish  copper 
colour  :  in  this  last- mentioned  spring  copper,  in  an  hour  or  two,  will 
turn  white,  and  silver  will  become  yellow.  The  black  springs  are 

resorted 


106  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

resorted  to  in  the  cure  of  cutaneous  diseases ;  one  red  and  another 
black  spring  rise  in  a  meadow  about  ten  yards  apart.  The  village  is 
situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Teme.  There  is  a  noted  spring  and 
waterfall  near  the  church,  called  Pistyll  Gynllo ;  the  church  also  is 
dedicated  to  St.  Cynllo,  who  lived  about  the  middle  of  the  fifth 
century. 

Llan  Elwedd.  The  church  is  situate  on  an  eminence,  about  two 
miles  from  Buallt,  and  at  a  little  distance  from  the  river  Wye  ;  near 
the  road  leading  from  Buallt  to  Rhaiader  are  the  ruins  of  a  castle,with 
a  moat  round  it,  which  is  said  to  have  belonged  to  Prince  Llewelyn. 

Llanfihangel-rh}  d-Ithon.  "  This  parish  (says  an  eminent  divine) 
is  usually  spelt  Llanfihan<*el-rhvd-lthon,  i.  e.  (  St.  Michael  upon  the 
fords  of  the  river  Ithon,'  according  to  some  opinions;  but  I  do  not  see 
the  propriety  of  this  application,  as  the  distance  from  the  church  to 
the  river  is  three  miles.  According  to  other  authories,  which  in  my 
opinion  are  more  probable,  it  is  Llanfihangel  Rhiw'r  Teithon,  there 
being  at  this  day  a  road  above  the  church,  passing  over  the  forests  to 
Radnor,  called  Rhiw'r  Teithon.  Rhiw  is  applicable  either  to  the 
acclivity  or  declivity  of  a  road,  and  Teithon  is  travelling  or  joumies, 
it  being  in  former  times  the  thoroughfare  from  hence  and  the  adjoin- 
ing parishes,  over  the  forest  of  Radnor,  to  Radnor.  This  is  the 
tradition  handed  down  from  father  to  son  from  time  immemorial,  in 
this  parish,  and  is  in  my  opinion  the  proper  derivation." 

Nant-Mel,  the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  St.  Cynllo,  is  situate 
near  the  river  Dulas.  Some  persons  derive  the  name  from  a  small 
brook  which  rises  in  that  parish,  called  Nant  y  Mel,  i.  e.  "  the  Honey 
Brook."  There  is  a  fine  piece  of  water  on  the  Rhusfa,  called  Llynn- 
gwynn,  a  mile  in  circumference,  which  abounds  with  carp  and  eels. — 
On  Gwastadedd  hill  is  a  vast  pile  of  stones,  the  remains,  perhaps,  of 
some  tumulus  or  sepulchral  monument,  but  so  decayed  and  disfigured 
by  time  that  it  is  hardly  possible  to  guess  at  its  original  use  or  inten- 
tion, except  from  the  analogy  which  it  seems  to  bear  with  those  that 
are  more  perfect. 


BRECKNOCKSHIRE. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  107 


BRECKNOCKSHIRE : 

JIN  British  Brycheinog,  so  called,  as  the  inhabitants  believe,  from 
Prince  Brechanius,  who  is  said  to  have  had  a  numerous  and  holy 
offspring,  to  wit,  24  sons  and  24  daughters,  all  Saints.  Giraldus 
Cambrensis,  who  was  archdeacon  of  Brecon  upwards  of  500  years  ago, 
saith,  "  It  is  a  land  abounding  in  corn,  pastures,  wood,  wild  deer,  and 
fish  of  a  superior  sort,  particularly  trout  in  the  Usk,  called  Umbrae  : 
it  is  enclosed  on  all  sides  except  the  north  by  high  hills,  on  the  west 
Cantre  Bychan,  and  on  the  south  Cadair  Arthur,  which  has  a  noted 
spring  on  the  summit.  The  most  considerable  rivers  are  the  Wysg, 
Honddu,  Yrvon,  and  Wye ;  these  and  all  its  little  rivulets  are  noted 
for  fine  trout  and  the  best  of  salmon." 

BRECON,   OR   BRECKNOCK, 

In  Welsh  Aber-Honddu,  called  so  from  being  situate  on  the  conflux 
of  the  rivers  Usk  and  Honddu,  over  which  (within  the  town)  are 
three  bridges,  is  situate  in  a  very  romantic  place,  abounding  with 
broken  grounds,  torrents,  dismantled  towers,  and  ruins  of  various 
kinds.  It  was  formerly  well  walled,  with  four  gates,  namely,  High- 
gate,  West-gate  (by  the  Black-friars),  Water-gate,  and  East-gate; 
besides  these,  there  was  one  without,  in  the  suburbs,  called  Porthene 
St.  Mariae ;  at  present  it  consists  of  three  handsome  streets,  in  the 
most  spacious  of  which  stand  the  county  hall  and  market  place.  Its 
compact  form  and  neatness  give  it  an  advantage  over  most  towns  in 
Wales,  whilst  its  interior  beauty  renders  it  not  less  striking.  The 
place  is  in  general  well  built,  and  some  of  its  modern  houses  may  be 
called  magnificent. — Its  bridges  and  churches  add  much  to  the  gene- 
ral appearance,  whilst  few  towns  in  the  principality  can  perhaps  boast, 
of  such  public  walks  as  those  of  the  Wysg,  and  within  the  groves  of 
its  old  priory.  It  also  boasts  of  some  noble  ruins  of  a  castle,  which 
stands  on  a  hill  to  the  east,  commanding  the  whole  town.  Leland 
says,  part  of  the  castle  was  built  by  Lady  Malabrune ;  but  it  is  more 
probable  that  Barnard  de  Newmarch,  a  Norman  nobleman,  who  won 
the  Lordship  about  1090  or  1094,  built  it  himself,  to  secure  his  new 
conquest.  The  castle  is  divided  from  the  town  by  the  river  Honddu, 
over  which  there  is  a  lofty  bridge ;  there  are  still  some  remains  of  the 
Keep  and  Ely  Tower,  so  named  from  Dr.  Morton,  Bishop  of  Ely, 
who  was  confined  here  by  order  of  Richard  the  Third,  and  committed 
to  the  custody  of  Henry  Stafford,  Duke  of  Buckingham,  who  some 
time  before  procured  the  Crown  for  Richard  ;  but  the  Duke  being 
disappointed  in  his  expectations,  did,  in  concert  with  the  Bishop  his 
prisoner,  plan  within  the  walls  of  this  castle  the  famous  union  of  the 
two  houses  of  York  and  Lancaster,  which  afterwards  brought  the  Earl 

of 


108  TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES. 

of  Richmond,  subsequently  Henry  the  Seventh,  to  the  throne  of 
England,  by  Ins  marriage  with  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  King  Henry 
the  Fourth.  This  castle  has  been  large  and  apparently  magnificent, 
for  it  is  easy  to  trace  the  main  body,  the  citadel,  and  all  the  parts  of 
this  ancient  fortification.  On  an  ascent  close  to  the  Wysg  is  the 
priory,  situate  amid  the  gloom  of  trees,  which  exhibit  a  profusion  of 
rich  gothic  workmanship,  forming  a  pleasing  contrast  with  the  fea- 
thered foliage  that  floats  about  the  ruins,  chiefly  composed  of  the  grey 
stone  of  the  country.  The  approach  to  the  venerable  remains  of  this 
priory  is  over  a  good  stone  bridge,  almost  joining  an  embattled  wall. 
The  priory  was  originally  founded  by  Bernard  Newarch  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  the  First,  and  was  valued  at  £112.  14s.  Od. ;,  the  house  is 
now  inhabited  by  a  private  family ;  the  south  and  east  sides  of  the 
cloisters,  with  the  refectory,  are  still  entire,  with  other  offices :  the 
church  is  now  parochial,  and  is  a  very  magnificent  erection,  built  in 
the  form  of  a  cross,  near  200  feet  long  and  60  broad,  but  not  so 
ancient  as  the  original  foundation  of  the  priory.  In  the  centre  of  this 
cross  rises  an  embattled  tower,  about  90  feet  high,  which  lies  open  to 
the  church  above  the  roof.  Leland,  mentioning  this  place,  says,  "  In 
the  town  is  a  mighty  great  chapel,  with  a  large  tower  for  a  bell,  of 
hard  stone  costly  squared,  with  the  expense  of  one  thousand  pounds." 
The  chancel  has  no  side  aisles,  but  the  body  of  the  church  has,  and 
it  is  also  wainscotted,  flat  at  top,  and  elegantly  painted ;  on  the  north 
side  is  a  painted  cloister,  which  opens  into  the  church,  and  joins  it  to 
the  priory  house ;  east,  of  the  church  is  the  ambulatory,  or  where  the 
monks  used  to  walk  or  meditate,  now  called  the  priory  walks,  and  are 
wonderfully  pleasant  and  romantic,  shaded  by  noble  trees,  and  watered 
by  the  river  Honddu,  which  rolls  at  the  feet  of  them,  but  almost 
hidden  by  the  thick  wood  on  each  side. — The  College,  once  a  Domi- 
nican Priory,  stands  at  the  east  end  of  the  town,  and  apparently,  by 
the  present  remains  both  within  and  without  the  chapel,  is  as  old  as 
the  time  of  Bernard  de  Newmarch,  who  is  said  to  have  been  the 
founder  also  of  this  place.  There  still  remains  part  of  its  old  gate- 
way, built  in  a  quadrangular  form,  likewise  a  cloister,  and  the 
refectory  of  St.  Mary's  chapel,  with  the  ancient  choir,  and  nave  for 
burying.  Henry  the  Eighth  converted  this  place  into  a  college,  by 
the  name  of  the  "  College  of  Christ  Church,  Brecknock,"  and  joined 
it  to  the  college  of  Abergavenny  :  it  still  remains,  and  consists  of  the 
Bishop  of  Saint  David's,  who  presides  as  a  dean,  a  precentor,  trea- 
surer, chancellor,  and  nineteen  other  prebendaries.  Here  were  buried 
three  Bishops,  Mainwaring,  Lucy,  and  Bull. — In  the  town  and  fields 
contiguous  to  the  castle  have  been  found  several  Roman  coins,  and 
there  are  now  several  large  intrenchments  to  be  seen  on  the  hills  about 
Brecknock,  but  the  most  remarkable  is  Ygaer,  or  "  the  fortification," 
two  miles  north-west  of  the  town.  This  is  indisputably  of  Roman 
origin,  and  situate  on  a  gentle  eminence,  near  the  river  Wysg ;  part 

of 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES*  109 

of  the  walls  still  remain,  and  within  the  camp  some  square  Roman 
bricks  were  found,  all  inscribed  LEG.  II.  AUG.  corresponding  with 
those  found  at  Caerleon.  Close  to  this  camp,  in  the  middle  of  a 
highway,  is  a  remarkable  monument,  called  Maen-y-Morynion,  a  rude 
pillar  about  six  feet  high. 

About  eleven  miles  north-east  from  Brecon,  on  the  road,  is  the 
small  village  of  Glasbury,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  which  are  several 
gentlemen's  seats,  particularly  Tregoyd,  Lord  Viscount  Hereford  ; 
Maeslough  Hall,  W.  Wilkins,  Esq.  ;  Gwernallt  Lodge,  Sir  Edward 
Williams,  Bart.  ;  Dderw  House,  Sir  Charles  Morgan,  Bart. ;  and 
Llangoed  Castle,  J.  Macnamara,  Esq.  The  parish  is  situate  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  Wye,  and  its  soil  is  the  boast  of  the  county  of 
Brecknock. — The  chapel  of  Felindre  is  in  ruins. — The  small  parish  of 
Aber-Llyfni  adjoins,  and  is,  indeed,  almost  encircled  by  the  parish  of 
Glasbury :  its  chapel  has  been  in  ruins  for  the  last  sixty  years,  and  all 
the  duty  has  been  done  at  Glasbury.  It  belonged  to  the  family  of 
Williams  of  Gwernyfed,  or  Gwernevet,  whose  ancient  owners  are 
there  interred. 

At  the  distance  of  about  four  miles  from  the  village  of  Glasbury  is 
Hay,  or  Tregelli,  called  also  Haseley,  a  small  town,  built  in  a  plea- 
sant situation  near  the  river  Wye,  and  seems  to  have  been  well  known 
to  the  Romans,  whose  coins  are  frequently  found  here,  and  some 
remains  of  walls.  It  fell  into  decay  about  the  time  of  Owen  Glyndwr, 
who,  among  other  devastations  committed  on  this  country,  burnt  this 
place;  but  Lei  and  says,  that  there  were  in  his  time  the  remains  of  a 
strong  wall  with  three  gates.  Here  was  formerly  a  very  superb  castle, 
but  by  whom  built  is  very  uncertain.  We  find  in  the  year  1215  that 
Llewelyn  ap  Gruffydd  dispossessed  Giles  de  Bruce  (Bishop  of  Here- 
ford) of  it,  in  consequence  of  his  conspiracy  against  him  ;  but  when 
Llewelyn,  in  the  year  1216,  refused  King  John  his  assistance  against 
the  French,  he  marched  hence  from  Hereford,  and  destroyed  the 
castle.  This  fortress  was  composed  mostly  of  Norman  architecture, 
and  occupied  the  highest  lands  of  the  river's  bank,  near  the  parish 
church,  but  nothing  more  remains  of  it  at  present  than  a  mount  of 
earth  with  intrenchments.  The  castle,  since  its  first  erection,  was 
removed  to  near  the  centre  of  the  town,  and  hath  at  present  its  gothic 
gateway  ;  but  a  large  house  of  the  reign  of  James  the  First  occupies 
the  ancient  site  of  the  castle,  and  the  few  remains  are  converted  into  a 
mansion  house  belonging  to  the  Wellington  family.  The  castle  and 
manor  of  Hay  were  given  by  King  Edward  the  First  to  Humphrey  de 
Bohun,  on  his  marriage  with  Maud,  daughter  of  William  de  Fiennes : 
It  afterwards  came  into  the  possession  of  the  Dukes  of  Buckingham, 
and  now  belongs  to  Mr.  Wellington.  Within  the  town  were  the 
remains  of  the  mansion  of  a  gentleman  named  Wallwine,  by  whose 
means,  it  is  said,  Llewelyn  was  taken  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Buallt. 
Hay  suffered  a  great  loss  in  the  winter  of  1 794,  when  the  resistless 

torrent 


1 10  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

torrent  of  the  Wye  carried  away  its  handsome  stone  bridge. — The 
church  of  Hay  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary,  and  the  only  thing  at 
present  worth  the  traveller's  peculiar  notice  is  the  view  from  its 
church-yard,  which  is  extremely  grand  and  beautiful. 

Dinas  Castle,  situate  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  one  mile  from  Blaen 
Llevenu  and  about  nine  south  of  Hay,  is  now  entirely  in  ruins,  and 
almost  level  with  the  ground,  yet  there  are  the  appearances  of  three 
courts  walled  about.  Contiguous  were  three  parks  and  a  forest ;  the 
parks  are  now  laid  down,  but  had  formerly  a  great  number  of  red 
deer.  The  people  about  Dinas  burnt  the  castle,  to  prevent  its  falling 
into  the  enemy's  hands,  and  so  becoming  expensive  and  troublesome 
to  the  country  as  a  regular  fortress. 

BUALT,    BUILTH,    OR    BUALLT, 

According  to  Carlisle,  means  "  the  Castle  Ascent ;"  but  signifying, 
according  to  Humphrey  Lhwyd,  "  Ox  Cliff,  or  Oxen  Holt ;"  is  a 
neat  market  town,  pleasantly  situate  on  a  small  plain  surrounded  with 
wood  and  mountains,  with  a  handsome  stone  bridge,  which  connects 
the  counties  of  Brecknock  and  Radnor.  This  small  town  is  regularly 
built,  having  two  parallel  streets,  which  form  irregular  terraces  on  the 
side  of  a  deep  declivity.  The  principal  of  these  streets  is  very  near 
the  river  Wye,  but  extremely  narrow  and  ill  shaped,  and  the  houses 
for  the  greater  part  mean  and  irregular,  but  are  now  considerably 
improving. — Buallt  has  long  been  extolled  for  the  salubrity  of  its  air, 
and  for  the  singular  beauty  of  its  position  on  the  banks  of  one  of  the 
finest  rivers  in  South  Wales  (the  Wye),  and  is  encompassed  by  such 
magnificent  scenery,  that  many  gentlemen  have  been  induced  to  fix 
their  residence  in  its  vicinity,  besides  having  the  benefit  of  Llandrin- 
dod  Wells,  only  seven  miles  distant.  This  town  has  also  a  claim  to 
great  antiquity,  being  the  same  that  Ptolemy  calls  the  Bullaeum 
Silurum  of  the  Romans.  In  the  neighbourhood  are  several  intrench- 
ments,  in  which,  we  are  informed,  have  been  found  Roman  bricks, 
with  this  inscription — LEG.  II. ;  but  the  most  remarkable  and  best 
preserved  of  the  intrenchments  in  these  parts  is  near  the  road  lead- 
ing from  Buallt  to  Brecon.  In  recurring  to  the  Chronicle  of  Caradog, 
we  find  this  place  suffered  considerably  by  the  Danes  in  893,  who, 
being  persecuted  by  Alfred,  sailed  to  Wales,  and  after  destroying  the 
country  about  the  coast,  advanced  to  Buallt,  which  they  likewise 
demolished.  The  same  fatal  consequences  happened  in  1216;  for 
when  Reynold  de  Bruce  peremptorily  broke  off  his  alliance  with 
Llewelyn  ab  lorwerth,  to  make  peace  with  Henry  the  Third,  the 
former  destroyed  all  Buallt  except  the  castle.  Like  most  places  of 
importance  in  former  times,  this  appears  to  have  had  a  castle  for  its 
defence,  built  by  the  Bruces  or  Mortimers,  but  being  out  of  repair  in 
1209,  Gilbert  Earl  of  Glocester  fortified  it  for  his  own  use.  About 
1215  we  find  it  in  the  possession  of  Giles  de  Bruce,  Bishop  of  Here- 
ford ; 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  Ill 

ford;  but  when  he  formed  a  conspiracy  against  Llewelyn  ap  Gruf- 
fydd,  the  latter  came  in  person  to  Buallt,  and  had  the  castle  deli- 
vered to  himself.  However,  it  reverted  again  to  Reynold  Bruce, 
who  was  besieged  by  some  Welsh  barons  in  1220:  but  before  it 
could  be  taken  Henry  the  Third  raised  the  siege.  In  1256,  we  find 
it  in  the  possession  of  Rhys  Fychan,  whom  Llewelyn  ap  Gruffydd 
defeated  and  forced  out  of  Buallt,  and  afterwards  conferred  the  same 
on  Meredith  ap  Rhys,  but  he  was  soon  dispossessed  of  it  by  Roger 
Mortimer,  with  whom  it  continued  till  1260,  when  Llewelyn  retook 
it  without  opposition,  and  found  within  a  plentiful  magazine.  Of  the 
town  and  castle  nothing  more  is  mentioned,  till  the  unfortunate  event 
which  put  a  period  to  the  independence  of  the  Welsh  and  their  royal 
line  of  princes,  occasioned  by  the  death  of  Llewelyn  ap  Gruffydd, 
who  was  basely  betrayed  by  the  inhabitants  of  Buallt  on  Wednesday, 
December  llth,  1282.  The  minute  circumstances  preceding  and 
following  this  great  event  are  no  where  recorded,  except  in  the  fol- 
lowing account  preserved  by  tradition  among  the  inhabitants  of  this 
place.  Llewelyn  posted  his  army  on  a  hill  near  Llechryd,  a  village 
below  Buallt,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Wye.  On  the  north  side  of 
the  river,  two  miles  below  Buallt,  the  prince  had  a  house  called 
Aberedwy,  to  which  he  came  for  the  purpose  of  conferring  with 
some  chieftains  of  the  country.  During  his  stay  there  he  was 
alarmed  by  the  approach  of  some  English  troops,  who  probably  had 
intelligence  of  his  situation.  The  prince,  to  extricate  himself  from 
the  danger  that  threatened,  caused  his  horse's  shoes  to  be  reversed 
to  deceive  his  pursuers,  as  the  snow  was  on  the  ground;  but  this 
circumstance  was  made  known  to  the  enemy  through  the  treachery 
of  the  smith,  and  they  followed  so  closely  that  Llewelyn  had  but  just 
time  to  pass  the  drawbridge  at  Buallt,  which  being  drawn  up 
secured  his  retreat.  In  the  meantime,  the  English  troops  posted  at 
Aberedwy,  had  information  of  a  ford  a  little  lower  down  called  Cefn- 
Twm-bach,  which  they  crossed,  and  by  that  means  came  between 
Llewelyn  and  his  army  stationed  at  Lhechryd.  The  only  means  of 
safety  now  offered  was  to  secrete  himself:  but  the  enemy  was  so 
diligent  in  the  pursuit,  that  the  Welsh  prince  was  found  in  a  narrow 
dingle,  in  which  he  had  concealed  himself,  three  miles  north  of 
Buallt,  and  about  five  miles  from  his  army;  which  place  from  this 
event  was  called  Cwm  Llewelyn.  After  Llewelyn  was  killed,  they 
cut  off  his  head,  and  buried  his  body  in  a  field  called  Casan, 
about  two  miles  from  Buallt;  and  at  some  subsequent  period,  a 
farm-house  was  erected  over  his  grave,  which  goes  by  the  name  of 
Cefnybedd.  The  parish  is  called  Llanfair-ym-Mhuallt,  i.  e.  "  The 
church  of  Saint  Mary  in  Buallt."  In  1691  the  town  was  destroyed 
by  fire,  the  loss  being  estimated  at  more  than  £12,000.  The  church 
has  been  of  late  years  rebuilt:  in  1811  there  were  19  acres  of  glebe 
land  and  half  an  acre  of  garden  ground,  but  no  parsonage-house, 

c  c 


112  TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES. 

A  little  below  Buallt  are  the  remains  of  Aberedwy  castle,  having 
only  a  stone  wall,  now  overgrown  with  ivy,  but  formerly,  as  just 
mentioned,  one  of  the  residences  of  Llewelyn  the  Great. 

Two  miles  further  is  Cefn-y-Bedd,  in  Casan  field,  also  before 
noticed,  and  contiguous  is  Llechryd,  with  its  ancient  castle,  now  a 
modern  house,  surrounded  by  a  moat. 

About  one  mile  north-west  of  Buallt  are  some  saline  springs, 
called  Park  Wells;  and  about  6  miles  from  Garth,  near  Buallt,  is  the 
village  of  Llanwrtyd,  properly  Llan-wrth-y-Rhyd,  i.  e.  "  the  church 
opposite  to  the  ford,"  pleasantly  situated  upon  the  banks  of  the  river 
Irvon,  where  the  scenery  is  particularly  romantic  and  picturesque. 
In  this  parish  is  Llanwrtyd  well :  it  was  first  particularly  noticed  near 
two  hundred  years  ago  by  a  clergyman,  who,  it  is  said,  wrote  a  tract 
on  its  virtues,  but  at  present  the  publication  is  not  to  be  found.     The 
situation  is  between  two  hills,  in  a  romantic  vale,  through  which  the 
river  Irvon  meanders,  with  a  picturesque  view  of  hanging  woods, 
impending  rocks,  contrasted  with  rich  land  and  barren  hills.     About 
300  yards  from  Dol-y-Coed  is  this  remarkable  spring,  called  in 
Welsh  Y  Ffynon  Drewllyd,  or  foetid  well,  which  smells  strongly  of 
sulphur,  and  changes  silver  almost  instantaneously  into  a  gold  colour. 
This  well  was  opened  in  1774,  to  investigate  its  course,  and    after 
removing  the  stones  and  rubbish  which  covered  its  channel,  some 
black  turf  12  inches  thick,  and  a  stiff  clay  of  a  very  dark  colour, 
mixed  with  marl,  were  discovered,  and  under  the  latter  a  light  gravel. 
The  water  does  not  spring  from  under  the  gravel,  as  was  at  first 
supposed,  but  flows  perpendicularly  through  a  bog  or  morass :  it  is 
very  transparent,  and  never  loses  its  smell  or  taste,  nor  is  it  ever 
impregnated  with  rain  water  even  in  the  wettest  season.     As  soon 
as  it  is  put  into  a  glass  it  sparkles,  and  the  air-bubbles  may  be  seen 
to  rise  gradually  until  they  are  disseminated  through  the  whole,  and 
remain  so  for  hours.     The  water  is  very  light  and  perfectly  soft,  and 
when  the  hands  and  face  are  washed  in  it,  the  same  sensation  is  felt 
as  when  soap  and  common  water  are  used.     It  dissolves  soap  immedi- 
ately, also  intimately  unites  with  it,  and  sits  easy  on  the  stomach,  but 
passes  quickly  through  the  kidnies.     The  efficacy  of  the  wells  have 
been  proved  in  the  following  cases :  1 .  An  excellent  diuretic.     2.  Ser- 
viceable after  intoxication.      3.    Nephitic  complaints,    or  where  a 
stone  is  not  confirmed.     4.  Against  lowness  of  spirits.     5.  Scorbutic 
eruptions,  &c.     The  wells  are  much  frequented  during  the  summer 
season ;  and  hot  and  cold  baths,  with  dressing  rooms  attached,  and 
other  conveniences,  have  been  lately  erected  by  the  proprietors  of  the 
land,  which  does  them  much  honour. 

Returning  to  Buallt,  and  proceeding  in  a  southerly  direction,  at 
the  distance  of  about  eleven  miles,  the  traveller  passes  through 
Brecon,  three  miles  south-west  of  which  is  Llyn  Savathan,  generally 
called  Llangors  Pwll  or  Brecknock  Mere,  called  (by  Giraldus) 

Clamosum, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  113 

Clamosum,  from  tlie  terrible  noise  it  makes,  like  thunder,  upon  the. 
breaking  of  the  ice  in  winter.      This  lake  is  two  miles  broad  and  13 
fathoms  deep.     In  this  mere  have  been  found  otters,  eels,  pike,  and 
perch  in  great  numbers,  also  trout  from  the  Lleweney.     Llyn  Sava- 
than  is  described  by  Giraldus  as  surrounded  by  houses,  with  gardens, 
corn  fields^  and  orchards.      Just  before  the  Normans  ravaged  this 
country  its  waters  assumed  a  miraculous  green  colour,  though  at 
other  times  red,  which  Leland  ascribes  to  the  coming  in  of  the 
Lleweny  after  rain,  which  enters  this  lake,  but  is  vulgarly  said  to 
retain  its  own  colour,  and,  as  it  were,  disdaining  to  mix  its  waters, 
carrying  away  neither  more  nor  less  than  it  brought  in.     On  the  river 
Lleweny  Ptolemy  places  Lovintium,  of  which  there  are  no  remains  at 
present,  if  there  ever  were  any. — Marianus,  related  to  the  venerable 
Bede,  wrote  a  chronicle,  which  is  much  esteemed.     He  died  in  1086, 
aged  58  years,  and  he  calls  this  place  Bricenaic  Mere,  and  says  it 
was  reduced  by  Edelfleda  in  913;  but  by  the  reduction  it  is  supposed 
he  means  Blaen  Lleveny  castle,  in  the  neighbourhood,  which  appears 
to  have  been  the  chief  fortress  in  this  barony.     A  good  view  of  the 
lake  may  be  had  from  a  hill  above  Buallt.     The  country  people 
have  a  singular  tradition  of  a  large  city  having  been  swallowed  up  by 
an  earthquake  where  the  lake  now  is;  but  this  is  certainly  a  fable, 
for  no  history  informs  us  of  an  earthquake  in  these  parts.     If  such  a 
fact  had   been  related  of  a  lake  in  Naples  or  Sicily,  or  any  other 
country  subject  to  such  calamities,  it  might  indeed  appear  credible; 
but  stories  of  this  nature  are  not  confined  to  Llyn  Savathan,  for  they 
tell  you  the  same  of  many  other  lakes  in  Wales,  as  Pwlh-Kynffig  in 
Glamorganshire,  Llyn-Lhan-Lhwch  in  Carmarthenshire,  Y-Llyngwyn 
in  Radnorshire,  Llyn-Deckwyn-Ucha  in  Merionethshire,  and  Lhync- 
llys  between  Llanymynech  and  Oswestry;  also  of  a  lake  near  Welsh 
Pool,  in  Montgomeryshire;    and  perhaps  all  have  an  equal  claim  to 
our  credibility. 

About  eleven  miles  west  of  Brecknock  is  Trefcastle,  i.  e.  "  the 
Township  of  the  Castle,"  a  miserable  village,  enclosed  by  wild 
mountains,  at  the  upper  vale  of  the  Wsg,  which  soon  expands  itself, 
after  passing  the  groves  of  Devenog  and  Luch  yn  Tyron.  Trecastle 
was  formerly  a  large  borough  and  market  town,  but  is  now  fallen  into 
decay,  still  it  shews  the  ruins  of  a  castle;  but,  according  to  Mr. 
Jones,  the  early  history  of  Trecastle  is  involved  in  impenetrable  dark- 
ness. ^  On  the  top  of  a  hill  near  this  place  was  dug  up  a  stone, 
containing  an  inscription,  which  shews  it  to  have  been  a  military 
station.  The  village  is  now  chiefly  distinguished  for  a  good  inn,  and 
a  number  of  gentlemen's  seats  in  the  neighbourhood.  Returning  to 
the  road,  at  the  distance  of  thirteen  miles  from  Brecon,  we  pass 
through  the  village  of  Llansaintfred,  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
Usk,  respecting  which  place  Camden  says—"  At  Pentre  Yskythrog, 
in  Lhan  Saint  Ffered  parish,  there  is  a  stone  pillar  erected  in  the 

highway, 
cc    2 


114  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

highway,  about  six  feet  high,  but  somewhat  of  a  depressed  cylinder 
form,  with  a  mutilated  inscription  thereon,  which  is  of  a  later  date 
than  the  Romans,  and  it  is  only  a  monument  of  some  person  buried 
there,  containing  no  more  than  his  own  name  and  his  father's — 
N- films  Victorim"  This  stone  is  still  to  be  seen  on  the  left- 
hand  side  of  the  road  to  Brecknock. — The  Rev.  Thomas  Vaughan, 
noticed  by  Mr.  Wood  in  his  Athence,  was  a  native  and  rector  of  this 
parish;  and  his  brother,  Henry  Vaughan,  M.  D.  author  of  the  Olor 
Iscanus  and  other  poems,  was  buried  in  this  church-yard. 

Cerrig-Howell,  or  Crick-Howel,  or  Crug  Hywel,  pleasantly  situ- 
ated on  the  river  Usk,  takes  its  name  from  an  old  British  fortress 
called  Crug  Hywel,  i.  e.  "  HowelPs  Mount,"  which  is  seated  on  a 
projecting  knoll  of  the  Breannog  mountain.  The  town  is  in  the 
direct  road  from  London  to  Milford  Haven,  and  is  supposed  to  have 
been  built  in  the  time  of  Howel  Dda,  who  flourished  about  the  year 
940.  The  river  here  abounds  with  excellent  fish,  and  the  neigh- 
bouring hills  with  game  ;  it  is  also  in  high  repute  for  goat's  whey, 
and  much  resorted  to  by  valetudinarians.  Of  the  castle  the  remains 
are  very  few,  yet  its  original  plan  may  be  easily  traced,  and  much  of 
its  ancient  architecture  found  in  the  neighbouring  cottages,  whose 
stones  are  evidently  purloined  from  the  old  castle,  which  forms  upon 
the  whole  an  interesting  ruin.  The  keep  appears  to  have  been  a  very 
secure  building,  seated  upon  a  lofty  artificial  elevation,  and  displaying 
the  foundation,  a  thick  substantial  wall.  By  whom  this  fortress  was 
erected  is  uncertain,  but  it  was  last  fortified  by  Sir  J  ohn  Pauncefote, 
under  a  royal  commission  from  King  Henry  the  Fourth,  to  resist  the 
incursions  of  Owen  Glyndwr.  It  probably  fell  a  sacrifice  to  the  fury 
of  that  bold  chieftain,  after  he  had  demolished  the  castle  of  Aberga- 
venny  :  it  was  certainly  a  ruin  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  as  is 
certified  in  an  ancient  survey  of  the  manor.  At  the  west  end  of  the 
town  is  an  old  embattled  gateway,  called  Porth-mawr :  it  was  the 
entrance  to  the  old  castellated  mansion  called  Cwrt  y  Carw,  i.  e. 
"  the  Stag's  Court,"  belonging  to  a  branch  of  the  Herbert  family, 
which  settled  in  this  parish  about  the  reign  of  Edward  the  Fourth. 
The  present  proprietor  has  lately  erected  a  mansion  on  the  premises. 
The  church,  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Edmund  the  king  and 
martyr,  is  distinguished  by  having  the  only  spire  in  the  county  of 
Brecknock.  In  the  chancel  of  the  church  are  two  old  monuments  of 
the  Pauncefote  family,  and  a  more  modern  one  in  alabaster  of  Sir 
John  Herbert,  Knight.  It  had  anciently  a  chapel  of  ease,  called  Llan 
Fair,  or  St.  Mary's  Church,  about  a  mile  distant,  on  the  Brecknock 
road.  The  name  still  remains,  but  the  last  ruins  of  the  building  have 
within  these  few  years  been  removed,  to  make  room  for  a  bam. 
Giraldus  Cambrensis  tells  us,  that  he  was  cited  to  appear  in  this 
chapel,  before  the  priors  of  Llanthoni  and  Brecknock,  to  answer  to 
charges  brought  against  him  by  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  in  the 
reign  of  King  Henry  the  Second. 

Near 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  115 

Near  Crickhowel  is  the  pleasant  village  of  Llangattoc  or  Llan- 
gattwg,  the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Cadog^who  lived 
about  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century.  It  is  an  extensive  parish, 
separated  from  Crickhowel  by  a  stone  bridge  of  fourteen  arches.  In 
the  lime-stone  vein  above  the  village  is  a  large  cavern,  called  Eglwys 
Faen,  or  "  the  Rock  Church."  Upon  the  Carno  mountain,  in  this 
parish,  a  severe  battle  was  fought  between  Roderic  Molwynog  Prince 
of  North  Wales,  and  Ethelbald  King  of  Mercia,  in  the  year  728 : 
two  great  heaps  of  stones,  or  Carnau,  are  still  remaining  on  the  spot : 
one  of  these  was  opened  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Thomas  Payne,  of  Llan- 
bedr,  in  1806,  in  which  a  Cistfaen  was  discovered,  curiously  con- 
structed, but  no  deposit ;  the  other  appeared  to  have  been  previously 
opened. 

Three  miles  north-west  is  Tre'r  Twr,  i.  e.  <(  the  Township  of  the 
Tower,"  a  neat  town,  the  chapel  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  John 
the  Evangelist.  Mr.  Gough's  description  of  the  town,  as  ' '  a  large 
well-built  town  among  wood,"  is  erroneous,  it  being  in  fact  wholly 
destitute  of  wood,  except  in  the  hedgerows.  The  ivy-mantled  ruins 
of  the  castle  are  seen  on  the  right  hand  of  the  road  to  Brecknock. 
"  The  fair  place  of  Henry  Vehan,  Esq."  mentioned  by  Leland,  is  still 
in  part  standing,  but  too  much  dismantled  to  deserve  that  name. 

Llan-aml-^Llech,  or  ff  The  Church  on  many  Stones,"  dedicated  to 
Saint  Peter,  is  thought  to  take  its  name  from  the  churchyard  abound- 
ing with  flat  stones ;  and  upon  a  hillock  called  Mannest,  between  it 
and  Llan-gasty  Tal-y-Llyn,  is  the  monument  described  by  Bishop 
Gibson  under  the  name  of  f(  Ty-Ilhtud,  or  Saint  Iltut's  Hermitage." 
It  is,  in  fact,  one  of  those  ancient  relics  called  a  Cistvaen,  or  stone 
chest,  differing  in  nothing  but  the  name  from  the  Cromlech.  The 
characters  noticed  by  the  bishop  (consisting  of  nine  crosses),  are 
inscribed  upon  the  upright  supporting  stones  within  the  hollow,  but 
not  in  the  exact  order  he  has  given  them,  being  scattered  without  any 
apparent  reference  to  each  other.  That  Saint  Illtyd  had  an  hermitage 
here  is  recorded  by  Giraldus  Cambrensis,  and  several  neighbouring 
places  still  bear  his  name,  as  Maen  Illtyd,  Tir  Illtyd,  Ffynnon  Illtyd. 
It  is  not  improbable  that  the  mortified  habits  of  the  Saint  might  have 
induced  him  to  make  his  bed  within  the  hollow  of  a  cistvaen,  but  he 
could  not  have  sat  upright  in  it.  A  Maen  Hir,  or  upright  stone, 
formerly  stood  near  the  cistyaen,  but  it  has  been  removed  above  a 
century  ago,  and  employed  in  building. 

Battle  is  a  small  town,  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Yscyr. 
The  tradition  of  the  country  is,  that  this  parish  took  its  name  from 
a  battle,  in  which  Rh£s  ap  Tewdwr,  Prince  of  South  Wales,  was 
defeated  and  slain  by  Robert  Fitzhamon,  aided  by  lestyn  ab  Gwrgant, 
Lord  of  Glamorgan ;  in  confirmation  of  which  the  inhabitants  point 
out  a  well  called  Ffynnon  Pen  Syr  Rhys,  or  "  The  Well  of  the  Head 
of  Sir  Rhys."  The  battle  took  place  previous  to  the  invasion  of 

Brecknock 


116  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Brecknock  by  Bernard  de  Newmarch,  who  therefore  could  not  have 
influenced  the  name.  The  greater  probability  is,  that  the  parish  has 
been  so  called  from  the  chapel,  quasi  Chapel  y  Battle,  i.  e.  "  Capella 
de  Batel,"  given  it  by  the  prior  and  monks  of  Brecknock,  in  honour 
of  their  mother  church,  St.  Martin  de  Battle,  in  the  county  of  Sussex, 
and  constituted  a  cell  by  Bernard  de  Newmarch,  its  founder. 

In  the  parish  of  Cathedine,  or  Tir-y-caeth-Adyn,  the  church  of 
which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Michael,  formerly  stood  the  castle  and 
borough  of  Blaen-Llyfni,  which,  according  to  Mr.  Jones,  who  wrote 
the  history  of  this  county,  is  a  borough  by  prescription.  The  name 
implies  The  Land  of  the  Wretched  Captive.  Leland  speaks  of  the 
"  veri  fair  Castel  now  dekaying,"  and  adds  that <(  by  was  a  Borrow 
Towne :"  but  it  appears  that  the  borough  was  not  at  Cathedine,  but 
at  Llan  Gors,  nevertheless  called  the  borough  of  Blaen  Llyfni. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Defynoc  or  Tref  Dyfnog,  i.  e.  "  The  Village  of 
St.  Dyfnog,"  to  whom  the  church  is  dedicated,  is  the  great  forest, 
containing  about  20,000  acres  of  land,  within  five  different  parishes, 
appertaining  to  the  lordship  of  Brecknock.  Under  the  ancient  Lord 
Marchers,  the  forest  laws  were  enforced  here  with  the  greatest  sever- 
ity. King  Richard  the  Second,  in  the  first  year  of  his  reign,  granted 
to  the  tenants,  resiants,  and  inhabitants  of  this  tract,  free  liberty  and 
passage  through  the  same,  with  water  and  pasturage  for  their  beasts 
through  the  same,  on  payment  to  his  said  highness  one  penny,  after 
the  rate  and  computation  of  Cyfrif,  known  by  usage  of  the  said 
forest;  which  grant  was  afterwards  confirmed  by  Inspeximus  of  King 
Henry  VIII.  After  the  attainder  of  the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  the 
said  King  granted  this  part  of  his  possessions  to  Sir  Thomas  Sey- 
mour, afterwards  Lord  Seymour  of  Sudley,  and  Lord  High  Admiral. 
In  the  9th  of  Queen  Elizabeth  it  was  granted  in  lease  for  21  years  to 
William  Jones,  paying  annually  to  the  crown  £20.  6s.  8d.  In  the 
10th  George  I.  a  similar  lease  was  granted  William  Morgan,  of 
Tredegar,  and  was  afterwards  continued  upon  the  same  terms  to  his 
representatives ;  but  eventually  the  tract  was  taken  into  the  hands  of 
the  Commissioners  of  the  Crown  Lands. 

Dinas  Castle  stood  upon  a  pointed  knoll  in  the  forest  hamlet  of  Tal- 
garth.  It  was  probably  first  erected  by  the  Barons  Marchers  of  the 
country,  to  curb  the  bloody  incursions  of  the  natives,  who  for  a  long 
time  continued  to  possess  strongholds  in  the  narrow  vales.  From 
Leland  we  learn  that  the  fabric  was  destroyed  by  the  natives,  that  it 
might  not  be  occupied  by  the  favourers  of  Owain  Glyndwr. 

In  the  parish  of  Llanfilo,  on  an  eminence  (westward  of  the  church, 
which  is  dedicated  to  St.  Milburg)  called  Allt  Filo,  are  the  vestiges  of 
a  British  encampment  of  great  extent. 

Llanelly,  the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Ellyw,  stands 
upon  a  hill  commanding  a  beautiful  view  of  Abergavenny  and  the 
surrounding  country.      In  the  churchyard  are  some  venerable  yew- 
trees  ; 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  117 

trees;  the  river  Clydach,  rapidly  descending  from  the  mountains 
through  a  deep  and  rocky  channel,  and  broken  into  numerous  cas- 
cades, bisects  the  parish;  the  fall  of  Pwll-y  Cwn,  or  <f  the  Dog's 
Pool,  is  of  considerable  height,  and  has  peculiar  beauties.  In  this 
Cwm  are  the  Clydach  ironworks,  which  are  carried  on  by  Messrs. 
Frere  and  Co.  who  are  supplied  with  the  requisite  materials  from  the 
adjoining  mountain,  by  means  of  an  inclined-plane  railway.  There 
is  an  old  British  fortress  on  a  hill  above  the  works,  on  the  west  of  the 
Clydach. 

Llan-Frynach  has  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Brynach,  a  saint 
and  renowned  British  Abbot,  who  flourished  in  the  fifth  century.  A 
Roman  bath  was  discovered  upon  Pen-y-Pentre  farm  in  this  parish, 
in  the  year  1783:  it  is  now  entirely  demolished.  Several  Roman 
coins  have  also  at  different  times  been  discovered  here. 

Llangammarch  parish,  the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint 
Cammarch,  is  celebrated  for  having  given  birth  to  James  Howell,  the 
voluminous  writer  and  eccentric  wanderer.  In  1619  he  left  England, 
and  visited  Holland,  Flanders,  France,  Spain,  and  Italy.  He  pub- 
lished Dodona's  Grove,  which  went  through  many  editions,  and  was 
well  received.  At  the  restoration  of  Charles  the  Second  he  was 
made  the  first  Historiographer  Royal  in  England,  which  office  he 
enjoyed  till  his  death  in  1666.  The  pious  and  learned  Theophilus 
Evans  was  also  born  in  this  parish.  According  to  tradition  there 
was  formerly  a  chapel-of-ease  here,  called  Llwyn-y-Fynwent :  there 
are  .also  visible  remains  of  ancient  fortifications  at  a  place  called 
Caerau. 

About  80  yards  below  the  church  of  Llanynys,  on  the  river  Irvon, 
stood  the  bridge,  mentioned  in  history,  near  to  which  Llewelyn  ap 
GruiFydd,  the  last  prince  of  Wales,  was  slain.  The  Reverend 
Charles  Price,  in  the  year  1811,  says,  "I  have  seen  part  of  the 
timbers  of  this  bridge  in  the  bank  of  the  river."  To  the  south  of  the 
church  is  a  steep  slope  covered  with  wood  of  at  least  a  mile  high, 
near  the  summit  of  which  are  flat  places  cut  by  art,  seemingly  for 
encampments  or  ambushes,  from  which  directly  down  to  the  bridge 
above-mentioned,  there  are  roads  or  passes  running  straight  down 
the  slope,  at  nearly  equal  distances  from  each  other:  they  are  about 
300  yards  asunder,  and  the  principal  one  leads  direct  to  the  bridge. 
In  the  parish  of  Trallong  is  an  old  intrenchment  on  the  eastern 

?art,  which  confronts  another  on  the  south-east,  in  the  parish  of 
Jan-Spyddyd,  both  called  Twyn  y  Gaer,  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
distant  from  each  other.-r-There  is  a  field  in  this  parish,  where  (tradi- 
tion says)  the  renowned  Owain  lolo  Goeh  is  buried;  it  bears  the 
name  to  this  very  day.  There  is  a  stone  in  the  church  of  Llan- 
Spydydd,  where  the  tradition  of  the  country  informs  us  Brychan 
Brecheiniog  was  buried,  but  which  Mr.  Jones  supposes  commemo- 
rates the  interment  of  his  father  Aulach.  Milo  Earl  of  Hereford, 

who 


118  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

who  was  unfortunately  killed  by  an  arrow  by  one  of  his  knights  in 
hunting,  A.D.  1144,  granted  the  manor  and  advowson  to  the  priors 
and  monks  of  Malvern. 

The  church  of  Cantref,  dedicated  to  St.  Mary,  is  romantically 
situate  upon  an  eminence  near  the  river  Cynrig ;  this  benefice  was 
anciently  appendant  to  the  great  lordship  of  Brecknock,  but  having 
fallen  to  the  Crown  by  the  attainder  of  the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  it 
was  afterwards  granted  to  William  Awbrey,  D.  C.  L.  a  civilian  of 
considerable  eminence  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth ;  from  thence 
it  passed  by  marriage  to  the  Powells  of  Swansea,  in  whose  family  it 
now  remains.  Within  this  parish  are  the  lofty  mountains  called  the 
Brecknock  Beacons,  the  principal  of  which  is  denominated  Cader 
Arthur,  or  "Arthur's  Chair."  Sir  Richard  Colt  Hoare  has  very 
properly  corrected  the  error  of  there  being  f  a  well  with  trout  in  it' 
upon  its  summit,  which  does  not  exist.  It  is  now  commonly  called 
Pen  y  Fan,  or,  by  way  of  eminence,  The  Van,  and  is  the  highest 
mountain  in  South  Wales. 

In  the  parish  of  Llan-Afan-fechan,  or  ' '  the  Small  Church  of  Saint 
Afan,"  to  whom  the  church  is  dedicated,  and  which  is  situated  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  Irfon,  is  a  tremendous  precipice  at  a  place  called 
Cwm  Graig  ddu,  or  "  the  Vale  of  the  Black  Rock." 

Llan-Ddetty  has  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Tetta.  This  parish 
extends  from  the  south  bank  of  the  river  Usk  to  the  borders  of  the 
county  of  Glamorgan,  and  is  agreeably  diversified  with  hill  and  dale. 
The  benefice  was  anciently  and  successively  holden  in  patronage  by 
the  noble  families  of  de  Breos,  Mortimer,  and  Stafford  Duke  of 
Buckingham,  as  parcel  of  the  great  lordship  of  Pen  Celli,  but  merging 
to  the  Crown  by  the  attainder  of  the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  in  the 
reign  of  King.  Henry  the  Eighth,  it  was  granted,  with  the  manor  of 
Wenallt,  in  this  parish,  to  one  of  the  Vaughans  of  Bredwardine,  and 
has  since  passed  by  sale,  through  the  families  of  Morgan  and  Jones, 
into  that  of  Gwynne  of  Buckland,  with  whom  it  now  remains.  The 
Roman  road  from  Caerphilly  to  Brecknock  traverses  the  whole  length 
of  this  parish,  and  on  cutting  the  Brecknock  canal  a  small  sacrificial 
instrument  was  discovered,  which  was  obtained  by  the  Rev.  Henry 
Thomas  Payne,  of  Llan-bedr ;  and  in  passing  through  a  wet  boggy 
field  here,  several  trees  were  dug  up  four  or  five  feet  below  the  sur- 
face, perfectly  black,  and  of  a  very  hard  consistency. 

Llan-Ddew  or  Llan-Ddewi,  the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to 
Saint  David,  is  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Honddu.  The 
Bishops  of  Saint  David's  had  formerly  a  castellated  mansion  here, 
which  Leland  says  was  in  his  time  ((  an  onsemeli  ruine :"  he  then 
adds,  that  the  "  Archdiacon  of  Brekenokhath  a  house  even  there,  and 
that  is  also  fallen  down  for  the  more  part ;  Giraldus  makith  mention 
of  this  house."  During  the  time  of  the  Commonwealth  the  manor  of 
Llan-Ddew  was  sold  by  parliament  to  David  Morgan,  Esq.  but  at  the 

Restoration 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  119 

Restoration  it  was  recovered  by  the  see.  The  castle  is  demolished. 
Here  was  the  residence  of  the  celebrated  Giraldus  Cambrensis.  "  Of 
this  parish,"  says  Mr.  Jones,  "  I  will  hazard  a  conjecture,  though  I 
will  not  assert  it  as  an  historical  fact,  that  the  present  parish  anciently 
formed  part  of  Saint  David's,  or  Plwyf  Ddewi,  in  the  county  of 
Brecknock;  that  there  was  a  chapel  of  ease  within  the  latter,  in  which 
the  archdeacon  officiated,  for  which  he  had  the  tithes,  and  is  ever 
since  the  patron  of  the  living ;  and  to  this  day  there  is  a  prevailing 
opinion  among  many  of  the  common  people,  that  the  College,  being 
within  the  circuit  of  the  parish  of  Saint  David's,  though  certainly 
extra-parochial,  constitutes  a  parcel  of  the  parish  of  Llan  Ddewi ; 
that  the  poor  who  gain  a  settlement  within  the  precinct  of  the  college 
are  parishioners  of  Llan  Ddewi,  and  the  poor  who  die  in  the  former 
place  should  be  buried  in  the  cemetery  of  the  mother  church." 

Maes-Mynys,  probably  Maes-am-ynys,  i.e.  "  the  plain  which 
surrounds  the  rising  ground,"  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint 
David.  This  parish  is  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers  Irvon  and 
Dihonw.  There  formerly  stood,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  east  of  the 
church,  a  stone  set  on  end,  about  7|  feet  high  and  3  feet  square,  called 
Maen  Ddewi,  or  David's  stone :  it  stood  on  a  small  eminence  close 
by  a  large  wood,  called  Gilfach  Dedwydd,  or  <{  the  blissful  retreat." 
This  stone  was  of  a  kind  not  to  be  found  in  the  neighbourhood,  and 
was,  doubtless,  conveyed  from  afar ;  some  suppose  it  to  be  composed 
of  small  white  pebbles  and  a  certain  cement  (probably  the  mill-stone 
or  pudding  stone).  It  appears  to  have  been  a  druidical  altar,  and 
many  droll  stories  are  told  concerning  it.  It  was  blasted  to  pieces  by 
gunpowder,  about  twenty  years  ago,  by  the  owner  of  the  land. 

Patrishow. — The  church  of  this  parish  (dedicated  to  Saint  Ishaw 
or  Ishow)  stands  upon  a  knoll  or  rising  ground  above  a  small  stream, 
called  Nant-Mair,  or  "  Mary's  Brook."  St.  Ishow's  well  is  at  the 
bottom  of  the  hill,  walled  on  three  sides,  but  open  in  the  front,  and 
covered:  in  the  walls  were  recesses,  which  were,  most  probably, 
intended  to  receive  the  presents  made  by  pious  votaries.  Herewald, 
Bishop  of  Llandaff,  consecrated  a  church  here  in  the  eleventh 
century,  when  it  was  called  Merthur  Issui,  evidently  a  corruption  of 
Merthyr  Ishow,  i.  e.  "  Ishow  the  Martyr ;"  but  the  present  building 
is  not  older  than  the  fifteenth  century.  The  present  name  of  the  parish 
seems  to  be  a  corruption  of  Parthawr-Ishow,  i.e.  "  the  region  or 
country  of  Ishow.  In  the  church  is  a  beautiful  rood-loft  and  screen, 
carved  in  Irish  oak,  which,  from  the  wyverns  and  union  of  the  two 
roses  appearing  among  the  embellishments,  is  conceived  to  have  been 
erected  in  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Seventh.  The  font,  hollowed  out 
of  a  single  stone,  is  capacious  and  of  great  antiquity,  as  appears  from 
the  name  of  Gynhyllyn  inscribed  upon  the  rim,  in  rude  characters. 
This  Gynhyllyn  or  Cynhyllyn  was  a  British  lord  of  Ystrad  Wy  about 
the  reign  of  King  Henry  the.  First,  and  permitted  to  retain  his 

property 


120  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 

property  after  the  conquest  of  the  county  by  Bernard  de  Newmarch. 
The  bridge  of  Pont  yr  Escob,  or  "  The  Bishop's  Bridge,"  noticed  by 
Sir  Richard  Hoare  in  his  elegant  Illustrations  (vol.  1,  p.  94),  crosses 
the  Grwyney  Faror,  and  connects  this  parish  with  the  opposite  one  of 
Cwmyog  and  the  forest  of  Moyle,  in  the  county  of  Monmouth. 

Pen  Derin,  or  Pen  y  Daren,  "  the  head  of  the  rock,"  hath  its 
church  dedicated  to  Saint  Cynog.  A  great  part  of  Hir  Waun 
Wrgan,  where  the  battle  was  fought  between  lestyn  ap  Gwrgan  and 
Rhys  ap  Tewdwr,  in  which  the  latter  was  defeated,  is  situate  within 
this  parish  :  it  is  an  extensive  boggy  common,  extending  from  two  to 
three  miles  east  and  west;  and  not  only  this  plain  but  almost  the 
whole  of  Pen  y  Daren  still  bear  memorials  of  this  conflict.  The  little 
brook  called  Sych  Rhyd,  or  "  Dry  Ford,"  which  falls  into  the 
united  streams  of  the  Mellte  and  Hepste,  at  the  foot  of  Craig  y 
Dinas,  here  divides  the  counties  of  Brecknock  and  Glamorgan.  The 
ironworks  raised  by  the  Hir  Waun  Company  are  under  a  lease 
granted  by  the  Marquis  of  Bute,  at  an  annual  rent,  and  the  lessees 
pay  no  gallage,  as  is  frequently  the  case  in  this  country. 

Rhos  Fferreg,  i.e.  "  the  marsh  of  Ferreg,"  is  in  the  parish  of  Llan- 
fihangel  Bryn  Pap  levan.  In  this  hamlet,  near  Pare  Wood,  are 
three  mineral  springs,  which  are  much  resorted  to  in  the  summer 
season.  Ferreg  or  Ferlex,  a  territory  noticed  in  the  ancient  Welsh 
histories,  was  that  extent  of  country  which  lies  between  the  rivers 
Wye  and  Severn,  and  was  governed  by  its  own  reguli,  who  also 
possessed  a  considerable  portion  of  Brycheiniog  or  Brecknockshire, 
as  it  is  now  named.  Rhos  Fferreg,  therefore,  though  situate  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  Wye,  from  Fferreg  or  Ferlex  properly  so  called, 
had  in  all  probability  its  name  from  hence;  and  is  now  perhaps  the 
only  spot  which  records  that  ancient  name.  This  was  one  of  the 
mansions  of  Elystan  Glodrydd,  the  stock  of  one  of  the  live  Royal 
tribes  of  Wales,  and  is  now,  or  recently  was,  the  property  of  one  of 
his  lineal  descendants. 

Faenor,  or  Y  Faenor  Wen,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint 
Gwenfrewi,  and  is  situate  close  to  the  lesser  Taf,  but  there  is  no 
village  or  even  a  single  house  adjoining.  There  are  several  car- 
neddau  in  this  parish.  The  mineral  spring  on  Nantgwyn  farm  is 
almost  disused.  About  half-a-mile  from  the  church  is  a  remarkable 
wood  bridge  over  the  Taf;  and  at  a  little  distance  above  is  an  exten- 
sive cavern,  called  Ogof  Rhyd  Sych,  or  "  the  dry  cavern."-^The 
village  of  Coed  y  Cymer  has  been  raised  in  consequence  of  the  iron- 
works at  Merthyr  Tydfil,  and  is  built  on  a  common  without  any 
regard  to  regularity.  The  stupendous  rocks,  called  Graig-Fawr  and 
Pen-Moel-Allt  command  particular  attention. 

Llanfeugan  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Feugan  or  Meugan. 
whose  history  is  unknown.  The  parish  lies  along  the  banks  of  the 
river  Usk :  this  benefice  was  anciently  in  the  patronage  of  the  Lords 

Marchers 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  121 

Marchers  of  the  castle  of  Pencelli.  Upon  the  attainder  of  the  Duke 
of  Buckingham,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Eighth,  it  merged  in  the 
crown  :  it  was  afterwards  granted  to  the  Aubrey  family,  from  whence 
it  passed  into  that  of  Kemeys,  and  is  now  vested  in  J.  Kemeys  Tynte, 
Esq.  of  Haswell  Court,  in  the  county  of  Somerset,  and  of  Cefn  Mable, 
in  the  county  of  Glamorgan.  The  church  is  pleasantly  situated  on 
the  declivity  of  a  hill,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Usk.  There  is  no 
certainty  when  or  by  whom  the  castle  of  Pencelli  was  erected,  arid 
there  is  hardly  a  vestige  of  it  now  remaining:  some  of  the  walls  and 
rooms  of  the  old  mansion  of  the  Herberts,  upon  the  spot  where  it 
stood,  still  continue,  but  great  additions  and  alterations  have  from 
time  to  time  been  made,  and  it  is  now  a  farmer's  dwelling.  The 
manor  of  Pencelli  was  anciently  one  great  lordship ;  which,  during 
the  reigns  of  Edward  the  First  or  Edward  the  Second,  was  divided 
into  English  and  Welsh  Pencelli :  it  has  since  been  divided  into  five 
lordships,  viz.  Pencelli  Castle  and  the  manor  of  that  name,  English 
Pencelli,  Pencelli  Orgwm,  Wenallt,  and  Welsh  Pencelli,  to  which 
the  contiguous  lordship  of  Scethrog  has  lately  been  added. 

Glyn  Collwyn,  or  "  The  Glen  of  the  Hazel  Wood,"  is  in  this 
parish ;  it  is  situate  close  upon  the  brook  Carfannell,  which  runs  the 
whole  length  of  the  valley,  and  falls  into  the  river  Usk  below  Tal  y 
Bont.  A  earn  within  this  hamlet  was  opened  some  years  ago  by  a 
person  called  Twm-Bach  or  Little  Tom,  who  came  thither  from 
North  Wales,  induced,  as  it  is  said,  by  some  Welsh  verses  which  he 
had  met  with,  to  search  for  treasure  within  it,  when  a  large  cist, 
containing  various  antiquities,  were  discovered;  but  unfortunately 
none  of  them  were  preserved,  as  the  finder  sold  them  to  an  itinerant 
jew. 

Llan-Afan-Fawr,  or  "  The  Great  Church  of  St.  Afan,"  to  whom 
the  church  is  dedicated.  On  a  tomb-stone  in  the  churchyard  is 
engraven,  in  large  Saxon  letters,  te  Hie  jacet  Sanctus  Avanus 
Episcopus."-^-The  vicarage-house  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  banks 
of  the  Chewefri,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  below  the  church.  The 
district  of  LI}  s-Dinam  is  now  called  a  hamlet  of  Llan-Afan-Fawr, 
yet  it  is  to  many  purposes  a  separate  and  distinct  parish,  maintains 
its  own  poor,  appoints  its  own  officers,  and  repairs  its  own  highways. 
Since  the  church  has  fallen  into  ruins,  it  pays  a  contribntion  of  the 
sixth  of  the  assessments  towards  the  repair  of  Llan-Afan  church,  and 
one-third  to  Llanfihangel  Brynn  Pab  levan,  the  latter  being  the  usual 
place  of  worship  to  which  the  inhabitants  resort;  but  there  is  great 
reason  to  believe  that  this  payment  was  at  first  voluntary,  though 
prescription  has  now  established  it  and  made  it  compulsory.  Be- 
sides the  decay  of  the  church,  Lly  s-Dinam  has  undergone  several 
other  vicissitudes  in  the  course  of  time,  which  have  probably  much 
changed  the  face  of  the  country,  as  well  as  the  population,  the  wealth, 
employments,  habits,  and  manners  of  the  inhabitants.  In  the  old 

surveys 


122  TPOOGRATHICAL  NOTICES. 

surveys  of  the  manor  of  Buallt,  and  in  ancient  presentments,  the 
weavers  ofDinam  are  considered  as  a  body  corporate,  and  are  assessed 
and  pay  their  chief-rents  to  the  lord  separately  from  the  neighbouring 
inhabitants.  A  tenement  in  this  hamlet  is  called  Penllys,  i.  e.  "  The 
High  Court  of  Justice;"  and  the  proprietors  of  this  land  also  formerly 
were  so  named,  as  leuan  Penllys,  i.  e.  Evan  of  the  High  Court,"  or 
it  may  with  equal  propriety  be  translated  "  Evan,  the  Head  of  the 
Court  or  Chief  Justice,";  so  that  here  the  law  was  probably  adminis- 
tered for  the  government  of  the  manufacturers,  under  regulations  of 
their  own,  and  subject  to  charters  of  their  own  adoption,  or  by 
grants  from  the  lords  under  whose  protection  they  resided;  but  the 
shuttle  has  been  exchanged  for  the  mattock,  and  the  seat  of  justice  is 
now  perhaps  converted  into  a  beast-house.-^-c/bTzes's  History  of 
Brecknock,  vol.  2.  part  \,p.  242. 

Llantihangel-Cwm-Du.—  In  very  ancient  documents  this  parish  was 
called  Llanfihangel  Tref  y  Caerau,  or  "  Michael's  Church  apud 
Castra,"  and  was  granted  to  the  church  of  Llandaffby  a  British  prince 
named  Tydor,  in  the  time  of  Gurvan,  the  tenth  bishop  of  that  see,  and 
afterwards  confirmed  to  his  successor  Libian,  who  died  in  929.  The 
Rev.  Thomas  Payne,  of  Llanbedr,  reflecting  with  great  judgment 
upon  this  name,  was  encouraged  to  make  researches,  many  years  ago, 
and  discovered  what  he  conceives  to  be  decidedly  the  site  of  a  Roman 
station,  at  a  place  called  Pentre  Gaer,  and  in  which  opinion  he  is 
supported,  as  well  by  local  tradition,  that  it  was  anciently  a  great  town, 
as  by  the  innumerable  fragments  of  bricks,  pottery,  and  cement, 
which  are  not  only  thickly  strewed  upon  the  surface,  but  intimately 
ble»ded~^dtir  the  soil.  This  worthy  gentleman  had  a  regular  plan 
made  of  this  station  by  an  ingenious  surveyor,  and  which  is  carefully 
recorded  in  Mr.  Jones's  History  of  tjie  County  of  Brecknock,  a 
work  of  extraordinary  merit,  and  that  does  honour  to  the  principality. 
In  a  field  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  encampment  to  the  south- 
east is  a  stone,  noticed  by  the  Hon.  Daines  Barrington  to  the 
Society  of  Antiquaries  of  London,  on  the  18th  Nov.  1773,  upon  the 
communication  of  Mr.  Maskelyne :  it  stood  at  a  short  distance  from 
the  Roman  road  to  Gaer,  and  now  lies  under  a  hedge.  Mr.  Maske- 
lyne, however,  did  not  give  the  inscription  accurately.  The  name  of 
this  parish  is  commonly,  but  it  is  thought  erroneously,  written  Cwm 
Dii,  i.  e.  "  the  Black  Vale,"  which  is  by  no  means  applicable  to  the 
appearance  of  the  country,  which  is  more  open  and  of  a  wider  extent 
than  any  other  parish  in  its  neighbourhood,  The  indignation  of  the 
natives  is  considerable  at  what  they  deem  a  reproachful  appellation, 
for  they  say,  "  the  Black  Vale  is  a  nick-name ;  our's  is  a  Fair  Vale  ;" 
and  so  it  is.  Previously  to  the  establishment  of  Brecknock  as  a 
county,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Eighth,  it  formed  a  part  of  the 
great  Lordship  Marcher  of  Ystrad-Wy.  Talgarth,  which  lies  to  the 
north,  from  hence  was  called  Ystrad-Wy-Uchaf,  or  "  the  Upper 

Ystrad-Wy," 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  123 

Ystrad-Wy,"  Cwm-de  was  called  Ystrad-Wy-Isaf,  or  "  the  Lower 
Ystrad-Wy ;"  and  the  inhabitants  of  Talgarth  would  naturally  call 
the  latter  Cwm-de,  or  "  the  South  Vale,"  as  it  certainly  was  to  them. 
In  the  middle  of  what  may  be  properly  called  the  valley  of  Cwm-de 
runs  the  little  river  of  Rhiangoll  (Rhean  Cell,  L  e.  "  the  Sheltered 
Stream,")  over  which  there  are  three  bridges,  and  one  upon  the  turn- 
pike road,  called  Pont  y  Brynn  Hir.  Near  this  is  a  well  of  clear 
water,  called  Ffynnon  y  Gwrlodau,  but  of  no  medicinal  virtue, 
excepting  in  the  idea  of  the  vulgar. 

Llan-Gynydr,  or  Llan  Gynyd,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint 
Cynydr  or  Cynyd,  who  lived  about  the  end  of  the  fifth  century.  In 
early  books  of  institution  this  is  called  Llan  Gynyd  Eglwys  Yail, 
from  a  stream  called  Yail,  passing  by  the  church,  and  Llan  Gwnyd 
Eglwys  Vessey,  or  Llan  Gynyd  cum  Eglwys  Vessey,  probably  from 
an  old  chapel,  the  ruins  of  which  were  lately  to  be  seen  on  the  banks 
of  the  river  Crawnant,  about  two  miles  distant  from  the  village. 
Previous  to  the  formation  of  the  canal,  where  is  a  wharf,  below  the 
church,  the  Llan-Gynyd  hills  afforded  the  principal  supply  of  lime 
for  the  consumption  of  the  country ;  and  indeed  several  persons  still 
carry  on  a  considerable  trade  from  thence  on  horse's  backs.  At  the 
extremity  of  this  parish,  towards  the  county  of  Glamorgan,  are  the 
Union  or  Rhymny  Ironworks,  carried  on  by  Messrs.  Crawshay  and 
Co.  under  a  lease  from  the  Duke  of  Beaufort ;  the  river  Rhymny, 
which  passes  by  them,  separates  the  counties  of  Brecknock  and  Gla- 
morgan. Tradition  still  points  out  the  site  of  the  ancient  castle,  near 
the  road  leading  from  the  village  of  Llan-Gynyd  to  Brecknock,  but  of 
its  history  we  are  ignorant ;  and  it  is  thought  to  have  been  nothing 
more  than  a  lodge  for  a  forester  or  woodward,  belonging  to  the  Lords 
of  Tre'r-Twr  Castle.  Upon  the  hills  in  this  parish  are  three  or  four 
carneddau. 

se  Upon  a  cross  in  the  highway  at  Faenor  is  a  large  stone  pillar, 
the  inscription  whereof,  although  it  be  entirely  preserved,  is  to 
me,"  says  Camden,  <f  unintelligible,  for  I  dare  not  rely  on  a  slight 
conjecture  I  had  at  first  view  of  it,  that  it  might  be  read,  f  In  nomine 
Domini  Jesu  Christi  Tilus;'  Tilaus  or  Teilaw  being  an  eminent 
saint,  to  whom  many  churches  in  Wales  are  consecrated." 


GLAMORGANSHIRE. 


124  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 


GLAMORGANSHIRE, 

V^'ALLED  by  the  Britons  Morganwg  Gwlad,  and  Gwlad-Vor- 
ganwg,  was  so  called  (as  some  imagine)  from  Morgan,  a  prince,  or, 
others  suppose,  from  an  abbey  of  that  name;  but,  says  Camden, 
"  if  I  should  deduce  it  from  the  British  M6r,  which  signifies  the  sea, 
I  know  not  for  certain  whether  I  should  deviate  from  the  truth."  In 
the  time  of  the  Romans  this  country  was  part  of  the  district  inhabited 
by  the  Silures,  and  had  several  Roman  stations;  as  Boverton,  a  few 
miles  south  of  Cowbridge,  which  is  supposed  to  be  the  Bovium  of 
Antoninus,  Neath  to  be  his  Nidum,  and  Llacharn  to  have  been  his 
Leucarum.  The  principal  rivers  are  the  Taf,  the  Nedd,  the  Tawy, 
the  Osmore,  and  the  Rumney ;  the  least  considerable  streams  are  the 
Elay,  Eweny,  Melta,  Trawgath,  and  Turch,  all  of  which  produce  an 
abundance  offish,  particularly  salmon,  sewin,  and  trout,  of  very  fine 
flavour. 

SWANSEA, 

or  Eglwys-Fair-Aber-Tawy,  is  a  pleasant  well-built  town  on  the 
river  Tawy,  and  situate  near  the  centre  of  a  most  beautiful  bay,  on 
an  angle  between  two  hills,  which  defend  it  from  the  north-west  to 
the  north-east,  while  the  southerly  winds  blowing  over  a  vast  expanse 
of  sea,  render  the  air  mild.  The  town  has  a  very  handsome  appear- 
ance from  the  road  approaching  to  it,  being  built  on  a  semicircular 
rising  bank  near  the  mouth  of  the  Tawy ;  it  is  also  populous,  with 
good  houses,  wide  streets,  and  a  considerable  trade :  the  market 
house,  which  is  very  commodious,  is  said  to  be  covered  with  the  lead 
from  Saint  David's  Cathedral,  given  by  Cromwell  to  a  gentleman  of 
this  town.  The  old  mansion  house  of  the  lord  of  the  manor,  built 
round  a  quadrangle,  is  now  converted  into  a  warehouse  and  stables, 
having  over  the  gate  the  arms  of  William  Earl  of  Pembroke  in  the 
time  of  Henry  the  Eighth,  quartering  those  of  Sir  H.  Herbert,  Lord 
of  Swansea.  Here  was  an  hospital,  founded  by  Bishop  Govver  in 
1352,  and  a  free  school  built  and  endowed  by  Hugh  Gore,  Bishop  of 
Waterford  and  Lismore,  in  Ireland,  in  the  year  1684,  and  to  which 
the  corporation  have  of  late  years  added  twenty  guineas  per  annum, 
making  altogether  an  endowment  of  £60  per  annum.  The  castle  was 
probably  built  by  Henry  Earl  of  Warwick  in  the  year  1 113,  when  he 
fortified'the  town,  and  was  burnt  down  by  Rhys  ap  Gruffydd,  Prince 
of  South  Wales :  a  high  tower,  consisting  principally  of  a  curious 
light  parapet  upon  gothic  arches,  supporting  a  few  massy  walls,  is  now 
used  for  a  gaol  and  workhouse.  The  church  is  a  modern  well-built 
edifice,  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary,  consisting  of  a  nave  and  two  aisles, 

separated 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  125 

separated  from  the  centre  by  eight  pillars,  four  on  each  side,  being  in 
length  72  feet  by  54  feet  wide ;  the  whole  is  neatly  paved,  and  has  a 
gallery  and  organ.  Some  remains  of  the  old  church,  which  fell  in 
1739,  are  still  visible  north-east  of  the  yard.  Swansea  at  this  period 
enjoys  many  advantages  not  to  be  found  in  any  other  part  of  Wales. 
Here  the  tide  ebbs  and  flows  a  considerable  way  over  a  flat  sandy 
shore,  and  up  the  river  Tawy,  which  runs  through  the  town,  and  is 
navigable  for  vessels  of  considerable  burthen  for  about  two  miles. 
This  place  has  also  within  these  thirty  years  become  a  considerable 
market  town,  particularly  in  copper,  coals,  lime,  iron,  brass,  spelter, 
tin,  and  earthenware,  which  employ  upwards  of  1900  sail  of  vessels 
annually;  the  quantity  of  coals  that  are  on  an  average  exported 
yearly  amounts  to  upwards  of  114,000  chaldrons.  Exclusively  of  its 
intercourse  with  London,  Bristol,  Cornwall,  and  Ireland,  it  has  a 
considerable  share  of  foreign  trade  to  the  Baltic  and  to  the  West 
Indies,  from  which  it  appears  that  few  places  in  this  kingdom  have 
made  so  great  and  rapid  an  increase  in  trade  as  Swansea  within  a 
few  years.  In  1791  a  bill  passed,  empowering  the  Corporation  to 
repair  and  enlarge  the  harbour  of  Swansea  by  turning  the  river 
through  the  western  channel,  by  which  the  entrance  into  the  harbour 
has  been  rendered  shorter,  safer,  and  deeper.  The  corporation  has 
likewise  expended  a  considerable  sum  of  money  in  enlarging  and 
making  the  bathing-house  commodious  for  company  resorting  annually 
to  Swansea  for  the  benefit  of  sea-bathing,  which  at  present  affords 
every  thing  necessary  to  comfort  or  to  amuse  the  stranger.  North  of 
Swansea  is  the  canal,  on  which  there  are  no  less  than  thirty-six 
locks  in  the  space  of  sixteen  miles,  from  an  elevation  of  372  feet,  and 
several  aqueducts.  Adjoining  are  several  smelting  copper  works, 
the  iron  forge,  brass  and  tin  works,  a  fine  copper  rolling  mill, 
iron  furnaces  and  foundry,  and  a  most  stupendous  steam-engine  at 
Llandwr,  which  cost  the  proprietors  upwards  of  £5000  to  complete. 
This  machine  throws  up  from  a  vast  depth  100  gallons  of  water 
every  stroke,  which  is  repeated  twelve  times  in  a  minute,  making 
72,000  gallons  an  hour. 

Swansea  is  situate  in  that  part  of  Glamorgan  called  Gower,  which 
was  conquered  about  the  year  1100  by  Henry  de  Beaumont,  Earl  of 
Warwick,  and  over  which  the  Duke  of  Beaufort  now  claims  a  seigniory 
and  particular  jurisdiction.  The  south-west  part  of  Gower  is  inha- 
bited by  the  successors  of  a  colony  of  Flemings,  who  neither  talk  nor 
understand  the  Welsh  language,  and  are  distinguished  by  their  dialect 
and  provincial  dress ;  they  seldom,  if  ever,  intermarry  with  their 
neighbours  on  the  north-west  side  of  Gower,  the  inhabitants  of  which 
universally  speak  Welsh.  A  peculiar  kind  of  provincial  article  of 
dress  is  worn  in  Gower,  called  the  Gower  Whittle,  manufactured 
from  fine  wool,  and  then  dyed  scarlet :  it  is  nearly  square,  about  a 
yard  each  way ;  at  the  bottom  is  a  handsome  fringe,  or  (in  the  pro- 

\ii  cial 


126  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

vincial  term)  Ddrum;  the  whittle  is  thrown  across  the  shoulders, 
and  fastened  before  with  a  pin  or  brooch,  but  the  old  provincial  mode 
of  fastening  was  with  the  prickle  of  a  black-thorn,  which  being  of 
itself  of  a  tough  nature,  and  being  dried,  is  sufficiently  strong  to  pene- 
trate the  whittle.  Some  of  the  old  women  retain  it  to  this  day.  The 
whittle  is  also  worn  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Fishguard,  in  the  county 
of  Pembroke,  where  there  is  a  colony  of  the  same  people  (Flemings). 
When  the  French  landed  there  a  few  years  ago,  the  women  ran  down 
to  the  sea  shore  with  these  whittles  on,  which  much  terrified  the 
Frenchmen,  who  took  them  at  a  distance  for  a  corps  of  soldiers.  The 
whole  of  the  neighbourhood  of  Swansea  is  filled  with  extensive  mines 
of  coal,  iron,  and  lime-stone. 

In  a  conspicuous  place  about  three  miles  from  Swansea,  on  the 
Tawy,  is  Morris-Town,  a  newly-erected  village,  and  on  the  summit 
of  a  steep  hill,  is  the  castle,  a  quadrangular  building,  which  owes  its 
origin  to  Mr.  Morris,  a  proprietor  of  the  leading  works  in  this  place, 
and  is  one  of  the  best  houses  in  the  county. 

Oystermouth  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  All  Saints,  and  there  is 
a  castle,  which  is  a  fine  ruin,  on  the  coast,  about  five  miles  north  of 
Swansea,  near  the  promontory  of  Mumbles  Head,  which,  terminating 
in  high  hills,  and  stretching  out  far  into  the  bay,  affords  a  safe 
anchorage  to  ships  passing  up  and  down  the  channel.  The  castle 
is  situated  on  an  eminence,  having  its  principal  walls  but  little 
injured,  and  most  of  the  apartments  may  yet  be  easily  distinguished; 
the  general  figure  is  polygonal,  the  ramparts  lofty,  but  not  flanked 
with  towers,  except  just  at  the  entrance.  This  building  is  ascribed 
to  the  Earl  of  Warwick  in  the  reign  of  Henry  the  First;  the  gateway 
is  nearly  perfect,  and  also  a  staircase  leading  to  a  terrace :  there  are 
several  dungeons  within  the  castle,  and  in  one  of  them  is  a  circular 
stone  pillar,  into  which  each  visitor  sticks  a  pin,  according  to  an  old 
custom. 

About  eight  miles  from  Oystermouth  Castle  is  Penrice  or  Pen- 
Rhys,  a  seaport  seated  on  the  Bristol  channel ;  it  has  a  good  harbour 
for  ships,  and  carries  on  a  small  trade  of  exports  and  imports  for 
country  purposes.  Its  ancient  castle  has  been  a  superb  edifice,  well 
defended  with  bastions  and  turrets,  as  appear  conspicuous  by  consi- 
derable ruins.  It  is  said  to  have  been  built  soon  after  the  Norman 
conquest.  Sir  Hugh  Mansell,  Knt.  married  Isabella,  sister  and  sole 
heiress  of  Sir  John  Penrice,  Knt.  Lord  of  Oxwich  and  other  large 
territories  in  this  county.  Very  near  the  village  is  an  old  intrench- 
ment;  and  in  the  village  (formerly  a  town)  stands  the  ancient 
market-place,  where  the  pedlars  and  hawkers  expose  their  respective 
goods  for  sale  on  market  days.  The  church  (dedicated  to  Saint 
Andrew)  is  a  remarkably  neat  one,  standing  close  to  the  village,  and 
at  a  distance  appears  a  pleasing  object,  particularly  from  the  grounds 
at  Penrice  Castle.  The  tower  of  the  church  has  been  raised,  and 

otherwise 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  127 

otherwise  much  improved,  at  the  expense  of  Mr.  Talbot.  The  house 
called  the  Sanctuary,  at  a  little  distance  from  the  village,  is  said  to 
have  belonged  to  the  manor  of  Millwood  or  St.  John's,  formerly  the 
property  of  the  Knights  of  Jerusalem. 

About  seven  miles  from  Swansea  is  Neath,  a  market  town,  seated 
at  the  bottom  of  a  valley,  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Nedd :  the  streets 
are  extremely  irregular  and  narrow,  and  the  houses,  with  few  excep- 
tions, ill-built  and  disagreeable^  being  generally  covered  with  the 
smoke  of  the  copper-works  in  the  neighbourhood,  a  circumstance 
which  must  render  it  a  very  unhealthy  place  of  residence,  although 
its  population  exceeds  3000  inhabitants.  A  few  ruins  of  the  old 
castle  of  Neath,  which  was  built  by  Richard  de  Grana- Villa,  or 
Granvill  (a  Norman),  Lord  of  Neath,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  the 
First,  still  remain,  particularly  one  narrow  piece  of  wall,  which  rises 
to  a  great  height,  and,  being  unsupported  by  any  other  part  of  the 
building,  threatens  the  adjacent  cottages  with  destruction  on  the  first 
hurricane  that  may  happen.  In  1231,  Llewelyn  ap  lorwerth,  being 
offended  at  Hugh  Burgn's  conduct  on  the  Marches,  burnt  this  castle 
to  the  ground.  In  the  neighbourhood  are  some  very  extensive  works 
for  the  manufacture  of  copper,  which  at  no  distant  period  promise  to 
render  Neath  very  different  in  point  of  appearance  and  respectability 
to  what  it  is  at  present.  The  church  of  Neath  is  dedicated  to  Saint 
Thomas  the  Apostle.  This  place  is  the  Nidum  of  Antoninus. 

About  one  mile  west  of  Neath,  near  the  road,  stands  Neath  Abbey, 
called  by  Leland  "  the  fairest  in  all  Wales."  It  is  styled  by  the 
Welsh  Abatty  Glyn-Nedd,  or  "  the  Abbey  of  the  Vale  of  Neath." 
This  abbey  was  founded  for  Cistercians  by  Richard  de  Granaville  (or 
Granville)  and  Constance  his  wife,  who  gave  their  chapel  in  Neath 
castle,  likewise  the  tithes  belonging  to  it,  and  a  large  tract  of  waste 
land,  with  other  possessions,  in  the  time  of  Henry  the  First,  to  endow 
the  same,  and  it  was  dedicated  to  the  Holy  Trinity.  About  the 
time  of  its  dissolution  it  contained  only  eight  monks,  and  was  valued 
at  £132.  7s.  7d.  per  annum,  but  according  to  Speed  £150.  4s.  9d. 
and  was  granted  (33d  Henry  VIII.)  to  Sir  Richard  Williams.  The 
ruins  stand  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  composed  of  rough  stones 
with  lancet  windows,  which  form  the  north  side  of  a  quadrangle.  The 
gates,  hall,  and  gallery  still  remain,  having  in  front  of  a  contiguous 
room,  in  stone,  the  arms  of  England  and  of  John  of  Gaunt,  also  those 
of  Granville.  In  this  Abbey  the  unfortunate  Edward  the  Second 
sheltered  himself  till  he  was  taken.  At  this  time  the  remains  are 
principally  inhabited  by  some  poor  families.  The  ichnography  of 
the  old  church,  which  was  of  elegant  architecture  and  immense  size, 
may  be  easily  traced.  A  little  north  of  Neath  is  a  beautiful  cataract 
falling  nearly  150  feet  perpendicular. 

Four  miles  from  Neath  is  Aberavon,  a  small  village,  seated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Avon,  having  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary ;  its 
castle  is  in  ruins,  and  the  village  is  chiefly  noticed  for  a  small  haven. 

D  d  Llychwyr 


128  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Llychwyr,  a  poor  village,  situate  on  a  river  of  the  same  name,  lias 
the  outward  walls  of  an  ancient  square  castle,  fortified  by  a  treble 
trench;  the  castle  was  destroyed  by  Rhys  ap  Gruffydd  in  1215, 
when  he  brought  this  county  to  his  subjection.  The  ancient  town 
and  church  are  supposed  to  have  stood  nearer  the  river,  on  the  other 
side  of  the  castle.  On  the  north-east  of  the  town,  at  a  place  called 
Cefn-y-Bryn,  is  a  vast  stone,  of  twenty  tons  weight,  commonly  called 
Arthur's  stone,  said  to  have  been  fixed  there  by  that  hero.  There  is 
a  tradition  among  the  people  about  a  well  under  this  stone,  which  is 
said  to  ebb  and  flow  with  the  sea ;  but  Bishop  Gibson  very  judiciously 
says  he  has  his  doubts  respecting  it.— -There  is  a  ford  over  the  river  to 
Llanelly,  a  small  irregular  town,  containing  an  old  seat  of  Sir  John 
Stepney,  which  has  long  been  deserted  by  the  family.  The  church 
has  a  high  square  embattled  tower,  remarkable  for  being  wider  at  its 
base  than  upwards,  forming  a  cone.  This  district  is  very  picturesque 
and  fertile,  having  adjacent  the  base  of  Margam  Hill,  the  property  of 
Mr.  Manselly  which  is  beautifully  shaded  with  groves  of  majestic 
oaks.  Contiguous  is  the  mansion  of  Briton  Ferry,  which  is  surround- 
ed by  fertile  lands  and  spacious  plantations. 

Bridgend  is  a  populous  town,  situate  on  the  river  Ogmore;  the 
town  is  divided  into  three  parts,  called  Oldeastle,  Newcastle,  and 
Bridgend,  the  two  first  of  which  have  remains  of  castles.  The  soil 
around  is  exceedingly  fertile  and  well  cultivated,  and  the  town  is  in  a 
considerable  state  of  improvement,  a  woollen  manufactory  being  set 
on  foot  there.  The  river  Ogmore  divides  the  town  in  two  parts, 
which  are  joined  by  a  good  stone  bridge.-^Richard  Price,  D.D.  was 
born  near  this  place,  and  here  his  connexions  afe  settled. 

Two  miles  from  Bridgend  is  the  village  of  Coity,  having  its  church 
dedicated  to  Saint  Mary.  Here  are  the  remains  of  a  castle  built  by 
Paganus  de  Tourberville  in  1091.  The  Earl  of  Leicester,  by  mar- 
riage with  Barbara,  heiress  of  John  Gamage,  Esq.  Lord  of  Coity, 
became  possessed  of  this  castle  and  his  estates  in  Wales.— David 
Hopgyn,  the  poet,  was  born  here ;  he  was  admitted  into  the  Gorsedd 
Morganwg  in  1700,  and  presided  at  it  in  1730. 

At  a  small  distance  from  Bridgend  is  Ogmore  Castle,  situate  on  a 
plain  ground  near  the  road,  and  one  mile  above  the  mouth  of  the  rivers 
Ogmore  and  Ewenney.  It  is  undoubtedly  of  considerable  antiquity, 
being  mentioned  by  Caradoc  as  early  as  the  reign  of  William  Rufus, 
where  it  is  recorded  that  the  manor  and  castle  was  bestowed  by 
Robert  Fitzhamon  on  William  de  Londres,  one  of  the  twelve  Norman 
knights  who,  in  the  year  1091,  attended  him  in  the  conquest  of  this 
county.  It  appears  to  have  been  entire  when  Leland  wrote  his 
Itinerary ;  but  at  present  only  the  keep  and  some  outward  walls 
remain  :  the  former  has  a  great  resemblance  to  the  keeps  at  Roches- 
ter, Dover,  and  the  tower  of  London.  A  small  distance  south-east  of 
.the  castle  are  several  pits  filled  with  water,  said  to  have  sunk  sponta- 
neously. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.!  129 

neously ;   one  of  them  is  deemed  unfathomable,  being  circular  and 
seven  fbet  in  diameter,  with  a  rail  to  prevent  accidents. 

Newton,  or  Newton  Nottage,  is  remarkable  for  a  well  about  18 
feet  in  circumference,  which  ebbs  and  flows  in  opposition  to  the  sea ; 
that  is,  when  it  is  high  water  at  sea  the  water  subsides  in  the  well, 
and  when  it  is  low  water  at  sea  the  water  rises  in  the  well.  In  order 
to  account  for  this  phenomenon,  it  has  been  supposed  that  at  high 
water,  the  air  in  the  veins  of  the  spring  not  beirig  at  liberty  to  circu- 
late by  its  being  pent  up,  the  water  is  prevented  from  issuing  out ; 
but  when  the  sea  retires  from  the  shore,  and  frees  these  natural 
aqueducts  from  those  obstructions,  the  water  is  at  liberty  to  issue 
through  them.  The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  John  the  Baptist. 
—It  is  thought  the  name  should  be  written  Newton  Nunnage,  as  it  is 
not  improbable  that  there  was  a  nunnery  here. 

On  leaving  Bridgend  in  a  northerly  direction,  and  at  the  distance 
of  six  miles,  is  the  town  of  Llantrissent  of  Llantrisairit,  i.  e.  ee  the 
Church  With  Three  Saints,"  being  dedicated  to  St.  Iddog,  St.  Dy- 
faenog,  and  St.  leuan,  situate  near  the  summit  of  a  cleft  in  one  of  the 
high  hills  which  bound  the  vale  of  Glamorgan.  The  streets  are,  from 
their  situation,  steep  and  narrow,  but  the  prospects  which  this  obscure 
place  affords  are  singularly  striking,  and  more  than  compensate  the 
traveller  for  surmounting  some  inconveniences  in  ascending  their 
heights.  It  is  an  ancient  borough,  and  its  precincts  abound  with 
mines  of  lead  ore,  the  property  of  the  Marquis  of  Bute,  who  inclosed 
the  manor.  Here  was  once  a  castle,  now  nearly  destroyed,  excepting 
a  fragment  of  its  lofty  round  tower  and  the  vestiges  of  out- works, 
which  are  nearly  concealed  by  numerous  shrubs.  A  new  market 
house  and  town  hall  were  recently  erected  by  the  nobleman  just  named 
within  the  precincts  of  the  old  castle.  The  church  is  a  large  Norman 
edifice,  on  a  situation  which  commands  a  delightful  prospect  of  the 
surrounding  country.  This  was  the  birth-place  of  the  celebrated  Sir 
Llywelyn  Jenkins,  Secretary  of  State  to  James  the  Second.  In  this 
parish  are  two  chapels,  one  called  St.  John's,  and  the  other  Talagam, 
now  in  ruins. 

Two  miles  south-east  are  the  remains  of  Castell  Crug.  A  few 
years  ago  a  good  road  was  made  from  this  place  to  the  famous  Pont  y 
Prydd,  or  "  the  New  Bridge,"  which  is  only  a  few  miles  distant,  and 
situate  in  a  beautiful  vale,  with  very  extensive  views :  it  is  a  stupen- 
dous arch  thrown  across  the  river  Taf.  This  extraordinary  structure 
is  a  perfect  segment  of  a  circle,  the  chord  of  which  is  140  feet,  and 
the  height,  from  the  key-stone  to  the  spring  of  the  arch,  34.  The 
bridge  was  undertaken,  at  the  expense  of  the  county,  by  one  William 
Edwards,  a  common  stone-mason  of  the  vicinity,  who  likewise  con- 
tracted to  ensure  its  standing  for  a  certain  number  of  years.  From 
the  width  and  rapidity  of  the  river,  he  failed  in  his  first  attempt ;  for, 
after  completing  a  bridge  with  three  arches,  a  flood,  with  the  natural 

D  d  2  impetuosity 


130  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES, 

impetuosity  of  the  river,  carried  it  away  completely.  He  then  con- 
ceived a  noble  design  of  raising  a  single  arch  over  this  ungovernable 
stream,  which  he  accordingly  completed ;  but  the  crown  of  the  arch 
being  very  light  and  thin,  it  was  soon  forced  upwards  by  the  heavy 
pressure  of  the  abutments,  which  were  necessarily  loaded  with  an 
immense  quantity  of  earth,  that  the  ascent  of  the  bridge  might  be 
more  practicable.  Not  yet  discouraged  by  these  failures,  he  again,  in 
1750,  boldly  dared  to  improve  on  his  second  plan,  and  executed  the 
present  surprising  arch,  in  which  he  lightened  the  abutments  by 
making  three  circular  tunnels  through  each  of  them,  which  effectually 
answered  the  purpose,  and  besides  gave  a  lightness  and  elegance  to 
the  structure  that  may  now  bid  defiance  to  the  most  unruly  floods  that 
can  possibly  rise  in  the  river,  and  seems  calculated  to  endure  for  many 
ages.  This  work  is  as  excellent  a  specimen  of  masonry  as  can  any- 
where be  found.  To  view  this  arch  as  an  external  object,  it  can 
scarcely  be  sufficiently  admired,  as,  crossing  the  vale  abruptly,  it 
appears  to  connect  the  opposite  hills,  while,  with  its  light  and  elegant 
curve,  it  does  in  a  manner  almost  produce  the  effect  of  magic,  and 
will  be  a  lasting  monument  of  the  abilities  and  genius  of  this  untu- 
tored architect. 

About  twelve  miles  beyond  Pont  y  Prydd,  after  crossing  the  Car- 
diff canal,  the  traveller  arrives  at 

MERTHYR-TYDFIL. 

The  spot  on  which  the  town  stands,  and  the  immediate  neighbourhood, 
were  the  fortunate  purchase  of  Mr.  Crawshay,  and  cost  only  £800, 
which  in  ground-rents  alone  has  increased  to  more  than  the  yearly 
rent  of  £1000.  The  neighbouring  hills  are  composed  of  little  else 
but  coal  and  ore ;  and  the  first  person  who  discovered  these  mines  and 
determined  to  work  them  was  a  Mr.  Bacon,  formerly  Member  of 
Parliament  for  Aylesbury,  who  had  a  lease  granted  him  for  ninety- 
nine  years  at  the  low  rent  of  £200  per  annum,  which  gave  him  power 
to  extend  his  works  as  far  as  the  mines  extended  in  the  surrounding 
counties,  but,  from  mismanagement  or  some  unavoidable  cause,  he 
succeeded  so  ill  that  the  works  were  soon  after  entirely  stopped.  Not 
long  after  this  Mr.  Bacon  died,  when  his  heirs  let  one  part  of  this 
district  to  Mr.  Crawshay  before-mentioned,  for  the  yearly  rent  of 
£5000 ;  another  part  of  this  district  is  let  to  Mr.  Homfray  for  £2000 
per  annum;  and  a  third  part  to  Messrs.  Hill  and  Tate;  and  the 
fourth  and  last  part  to  Mr.  Hill.  Each  of  these  gentlemen  employ 
several  forges,  which  in  their  structure  look  like  the  gloomy  castles  of 
former  times,  and  give  a  very  romantic  appearance  to  the  valley. 
Scarcely  any  thing  can  be  conceived  more  awfully  grand  than  the 
descent  on  a  dark  night  into  the  vale  of  Merthyr  from  any  of  the 
surrounding  hills,  where  on  a  sudden  the  traveller  beholds,  as  it  were, 
numberless  volcanos  breathing  out  their  undulating  pillars  of  flame 

and 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  131 

and  smoke,  while  the  furnaces  below  emit  through  every  aperture 
a,  vivid  light,  which  makes  the  whole  country  appear  in  flames  ;  nor 
do  the  immense  hammers,  the  wheels,  the  rolling  mills,  the  water- 
works, uniting  together  their  various  sounds,  add  a  little  to  the 
novelty  of  the  scene.  The  number  of  workmen  employed  by  the 
different  ironmasters  is  very  great,  so  that  the  whole  population  of 
this  town  exceeds  ten  thousand  persons.  Under  the  auspices  of  Mr. 
Crawshay  an  over-shot  wheel  was  constructed,  then  beyond  com- 
parison the  largest  in  the  world;  it  is  about  50  feet  in  diameter,  made 
entirely  of  cast-iron,  and  cost  above  four  thousand  pounds.  The 
water  that  turns  it  is  brought  from  a  stream  in  the  hills,  about  five 
miles  off,  on  a  platform  of  wood,  supported  chiefly  by  stone  pillars, 
except  in  one  place^,  where  it  crosses  a  bridge  on  supporters  of  wood 
for  the  space  of  three  hundred  yards,  and  elevated  eighty  feet  above 
the  bed  of  the  river,  the  whole  of  which  has  a  very  singular  appear- 
ance. The  church  is  dedicated  to  Tydfil,  a  saint,  and  one  of  the 
daughters  of  Brychan,  who  was  slain  here.  The  fairs  are  holden  on 
a  mountain  called  The  Waun,  about  a  mile  above  the  town. — Near 
Gelli  Maelog,  about  three  miles  north-east  from  hence,  are  the 
remains  of  Morlas  Castle,  which  formerly  .commanded  the  whole 
country  around  it. 

On  leaving  Bridgend,  which  has  already  been  described,  in  an 
eastward  direction,  and  at  a  short  distance,  is  Ewenny  or  Wenny, 
where  was  a  cell  founded  by  John  Londres,  Lord  of  Ogmore  Castle, 
and  formerly  belonging  to  Gloucester  Abbey.  The  place  appears  to 
have  been  founded  about  the  year  1140,  and  at  the  dissolution  was 
valued  at  £87  per  annum.  The  church  (dedicated  to  St.  Michael), 
from  the  solidity  of  its  structure,  has  not  suffered  from  time  so  much 
as  might  be  supposed,  as  it  is  indisputably  of  greater  antiquity  than 
any  other  building  in  Wales. — It  is  said  to  have  been  finished  about 
the  year  1 100,  or  soon  after  the  conquest  of  this  county;  the  arches 
are  all  circular,  the  columns  short,  round,  and  massive,  with  the 
capitals  simple  but  corresponding ;  the  tower  is  of  a  moderate  height, 
and  supported  by  four  fine  arches,  upwards  of  twenty  feet  in  the  chord 
from  their  respective  springs :  the  roof  of  the  east  end  or  choir  is 
original  and  entire,  not  diagonal,  but  formed  of  one  stone  arch  from 
wall  to  wall,  with  a  kind  of  plain  fascia,  or  bandage  of  stone,  at 
regular  distances,  crossing  and  strengthening  the  arch.  Under  this 
roof,  and  against  the  north  wall  in  the  chancel,  lies  an  ancient  monu- 
ment of  stone,  with  an  ornamental  cross  raised  on  it,  and  an  inscrip- 
tion pointing  it  out  as  the  sepulchre  of  Maurice  de  Londres,  grandson 
to  the  founder,  and  a  kinsman  of  Pain  Tourberville,  conqueror  of 
Glamorganshire,  who  has  likewise  a  monument  here.  Two  miles 
eastward  from  this  place  is  Penlline  Castle,  an  ancient  structure,  but 
by  whom  built  is  uncertain.  Adjoining  are  the  ruins  of  an  old 
mansion,  not  inhabited  since  the  Revolution. 

Dunawd 


132  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Dunawd  or  Donat's  Castle,  is  situate  on  a  rock  impending  over 
the  sea  shore.  The  castle  is  an  irregular  pile,  bearing  many  marks 
of  ancient  magnificence,  and  still  in  some  degree  inhabited ;  but  most 
of  the  state  apartments  are  in  a  very  decayed  condition.  It  was 
defended  by  a  ditch,  and  in  some  places  by  a  triple  wall ;  it  had  also 
a  park  well  stocked  with  deer,  and  gardens  with  terraces  to  the  water  ; 
these,  although  now  neglected,  exhibit  a  specimen  of  the  stiff  and 
formal  style  of  laying  out  grounds  in  the  seventeenth  century,  consist- 
ing of  a  series  of  hanging  gardens  or  terraces,  separated  by  stone 
walls  and  connected  by  flights  of  steps,  ascending  gradually  from  the 
shore  to  the  mansion.  The  present  building  seems  to  have  been 
erected  by  the  Stradlings  about  1091,  or  the  fifth  year  of  William 
Rufus,  and  was  the  family  seat  near  700  years  ago  ;  but,  on  the 
extinction  of  that  family,  it  came  to  Bussey  Mansell,  Esq.  in  1740. 
The  castle  is  a  large  turretted  edifice,  but  void  of  taste,  and  built  on 
a  very  inelegant  plan.  Of  the  original  structure  little  remains,  and 
what  has  been  added  since,  at  different  periods,  forms  an  irregular 
whole,  whose  parts  are  dissimilar,  unconnected,  and  every  way  dis- 
pleasing. The  greatest  curiosities  here  are  in  the  principal  court, 
which  is  of  a  polygonal  shape  and  disproportionately  low,  and  orna- 
mented with  a  few  small  round  recesses  in  the  walls,  having  within 
them  the  busts  of  the  Roman  Emperors  and  Empresses,  which  appear 
to  have  been  formerly  sumptuously  painted  and  gilt,  The  state 
apartments  are  much  ornamented,  and  contain  several  specimens  of 
heavy  wood  work,  greatly  in  vogue  during  the  reigns  of  Elizabeth 
and  James  the  First.  The  view  from  its  principal  room  in  the  tower 
is  really  magnificent,  looking  straight  across  the  channel  (which  is 
near  twenty  miles  broad)  to  the  hills  of  Somersetshire  above  Mine- 
head.  In  the  park  are  the  ruins  of  a  watch  tower. 

A  few  miles  from  St.  Donat's  Castle  is  Dyn'r-afon-House,  or 
Castle,  situate  on  a  headland  jutting  jnto  the  sea,  and  forming  a  point, 
nine  miles  from  Cowbridge.  William  de  Londres  gave  this  place  to 
one  Butler,  his  servant,  in  whose  family  it  continued  for  a  long  time, 
and  then  became  the  property  of  William  Vaughan,  of  whom  it  was 
purchased  by  the  Wyndhams.  Many  parts  of  the  house  have  the 
appearance  of  great  antiquity,  but  built  at  different  periods.  Some 
of  the  lodging  rooms  are  made  out  of  a  Jarge  chapel,  and  under  one 
of  the  outhouses  is  an  arch,  walled  up,  but  supposed  to  be  the  ancient 
burying  place  of  the  family  of  Londres.  The  entrance  to  the  court  is 
through  a  rude  gate,  having  over  it  a  defaced  coat  of  arms  and  other 
ornaments. 

Three  miles  from  Penlline  is  Cowbridge,  or  Y  Bont  Faen,  or  Pont 
Fon,  or  Pont  Vaen,  so  called  from  the  stone  bridge  over  the  river 
which  falls  into  the  sea  a  little  below.  Cowbridge  is  seated  in  a  low 
bottom,  but  the  soil  is  remarkably  fertile  ;  the  streets  are  broad  and 
paved  ;  it  has  a  good  market  and  a  handsome  church,  and  $  town  hall 

where 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  133 

where  the  Quarter  Sessions  are  held.  The  neighbourhood  is  remark- 
able for  a  number  of  castles,  and  the  town  for  an  excellent  grammar 
school,  where  many  literary  characters  were  educated,  particularly  the 
late  Dr.  Price,  and  others  much  celebrated  in  the  republic  of  letters. 
The  school  is  at  present  well  supported  and  in  great  repute.  It  was 
endowed  by  Sir  Llywelyn  Jenkins,  Secretary  of  State  to  James  the 
Second. 

Three  miles  from  Cowb ridge  is  Llangarfan,  having  its  church 
dedicated  to  St.  Carfan.  Here  St.  Carfan  is  said  to  have  founded 
a  monastery  about  the  year  500.  Garadoc,  who  was  cotemporary 
with  Geoffrey  of  Monmouth,  was  born  at  this  place.  His  History 
of  Wales,  or  rather  his  Chronicle,  from  the  abdication  of  Cad- 
walader  in  the  year  686  to  the  close  of  the  12th  century,  was  trans- 
lated into  English  by  Humphrey  Lhwyd,  and  published,  with 
additions,  by  Dr.  David  Powell,  in  quarto,  1684  ;  by  Wynne,  1697 ; 
and  subsequently,  with  a  Description  of  Wales,  by  Sir  John  Price, 
Knight;  and  has  been  continued  to  the  present  time  by  Richard 
Llwyd,  editor  of  this  work.  The  abbey  is  said  to  have  stood  in  a 
meadow  adjoining  the  village,  called  the  Culvery.  The  chancel 
window  of  the  church  measures  eleven  feet  by  twelve. 

Morelay  Castle,  near  Moreley  brook,  is  situate  in  a  very  fruitful 
valley  for  grass  and  corn.  Amid  the  ruins  of  the  castle  was  disco- 
vered  an  entire  room,  circular,  and  about  30  feet  in  diameter,  the 
sides  adorned  with  twelve  flat  arches  for  doors  and  windows,  and  the 
roof  supported  by  a  central  pillar,  like  the  chapter  house  in  Margam 
abbey.  This  room,  although  one  of  the  greatest  curiosities  in  this 
part  of  the  country,  is  so  buried  in  ruins  as  to  leave  scarcely  any 
appearance  of  it  above  ground.  Llewelyn  granted  this  castle  to 
Reginald  de  Bruce  in  1217,  who  committed  it  to  the  care  of  Rhys 
Vychan,  but  it  was  destroyed  soon  after  by  Llewelyn.  It  was  in 
ruins  in  Leland's  time,  and  belonged  to  the  King. 

At  t,he  distance  of  eleven  miles  from  Cowbridse  is 

CARDIFF,  CAERDAF,  OR  CAERDTF, 

so  called  froni  its  situation  on  the  river  Taf,  which  runs  along  the 
west  side  of  it,  and  falls  into  the  sea  three  miles  below  the  town.  It 
is  handsome  and  well-built,  inclosed  by  a  stone  wall  (in  which  were 
four  gates)  and  a  deep  mound  or  ditch,  with  a  watch-tower  still  to  be 
seen.  There  is  a  good  bridge  of  five  arches  over  the  river,  and 
vessels  of  two  hundred  tons  burden  come  up  to  the  town.  Between 
the  town  and  the  sea  is  a  fine  tract  of  moor-land,  which  used  to  be 
frequently  overflowed  by  spring  tides,  and  is  now  well  secured  by  a 
sea  wall,  which  has  turned  an  extensive  piece  of  salt  marsh  into  fresh 
land.  Three  miles  below  the  town  is  a  harbour  called  Pennarth, 
which  is  very  commodious  for  ships  and  vessels  detained  in  the  Bristol 
channel  by  westerly  winds.  The  inhabitants  of  this  town  and  neigh- 
bourhood 


134  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

bourhood  carry  on  a  considerable  trade  to  Bristol,  and  send  there 
great  quantities  of  oats,  barley,  salt  butter,  and  poultry  of  all  kinds, 
besides  exporting  annually  large  quantities  of  cast  and  wrought-iron 
for  London  and  other  places  :    the  bulk  of  this  is  made  at  Merthyr- 
Tydfil,  and  brought  down  from  thence  by  a  curious  navigable  canal, 
the  head  of  which,  at  Merthyr  bridge,  is  568  feet  and  5  inches  higher 
than  the  tide  lock  at  Cardiff:  the  length  of  the  canal  is  twenty-five 
miles,  three  furlongs,  and  three  chains,  brought  through  a  moun- 
tainous country  with  wonderful  ingenuity.     Tin  plates  are  manufac- 
tured at  a  place  called  Melin  Griffith,  four  miles  north  of  Cardiff. 
Cardiff  consists  of  two  parishes,  viz.  St.  John's  and  St.   Mary's, 
though  at  present  there  is  but  one  church,  for  by  a  great  inundation 
of  the  sea,  in  1607,  the  church  of  St.  Mary,  with  many  other  buildings 
in  that  parish,  were  undermined  and  swept  away.     What  principally 
engages  the  attention  of  the  traveller  is  its  ancient  castle,  which  is  a 
large  stately  edifice  on  the  north  side  of  the  town  wall,  and  once  a 
very  strong  building,  but  which  was  almost  in  ruins,  till  lately  repair- 
ed and  made  habitable  by  its  present  possessor,  the  Marquis  of  Bute  : 
there  are  two  gates  to  enter  into  it ;   near  one  is  a  large  white  tower, 
where  the  king's  armory  used  to  be  kept :  the  dungeon  is  neat  and 
fair ;   but  the  castle  towards  the  east  and  south  is  plain,  yet  dyked 
along  the  north,  and  defended  on  the  west  by  the  river  Taf.     The 
walls  at  present  are  very  extensive,  and  the  keep,  which  still  remains, 
appears  very  ancient  and  originally  strong.     On  the  keep  is  a  large 
octagon  tower,  wherein  it  is  said  Robert  Curthose  was  confined  in 
1106,  by  order  of  his  brother,  Henry  the  First.     In  the  castle  yard 
several  coins  have  been  found,  particularly  a  brass  one,  about  Trajan's 
reign,  whence  we  may  suppose  it  to  have  been  of  Roman  origin. 
The  castle  was  taken  by  Maelgon  and  Rh$rs,  with  Llewelyn's  forces, 
in  1131,  and  afterwards  by  the  Earl  of  Pembroke  in  1233,  for  Henry 
the  Third.     On  the  old  walls  is  carried  an  high  walk,  which  surrounds 
the  whole  enclosure,  and  affords  an  extensive  view  from  its  ancient 
tower  or  keep.     In  the  reign  of  Charles  the  First  Cardiff  espoused 
the  cause  of  that  injured  King,  and  was  besieged  by  Oliver  Cromwell 
in  person,  with  a  strong  party,  who  bombarded  the  castle  from  an 
entrenchment  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  the  town.     The  can- 
nonade was  kept  up  for  three  days  successively,  and  Oliver,  in  a  book 
of  his  own  writing,  called  The  Flagellum,  says  "  he  should  have 
found  greater  difficulty  in  subdiiing  Cardiff  castle,  had  it  not  been  for 
a  deserter  from  the  garrison,  who  conducted  his  party  through  a 
subterraneous  passage  that  went  under  the  river  Taf  into  the  castle, 
by  which  means  they  got  possession  of  it,  with  little  or  no  loss  on 
either  side :"  but,  as  soon  as  the  garrison  had  marched  out,  Oliver 
caused  the  deserter  to  be  hung  for  his  treachery.     At  this  time  the 
castle  and  lordship  of  Cardiff  belonged  to  the  Earl  of  Pembroke,  and 
from  that  family,  by  intermarriages,  it  was  vested,  with  many  castlefe 

and 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  135 

and  lordships  in  this  county,  in  the  Windsor  family.  In  this  town 
Robert  Earl  of  Gloucester,  who  died  in  1147,  founded  a  priory  of 
White  Friars,  and  another  of  Black  ones,  which  continued  till  the 
general  dissolution  of  religious  houses  by  Henry  the  Eighth,  in  1536. 
A  great  part  of  the  shell  of  the  White  Friars  is  now  to  be  seen,  and 
the  Black  Friars  house  is  inhabited  by  fishermen.  Near  Melyn 
Gryffith  is  Castell  Coch,  consisting  of  a  circular  tower,  and  a  few 
intrenchments,  on  the  brow  of  a  perpendicular  rock,  supposed  to  have 
been  a  fortress  of  the  Britons,  but  by  whom  erected  is  uncertain. 
Three  leagues  south  of  Cardiff  are  two  islands,  called  the  Flat  and 
Steep  Holmes  ;  on  the  former  is  a  light-house  and  a  good  dwelling, 
where  pilots  frequently  wait  to  conduct  ships  up  the  Bristol  channel : 
this  island  contains  sixty  acres  of  land,  and  is  well  cultivated.  A 
little  to  the  westward  of  these  are  Sully  and  Barry  Islands;  the 
former  takes  its  name  from  Robert  de  Sully,  who  had  it  to  his  share 
on  the  division  of  the  country  by  the  Normans :  the  other  island  is 
named  from  Saint  Baruch,  who  lies  buried  there,  and  as  he  gave  name 
to  the  place,  so  the  place  afterwards  gave  name  to  its  proprietors.  On 
the  western  side  of  the  isle,  opposite  the  village,  are  the  remains  of  an 
ancient  castle,  and  also  two  old  chapels ;  and  towards  the  south,  on  a 
spot  called  Nell's  Point,  is  a  fine  well,  to  which  great  numbers  of 
women  resort  on  Holy  Thursday,  and  having  washed  their  eyes,  each 
drops  a  pin  into  it.  Giraldus  says,  ff  In  a  rock  of  this  island  there  is 
a  narrow  chink  or  cleft,  to  which  if  you  put  your  ear,  a  noise  is  heard 
similar  to  smiths  at  work,  sometimes  you  hear  the  blowing  of  a  bel- 
lows, at  other  times  the  strokes  of  the  hammers,  grinding  of  tools,  or 
the  hissing  noise  of  steel  goods,  fire  burning  in  furnaces,  &c."  These 
sounds  were  probably  occasioned  by  the  repercussion  of  the  sea  in 
these  chinks  :  but  Giraldus  mentions  the  same  being  heard  at  low 
and  full  tide.  Humphrey  Lhwyd,  who  visited  this  island,  made 
particular  enquiries  relative  to  this  fact,  and  consulted  several  of  the 
neighbours,  all  of  whom  denied  its  existence  in  any  form.  Bishop 
Gibson  says,  such  a  circumstance  did  happen  in  Camden's  time. 
On  a  gentle  elevation  about  two  miles  north-west  from  Cardiff,  is 

LLANDAF, 

i.  e.  "  the  Church  upon  the  Taf,"  the  houses  of  which  are  not  very 
handsome,  except  a  few  gentlemen's  houses  that  have  been  built  of 
late  years.  A  bishopric  was,  however,  first  erected  here  in  the  time 
of  Saint  Dubricius,  whose  death  is  commonly  placed  in  the  year  522, 
though  some  place  it  near  one  hundred  years  later.  Llandaf  was  at 
first  possessed  of  a  large  revenue,  but  was  much  reduced  at  the  con- 
quest, and  the  church  destroyed.  The  present  church  was  built  by 
Bishop  Urban  in  1220,  and  dedicated  to  St.  Peter,  St.  Dubricius, 
St.  Teilo,  and  St.  Odoceus.  It  consisted  of  two  towers  at  the  west 
end,  eighty-nine  feet  high,  of  which  that  on  the  south  only  remains 

entire 


136  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

entire,  and  two  of  its  pinnacles  were  thrown  down  by  the  storm  in 
1703.  The  North  tower,  now  105  feet  high,  was  pulled  down  and 
rebuilt  in  an  elegant  manner  in  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Seventh,  but 
the  pinnacles  and  battlements  were  destroyed  in  the  storm  before- 
mentioned.  The  body  of  the  cathedral  has  been  rebuilt,  and  is  in 
length  from  east  to  west  263  feet ;  the  distance  from  the  west  door  to 
the  choir  is  110,  and  the  length  from  the  latter  to  the  altar  75  feet, 
the  body  of  the  church  65,  ancl  the  height  from  the  floor  to  the  top  of 
the  compass  work  of  the  roof  the  same.  The  choir  is  very  neat,  but 
there  is  no  cross  aisle,  although  common  to  almost  every  other  cathe- 
dral in  England  and  Wales.  The  remains  of  the  old  cathedral  are 
very  beautiful ;  the  door  cases  are  all  Norman  work,  richly  moulded ; 
the  rest  is  elegant  gothic,  but  the  naye  is  unroofed :  the  remaining 
part,  on  which  great  sums  have  beeji  expended,  is  made  up  of  Roman 
and  Gothic,  and  the  portico  of  a  heathen  temple  projects  over  the 
altar.  The  north-west  tower  was  re-built  by  Jasper  Earl  of  Bedford, 
in  the  time  of  Henry  the  Fifth ;  the  west  windows  are  lancets,  over 
which  there  is  a  statue  of  Henry  the  First ;  and  over  the  door  one  of 
Dubricius:  the  naye  and  aisle  contain  many  beautiful  monuments. 
The  whole  fabric  is  said  to  have  suffered  considerably  in  the  rebellion 
of  Owen  Glyndwr.  The  annual  value  pf  the  Bishopric  in  the  Liber 
Regis  seems  only  £154.  14s.  2d.  though  the  real  revenue  is  estimated 
at  £1600.  The  preceding  is  an  accurate  delineation  of  the  ancient 
cathedral ;  but  the  modern  church  should  be  noticed  separately,  being 
singularly  situated^  and  formed  mostly  with  tjie  walls  of  the  old 
cathedral,  and  so  closely  incorporated  in  many  places,  that  it  would 
be  difficult  to  distinguish  the  one  from  the  other,  if  the  architecture 
had  been  similar :  but  the  modern  church  seems  to  be  a  compound  of 
absurdities,  having  the  gothic  of  ancient  building  ridiculously  contrast- 
ed with  the  Venetian  windows,  Ionic  pillars,  and  every  impropriety  of 
the  Grecian  style.  In  the  midst  of  these  defects  in  architecture,  the 
neatness  in  which  the  church  is  kept,  particularly  the  great  care 
apparently  taken  of  the  numerous  remains  of  antiquity  that  are  to  be 
found  in  this  ancient  edifice,  is  admirable.  There  is  no  residence 
here  for  the  bishop. 

About  five  miles  from  Llandaff  is 

CAERPHILLI,    OR   SENGHENYDD, 

which  latter  name  is  derived  from  Cenydd,  a  saint  who  lived  about  the 
middle  of  the  sixth  century.  It  is  situate  among  a  row  of  hills  that 
run  through  the  middle  of  Glamorganshire  towards  Brecknockshire. 
The  town  is  neat  and  clean,  with  many  respectable  houses ;  but  the 
castle  is  the  chief  building,  and  probably  one  of  the  most  noble 
remains  of  antiquity  in  the  kingdom,  situate  over  a  small  stream 
which  runs  into  the  Rumney.  It  consists  of  one  large  oblong  court, 
with  an  entrance  by  a  gateway,  and  two  round  towers  from  east  to 

west : 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  137 

west ;  on  the  north  is  a  dead  wall,  with  loop  holes,  and  on  the  south 
a  magnificent  hall ;    at  each  angle  was  a  round  tower  of  four  stories, 
communicating  with  others  by  a  gallery  in  the  second  story.     The 
south-east  tower,  from  its  singular  situation,  is  supposed  to  exceed 
any  thing  of  the  kind  to  be  found  elsewhere :  it  stands  eleven  feet  out 
of  perpendicular,  resting  only  on  one  part  of  its  south  side,  although 
seventy  or  eighty  feet  in  height,  and  was  probably  so  removed  from 
its  place  by  gunpowder  in  the  Civil  Wars.     The  hall  is  a  stately 
room,  about  70  feet  by  30,  and  17  feet  high,  the  roof  of  which  is 
vaulted,  and  supported  by  twenty  arches :  on  the  same  side  are  two 
stately  windows,  continuing  down  to  the  floor,  and  reaching  above 
the  supposed  roof  of  the  room  :  the  sides  are  ornamented  with  trefoils 
and  other  devices  common  to  buildings  of  the  fourteenth  century  :  on 
the  side  walls  of  the  room  are  seven  clusters  of  round  pilasters,  about 
four  feet  long,  each  supported  by  three  busts,  varied  alternately.     Jn 
the  south,  at  equal  distances,  are  six  grooves,  about  nine  inches  wide, 
and  eight  high,  intended  as  places  for  something,  of  which  no  vestige 
remains:    the  doors  are  placed  on   the  east  end,  eight  feet  high, 
opening  into  a  court  or  castle  yard,  which  is  70  yards  by  40,  with 
another  on  the  south  side ;  on  the  east  are  two  more,  low  arched,  and 
within  a  yard  of  each  other  :  the  inner  building,  or  main  body  of  the 
castle,  is  entirely  surrounded  by  an  immense  stone  wall,  supported  by 
strong  buttresses,  and  defended  by  square  towers,  communicating 
with  each  other  by  an  embattled  gallery,  and  over  it  a  pleasant  walk. 
In  the  eastern  gate  of  the  castle  are  two  hexagonal  towers,  and  at  the 
right  angle  within  this  gate  is  a  square  tower,  with  three  vacuities  for 
portcullises,  &c.      Between  the  outer  wall  and  the  moat  were  the 
offices ;  the  mill-house  is  still  remaining ;  and  without  the  walls  of  the 
castle  are  many  moats  and  intrenchments,  uniform  with  the  bastions 
at  the  angles.     The  origin  of  this  noble  fabric  cannot  be  traced  to  any 
probable  source,  although  many  conjectures  have  been  made  about 
it :  some  are  inclined  to  think  it  Roman,  others  Saxon,  and  others 
British ;  but  the  coins  of  none  of  these  nations  have  been  found  to 
confirm  either  hypothesis.     Some  Flemish  pieces  were  discovered, 
with  the  image  of  our  Saviour,  and  about  the  same  time  coins  re- 
sembling Venetian,  with  a  brass  one  like  those  of  the  middle  ages, 
but  without  a  syllable  of  inscription  to  assist  conjecture  in  endeavour- 
ing to  elucidate  the  origin  of  one  of  the  largest  buildings  in  Britain. 
The  castle  formerly  belonged  to  the  Clares  Earls  of  Gloucester,  then 
to  the  Earls  of  Pembroke,  and  afterwards  became  the  property  of 
Lord  Mount-Stuart,  in  right  of  his  wife,  the  heiress  of  Lord  Windsor. 
On  a  mountain  called  Cefn  Gelli  Gaer,  near  the  castle,  on  the  road  to 
Marchnadywayn,  is  a  remarkable  monument,  known  by  the  name  of 
Y-Maen-hir,  consisting  of  a  rude  stone  pillar  of  a  quadrangular  form, 
and  eight  feet  high,  with  an  inscription  inserted  in  Camden  (p.  616), 
in  the  area  or  bed  of  which  he  supposes  a  person  has  been  interred, 

and 


138  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

and  that  the  inscription  on  the  pillar  must  be  read  Tefro-i-ti,  or 
Defro-i-ti,  which  is  Welsh,  and  signifies,  "  Mayest  thou  awake." — 
Close  to  the  bottom  is  a  small  intrenchment. 

In  the  chancel  of  the  parish  church  of  Llan-Tryddyd  is  a  grand  and 
superbly  ornamented  monument,  erected  in  the  early  part  of  the  reign 
of  Queen  Elizabeth,  and  on  which  are  the  recumbent  figures  of  a 
knight  and  his  lady,  as  large  as  life,  in  the  attitude  of  prayer  ;  and  in 
the  churchyard  is  a  remarkable  yew  tree,  which  girths  26  feet  at  the 
height  of  6  feet  from  the  ground,  and  which,  near  the  root,  is  not 
much  less  than  40  feet  in  circumference.  Tradition  says  Llan- 
Tryddyd  House,  the  seat  of  Sir  John  Aubrey,  was  an  asylum  to  many 
great  and  learned  men  of  the  church  of  England,  during  the  Pro- 
tectorate ;  and  that  academical  degrees  were  conferred  there. 

Aber-Dar  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  John  the  Baptist.  The 
Rev.  Edward  Evan,  an  eminent  dissenting  preacher,  philosopher,  and 
poet,  was  a  native  of  this  place,  and  was  one  of  the  few,  who,  accord- 
ing to  Mr.  Owen,  being  initiated  into  the  bardic  mysteries,  had  helped 
to  preserve  the  institution  to  the  present  time.  He  died  on  the  21st 
June,  1 789,  being  the  day  fixed  for  him  to  meet  the  other  bards  of 
the  chair  of  Glamorgan.  levan  Ddu  ap  Dafydd  ap  Owain,  an 
eminent  poet,  was  also  a  native  of  Aber-Dar,  and  flourished  from 
about  the  year  1440  to  1480.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  large  estate, 
and  a  great  patron  of  the  bards,  whose  various  acts  are  still  tradition- 
ally told  in  the  neighbourhood  where  he  resided. 

Saint  Andrew's  is  situate  near  the  Bristol  channel ;  here  are  the 
remains  of  an  ancient  ,castle,  palled  Dinas  Powys  Castle,  formerly  the 
property  of  Lord  Brooke. 

Bishopston  or  Llan-deilo  Ferwalt,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St. 
Teilo,  one  of  the  most  celebrated  Saints  of  the  British  church,  who 
lived  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fifth  and  beginning  of  the  sixth  centuries. 
The  adjacent  chapel  of  Caswell  is  in  ruins.  There  is  a  lead  mine  in 
a  valley  in  this  parish,  called  All  Slade,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  sea  shore  :  this  mine  was  re-opened  some  few  years  ago,  and 
some  tons  of  ore  of  a  good  quality  were  raised  from  it;  but  it  was 
again  dropped,  either  for  want  of  capital  or  spirit  in  the  adventurers. 
Several  implements  of  the  ancient  miners  were  discovered  upon  re- 
opening it,  which  occasioned  an  idea  that  they  perished  in  the  mine, 
but  no  remains  of  them  were  found.  In  the  rocks  here  is  an  extra- 
ordinary spring,  that  is  covered  at  high  water,  but  which,  when  the 
tide  has  quite  left  it,  retains  not  the  smallest  taste  of  the  salt  water. 
It  is  frequently  the  resort  of  parties  of  pleasure  from  Swansea;  from 
which  it  is  four  miles  distant. 

St.  Bride's  Major. — Here  is  an  immense  spring,  which  issues  out  of 
a  rock,  at  the  extremity  of  the  parish,  and  the  waters  of  which  are 
much  esteemed.  This  place  is  situated  near  the  Bristol  channel. 
Robert  Thomas,  the  poet,  was  a  native  of  St.  Bride's  Major,  and 
flourished  from  about  the  year  1 700  to  1 750. 

Kenfig, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  139 

Kenfig,  Cynfig,  or  Cefn  y  Figen,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St. 
Mary  Magdalen.  It  is  a  corporate  town  ;  a  town  hall  was  lately 
erected  here,  which  cost  £400.  The  borough  is  a  lordship  of  itself, 
belonging  to  Thomas  Mansell  Talbot,  Esq.  with  a  super-lordship 
over  North  Cornelly,  South  Cornelly,  and  Searfawr.  The  name 
appears  to  be  derived  from  Cefn,  "a  rising  ground,"  and  Figen, 
"  a  bog;"  which  bog  has  been,  for  time  immemorial,  a  lake,  about 
two  miles  in  circumference,  and  which  abounds  with  pike  of  a  large 
size.  Kenfig  contains  about  800  acres  of  warren  and  sand  banks : 
tradition  informs  us,  that  the  old  town,  castle,  and  church,  were 
inundated  on  the. occasion  of  a  great  storm,  leaving  the  buildings 
overwhelmed  by  the  sands,  and  evident  marks  of  this  calamitous  event 
are  visible,  and  prove  the  circumstance  beyond  contradiction. 
Previous  to  this,  Kenfig  was  a  place  of  great  note  and  consideration, 
the  high  road  then  passing  through  it,  which  was  afterwards  diverted 
through  Pyle.  The  remains  of  the  castle  appear  about  15  feet  above 
the  top  of  the  sand  at  this  time,  with  the  vestiges  of  a  moat  at  the 
distance  of  100  yards  from  it,  and  surrounding  it,  except  on  the  river 
side,  which  runs  at  present  about  20  yards  to  the  North  of  it,  and 
from  thence  empties  itself  into  the  Bristol  channel.  About  300  yards 
from  the  castle  to  the  South,  are  the  remains  of  the  ancient  church 
and  burying  place,  as  a  great  quantity  of  human  bones  are  often 
discernible  by  the  drifting  of  the  sand.  This  storm,  which  has  given 
a  new  and  desolated  aspect  to  a  great  district  of  country,  happened 
during  the  last  year  of  the  reign  of  Edward  the  Sixth,  or  immediately 
on  the  accession  of  Queen  Mary,  in  the  first  year  of  whose  reign,  in 
the  year  1554,  "  An  Act,  touching  the  sea  sands  in  Glamorganshire," 
was  passed  ;  wherein  an  act  of  the  23d  of  Henry  the  Eighth  is 
recited,  which  provides  for  commissions  of  sewers,  and  that  the  said 
act  does  not  extend  to  reform  the  damage  done  by  reason  of  sand 
arising  out  of  the  sea  and  driven  to  land  by  storms  and  winds, 
whereby  much  good  ground,  lying  on  the  sea-coasts  in  sundry  places 
of  this  realm,  and  especially  in  the  county  of  Glamorgan,  is  covered 
with  such  sand  to  the  great  loss  of  the  Queen's  subjects,  and  more  is 
like  to  ensue  if  speedy  remedy  be  not  provided  :  and  it  enacts,  that 
the  said  act  of  sewers  and  commissions  shall  give  full  power  to  the 
redress  and  securing  of  the  said  grounds  from  hurt  and  destruction  by 
reason  of  the  said  sands.  Empowered  by  this  act,  a  commission  was 
holden,  as  appears  by  a  paper  now  extant  in  Mr.  Talbot's  possession, 
to  re-ascertain  the  boundaries  between  Cynfig  and  Skeir,  which  had 
been  so  overwhelmed  with  sand  as  to  leave  no  trace  of  the  ancient 
limits.  Skeir  is  a  large  extra-parochial  farm,  adjoining  the  South- 
east side  of  the  parish  of  Cynfig,  formerly  appertaining  to  the  abbey 
of  Neath,  but  now,  by  purchase,  the  property  of  Mr.  Talbot.  Since 
this  inundating  devastation,  the  Arundo  Arenaria  has  been  planted 
in  these  sand  banks,  in  order  to  bind  and  fix  them,  as  it  does  on  those 

of 


140  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

of  Holland ;  and  every  tenant  who  rents  in  the  moor  adjoining 
covenants  in  his  lease  to  give  yearly  the  labour  of  a  day  or  more,  in 
proportion  to  his  land,  for  the  planting  of  this  rush,  and  experience 
has  proved  its  good  effects.  These  sand  banks  are  all  rabbit  warrens, 
and  afford  a  fine  ride,  during  low  water,  of  about  12  miles,  from  Skeir 
rocks  to  Briton  ferry.  We  are  informed,  by  history,  that  the  castle 
of  Kenfig  was  inhabited  by  lestyn  ab  Gwrgant  for  some  time ;  it  was 
afterwards,  by  right  of  conquest,  seized  by  Robert  Fitzhamon,  and 
from  him  it  descended  to  his  heiress,  Mabel,  the  wife  of  Robert,  Earl 
of  Gloucester,  who  endowed  the  abbey  of  Margam  with  large 
possessions.  We  cannot  find  the  date  of  the  first  charter ;  but  the 
first  confirmation  of  the  original  grant  was  made  by  Thomas  le 
Despenser  and  his  daughter  Isabel,  this  is  dated  on  the  14th  May, 
1360;  a  second  confirmation  is  dated  on  the  16th  February,  1396; 
and  a  third  on  the  1st  of  May,  1423.  Henry,  who  was  promoted  to 
the  see  of  Llandaff  in  the  year  1 199,  and,  who  died  in  the  year  1218, 
gave  his  confirmation  and  grant  of  the  church  of  Kenfig,  with  its 
appurtenances,  to  the  abbey  of  Margam,  on  the  petition  of  Walter 
Abbot,  of  Tewkesbury ;  but  how  the  presentation  was  alienated  from 
the  Margam  family  and  devolved  to  the  crown,  we  are  unable  to  trace, 
the  archives  of  the  church  of  Llandaflf  having,  some  years  since,  been 
destroyed  by  fire. 

Eglwys  Ilan,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Elian,  a  saint  who 
lived  at  the  close  of  the  fifth  century.  In  this  parish  is  Taf  Well, 
which  is  esteemed  benficial  in  rheumatic  complaints.  Here  is  the 
celebrated  new  bridge  over  the  river  Taf,  before  mentioned  as  having 
been  built  by  William  Edwards,  who  was  a  native  of  this  parish,  and 
who  lies  buried  in  the  church-yard.  This  parish  abounds  with  mines 
and  fine  quarries  of  stone. 

St.  Fagan's. — There  was  a  great  battle  fought  here  in  1648,  in 
which  the  republicans  were  victorious.  The  river  Elay  runs  through 
the  parish,  and  affords  plenty  offish  ;  and  being  situate  on  the  lime- 
stone, it  has  plenty  of  good  water,  esteemed  as  nearly  equal  to  the 
medicinal  hot-wells.  On  the  5th  of  July,  1808,  the  inhabitants  were 
visited  by  a  great  storm  of  rain  and  hail,  accompanied  with  thunder : 
a  ball  of  fire  made  a  hole  in  the  garden  of  the  Rev.  W.  B.  M.  Lisle, 
LL.D.  the  rector,  and  broke  nearly  two  thousand  panes  of  glass  in 
the  hot  houses,  the  hail  stones  were  so  large  as  to  make  holes,  in 
many  instances,  without  breaking  the  pane,  like  a  pistol  ball.  The 
wateV  was  several  feet  deep  in  the  village,  and  scarcely  a  person  was 
dry  in  their  beds  out  of  the  rectory.  The  name  of  this  parish  is 
derived  from  a  Saint,  who  first  preached  Christianity  here. 

Flemingston,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Michael.  This 
village  derives  its  name  from  the  family  of  Fleming,  who  possessed 
the  castle  and  lordship  of  St.  George's  under  Robert  Fitzhamon. 
There  are  still  some  remains  of  a  castle,  adjoining  the  churchyard,  a 
part  whereof  is  now  used  for  purposes  connected  with  husbandry. 

Gclli-Gaer, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  141 

Gelli-Gaer,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Cadog.  The  name 
implies  "  a  military  station  embosomed  with  wood  ;"  the  site  of  an 
oblong  square  building  is  still  discernable  in  fields  near  the  present 
church  and  rectory  house  ;  and  fragments  of  broken  bricks,  of 
superior  texture,  are  scattered  in  the  walls  and  enclosures  about  the 
vestigium  of  the  old  camp.  In  former  times  it  might  have  been  an 
important  outpost  to  check  incursions  from  the  Mountains,  and  to 
defend  the  edifice  of  Caerphilly  castle,  from  which  it  is  distant  about 
seven  miles,  and  which  is  still  majestic,  though  in  ruins.  A  redoubt, 
formed  of  earth  and  stone,  with  a  fountain  at  its  base,  is  now  entire, 
and  commands  an  avenue  that  leads  to  the  village,  which  now  consists 
of  a  few  detached  farm  houses  and  cottages.  The  country  is  open 
and  healthy,  and  though  the  situation  of  the  village  is  upland,  and  the 
whole  parish  hilly,  yet  it  is  pleasant,  and  the  chain  of  gradually 
ascending  hills  and  mountains  that  surround  it,  render  the  scenery 
particularly  grand.  It  is  almost  insulated  by  rivers  or  rivulets  from 
other  parishes.  The  river  Rhymny  divides  it  from  the  county  of 
Monmouth  and  part  of  Brecknock  to  the  north-east  and  east ;  the 
rivers  and  rivulets  of  Bargoed,  Taf,  and  Clydach  divide  it  from  the 
parish  of  Merthyr  Tydfil  for  the  most  part  to  the  west,  and  to  the 
south  from  Llan-Fabon  parish.  It  is  skirted  mostly  with  wood,  and 
fortified  in  many  places  with  high  and  prominent  rocks  ;  and  it  con- 
tains coal  and  iron  ore.^Brithdir,  a  chapel  of  ease  in  this  parish,  is 
now  entire,  and  divine  service  is  performed  therein  every  fortnight. 

Llan  Deilo  Tal  y  Bont  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Teilo. 
This  parish  abounds  with  coal,  and  is  situate  on  the  river  Lloughor. 
The  ancient  monastery  of  Court  y  Carne,  now  in  ruins,  to  which 
belonged  a  manor  and  a  mill,  was  appendant  to  the  abbey  of  Ca- 
doxton. 

Llan-Doch  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Dochdwy,  one  of  the 
saints  who  accompanied  Cadfan  into  Wales,  in  the  beginning  of  the 
sixth  century.  The  castle  of  Llandough,  a  seat  of  Thomas  Mansell 
Talbot,  Esq.  leased  by  him  to  John  Price,  Esq.  who  has  greatly 
improved  it,  stands  on  the  site  of  the  ancient  castle  of  Walche  :  one 
tower  is  all  which  remains  of  that  edifice.  The  Rev.  John  Walters, 
A.  M.  an  eminent  Welsh  divine  and  critic,  was  rector  of  this  parish, 
and  died  in  the  year  1797.  His  chief  labour  was  the  compilation  of 
a  valuable  English  and  Welsh  Lexicon,  which  he  published  in  one 
large  quarto  volume  in  1794. — He  also  wrote  a  Dissertation  on  the 
Welsh  Language. 

Llan-Dyfodwg  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Tyfodwg,  a  saint 
who  lived  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fifth  and  beginning  of  the  sixth 
centuries.  A  small  market  was  formerly  holden  in  this  parish,  at  a 
place  called  Celli'r  Fid,  or  "  the  Battle  Grove,"  but  when  established 
is  not  known  :  it  existed  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  but  appears 
to  have  been  soon  afterwards  discontinued.  One  or  two  fairs  were 

also 


142  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

also  holden  annually,  but  they  have  been  so  long  disused,  that  the 
days  whereon  they  were  held  are  not  now  remembered  with  certainty. 
The  soil  of  this  parish  is  various,  but  the  worst  is  capable"  of  improve- 
ment. There  are  some  excellent  and  powerful  chalybeate  springs, 
though  but  little  noticed,  which  flow  from  the  veins  of  iron  ore  and 
coal  which  abound  here.  This  parish  constitutes  part  of  the  Duchy 
of  Lancaster,  and  its  inhabitants,  as  tenants  of  the  crown,  are  toll-free 
in  all  markets  and  fairs  in  the  kingdom,  excepting  those  held  in  the 
limits  of  the  two  Universities  of  Oxford  and  Cambridge.  There  are 
some  remarkable  caverns  at  a  place  called  Craig  Dinberth,  which  are 
supposed  by  some  persons  to  have  been  Roman  mine-works,  or  those 
of  the  ancient  Welsh,  before  the  art  of  blasting  rocks  with  gunpowder 
was  known.  Others  suppose  them  natural  caverns,  and  some  imagine 
that  they  were  formed  for  the  purpose  of  secreting  persons  or  property 
during  the  ancient  bloody  feuds  of  the  principality.  Some  remains 
of  very  old  and  clumsy  oaken  chests  have  been  discovered  therein, 
and  which,  on  being  brought  into  the  open  air,  soon  mouldered  into 
dust. — These  caverns  are  entered  by  deep  shafts  downwards. 

Llan-Edeyrn  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Edeyrn,  a  bard 
who  flourished  about  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century,  and  who 
embraced  a  religious  life,  and  had  a  church  at  Bod- Edeyrn,  in  Angle- 
sea.  It  is  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Rhymnv.  According  to 
Mr.  Owen,  St.  Edeyrn  established  a  Christian  society  of  three  hun- 
dred in  number  here,  which  afterwards  came  to  be  called  by  his  name. 

Llan-Ganna. — The  church  of  this  parish  is  dedicated  to  Canna,  a 
saint,  the  mother  of  Crallo.  The  soil  is  good,  on  a  sub-stratum  of 
lime -stone.  It  has  been  enclosed  from  a  very  remote  and  unknown 
period,  and  is  so  described  in  manorial  surveys  and  title  deeds  so  far 
back  as  the  end  of  the  thirteenth  century.  At  the  west  end  of  the 
church  is  a  very  ancient  stone  cross,  of  a  description  pretty  frequently 
met  with  in  Wales,  and  which  are,  from  their  inscriptions,  known  to 
be  of  the  fourth  and  fifth  centuries  :  in  some  parts  of  the  kingdom 
they  are  called,  oddly  enough,  "  Catharine- Wheel  Crosses."  Before 
the  church  stands  a  fine  cross  of  gothic  sculpture,  of  a  period  much 
later  than  the  preceding  one,  seemingly  of  the  thirteenth  or  fourteenth 
century :  it  is  one  of  the  very  few  crosses  of  the  kind  that  remain 
undemolished.  The  pedestal  is  ascended  on  all  sides  by  four  steps, 
whence  arises  a  slender  shaft,  of  about  seven  feet  in  height,  on  the 
top  of  which  are  elegantly  sculptured  the  stories  of  the  Nativity, 
Baptism,  Transfiguration,  Last  Supper,  Crucifixion,  Resurrection, 
and  Ascension,  in  fine  and  durable  free- stone.  The  cross  is  not  much 
injured  by  time,  nor  by  the  fanatical  fury  of  the  Cromwellian  period ; 
when,  as  tradition  says,  almost  all  those  old  crosses,  the  fine  specimens 
of  ancient  taste  and  art,  were  demolished  in  this  county,  from  motives 
of  false  and  outrageous  piety.  There  are  lead-mines  worked  to  con- 
siderable advantage  in  this  parish. 

Llan-Gefelach 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  143 

Llan  Gefelach  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Gefelach.  The 
Lord  Bishop  of  Saint  David's,  as  Dean  of  the  College  of  Brecknock, 
is  lord  of  the  manor,  and  holds  two  courts  here  annually. 

Llan  Genydd. — The  church  of  this  parish  is  dedicated  to 
Cenydd,  a  saint  who  lived  about  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century.  It 
is  situate  on  the  Bristol  channel.  The  church,  which  is  a  large 
structure,  displays  evident  marks  of  consequence;  there  are  the 
appearances  of  two  staircases  on  the  right  and  left  of  the  entrance 
into  the  chancel,  in  which  there  are  several  ancient  monuments.  The 
rectorial  or  glebe  house  is  called  by  the  name  of  The  College,  either 
from  the  circumstance,  it  is  supposed,  of  its  belonging  to  All  Soul's 
College,  or  from  its  being  the  site  of  the  ancient  residence  of  Saint 
Cenydd,  who  established  a  congregation  here.  Roger  de  Bellamont, 
Earl  of  Warwick,  is  said  to  have  conquered  Gowerland,  in  Wales, 
and  to  have  thereupon  founded  a  priory  here  in  the  reign  of  King 
Stephen,  and  to  have  annexed  it  to  the  abbey  of  Saint  Taurinus,  at 
Evreux>  in  Normandy.  It  was  dedicated  to  Saint  Kenedd;  and 
being  seized  as  an  alien  priory,  was  granted,  by  King  Henry  the 
Sixth,  in  1441,  to  All  Souls'  College,  in  Oxford. 

Llan  Haran.— ^-Llywelyn  o  Llangewydd,  or  Llywelyn  Sion,  an 
eminent  poet  of  Glamorganshire,  is  distinguished,  according  to  Mr. 
Owen,  for  having  been  appointed  to  collect  the  system  of  bardism,  as 
traditionally  preserved  in  the  Gorsedd  Morganwg,  in  which  he 
presided  in  1580.  He  fulfilled  his  commission  with  great  industry 
and  fidelity ;  and  the  result  of  his  labours  was  submitted  to  subsequent 
meetings  of  the  bards,  and  Edward  Davydd  was  authorized  to  make 
some  additions.  The  collections  thus  made  are  preserved  in  the 
possession  of  Mr.  Turberville,  of  Llan  Haran.  Llywelyn  died  in  the 
year  1616.  Rhys  Llwyd  ap  Rhys  ap  Rhisiart,  an  eminent  poet  also, 
was  a  native  of  this  place,  and  flourished  between  the  years  1420  and 
1460. 

Llan  Illtwrn.-^The  chapel  of  this  place  is  dedicated  to  St.  Illtyd  ; 
the  remains  of  the  monastery  formerly  standing  here  are  now  a  barn. 
This  chapelry  is  supposed  to  have  been  separated  from  the  parish  of 
Saint  Pagan's  about  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth :  it  has  a  register, 
and  chooses  its  warden,  and  makes  its  own  rates,  but  pays  to  the 
repairs  of  St.  Pagan's  church  aVid  bridge;  and  when  the  rate  for* 
them  is  made,  it  pays  the  third  penny.  Saint  Iltutus  founded  a 
monastery  here  in  the  year  508,  and  made  it  a  place  for  education  in 
human  learning  as  well  as  religion,  so  that  many  worthy  men  are  said 
to  have  been  brought  up  here. 

Llan  Illtyd  Fawr  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Illtyd,  con- 
solidated with  the  vicarages  of  Llys-Werni  and  Pen  March.  The 
Rev.  Robert  Nicholl,  A.  M.  of  Dimland  House,  chaplain  to  the 
Marquis  of  Bute,  says  fe  Lantwit  Major  is  a  large,  populous  village> 
or  rather  a  dilapidated  town,  within  a  mile  and  half  of  the  Bristol 

E  e  channel. 


144  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

channel.  It  is  situated  in  a  pleasant,  healthy  country,  upon  a  strata 
of  blue  lime  stone,  covered  by  a  rich  clayey  mould,  and  is  surrounded 
by  some  of  the  finest  pasturage  and  the  best  tillage  land  in  South 
Wales.  The  church,  a  large  pile  of  building,  is,  with  few  exceptions, 
the  most  ancient  in  Great  Britain,  having  been  built  about  the  year 
508.  The  vicarage  is  of  no  great  value,  some  of  the  vicarial  tithes 
having  been  taken  from  it :  its  revenues  were,  however,  once  very 
considerable,  and  supported  not  only  the  monastery  with  which  it  was 
connected,  but  also  the  establishment  of  a  great  seminary  of  learning. 
It  appears  from  Tanner's  Notitia,  that  Fitzhamon  removed  the 
monastery  of  Llantwit  to  Tewkesbury,  in  the  county  of  Gloucester, 
and  that  when  that  abbey  was  dissolved,  King  Henry  the  Eighth 
annexed  its  revenues  to  the  see  of  Gloucester.  Thus  it  happened, 
that  the  impropriate  tithes  of  Llantwit  belong  to  the  Dean  and 
Chapter  of  that  cathedral.  Near  this  place  (and  most  probably  at 
Boverton,  a  village  about  a  mile  distant  to  the  south-east)  was  the 
Bovium  of  Antoninus,  a  Roman  station,  through  which  the  great  road, 
called  the  Julia  Strata,  passed  in  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Vespasian. 
In  this  neighbourhood  many  Roman  coins  have  been  discovered ;  and 
especially  on  the  2d  of  November,  1798,  in  a  field  between  Eglwys 
Brewis  and  Saint  Athan,  by  the  servants  of  Mr.  William  Davies, 
while  they  were  filling  their  carts  with  earth ;  the  coins  lay  in  the 
ground  promiscuously,  about  18  inches  deep ;  and  30  of  them,  of  fine 
silver,  were  in  high  relief  and  excellent  preservation.  A  further 
proof  of  the  antiquity  of  Boverton  is,  that  the  king  of  the  country, 
according  to  the  Liber  Llandavensis,  resided  and  kept  his  court  there, 
in  the  latter  end  of  the  fifth  century,  before  Saint  Illtyd  first  visited 
Britain :  and  though  this  village  is  far  inferior  to  Llantwit  in  extent 
and  population,  yet  Boverton,  in  all  ancient  writings,  has  obtained  the 
pre-eminence,  and  gives  a  title  to  the  manor,  which  is  styled  to  this 
day  in  the  Manorial  Court  Rolls,  "  The  Lordship  of  Boviarton  and 
Llantwit."  About  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  village  of  Boverton,  by 
the  sea  coast,  are  two  Roman  camps  ;  one  of  them,  upon  the  eastern 
cliff  which  defends  one  side  of  Colhugh  valley,  is  known  by  the  name 
of  the  Castle  Ditches  :  it  is  a  strong  situation,  being  accessible  on  one 
side  only ;  the  other  encampment,  about  two  miles  from  hence,  is  also 
upon  the  sea  coast,  and  about  the  same  distance  from  Boverton. 
That  Llantwit  received  its  name  from  Saint  Illtyd  is  universally 
admitted;  and  that  it  continued  to  flourish  many  years  after  him 
there  can  be  no  doubt.  The  many  broad  and  direct  roads,  leading 
towards  Llantwit  Major,  which,  like  the  radii  of  a  wheel,  terminate 
and  concentrate  there — the  numerous  streets  and  lanes,  which  are  still 
to  be  seen  intersecting  each  other,  like  those  of  our  large  cities,  and 
still  retaining  their  ancient  names — the  extraordinary  size  of  its 
church,  and  the  churchyard  surrounding  it — and  the  number  of  human 
skulls,  which,  from  time  to  time,  have  been  dug. up  in  the  gardens 

and 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  145 

and  fields  adjoining,  when  fresh  land  has  been  broken  up  for  the  pur- 
pose of  tillage — prove  it  to  have  been  a  place  of  much  consequence, 
and  of  great  population  :  and  history  and  tradition  bear  testimony  to 
the  fact.  The  townhall  still  remains,  where  justice  was  formerly 
administered.  The  gaol  was  demolished  only  a  very  few  years  ago  : 
but  the  name  of  "  The  Gallows-way"  is  still  retained,,  in  the  road 
where  executions  were  usually  conducted,  and  where  skeletons  have 
from  time  to  time  been  discovered.  It  formerly  traded  with  the 
Somersetshire  coast,  and  the  dialect  of  that  county  was  prevalent  here 
within  the  memory  of  man  :  for,  near  this  place,  is  the  ancient  port  of 
Colhugh,  formerly  Colhow,  where  vessels  came  in  for  protection  in  the 
reign  of  King  Henry  the  Eighth.  But  so  great  are  the  changes 
which  time  has  produced  upon  this  coast,  that  Colhugh  is  now 
avoided  by  mariners,  as  Scylla  and  Charybdis  were  by  the  Trojan ' 
fleet.  However,  the  ancient  remains  of  the  harbour  may  yet  be 
traced,  although  the  sea  has  made  such  vast  incroachments  here  ;  the 
foundation  of  the  pier,  and  the  piles  of  wood  which  formed  its  defence 
on  the  western  side,  being  still  visible  at  low  water.  The  seminary 
at  Llantwit  flourished  so  much  under  the  care  and  protection  of  Saint 
Illtyd,  that  scholars  flocked  to  him  from  every  quarter,  and  most  of 
the  British  nobility  and  sons  of  foreign  princes  received  their  educa- 
tion here ;  his  pupils  are  said  to  have  exceeded  2000  in  number,  who 
had  four  hundred  houses  and  seven  halls  ;  and  many  of  them  made  a 
figure  in  the  world,  but  particularly  Gildas  the  Historian  ;  David, 
who  removed  the  episcopal  see  from  Caerleon  to  Saint  David's,  in  the 
county  of  Pembroke  ;  Paulinos,  or  Paul  bishop  of  Leon,  in  Spain; 
Sampson,  successor  to  Saint  David,  and  afterwards  archbishop  of 
Dol  in  Britany  ;  Talhaiarn,  a  celebrated  bard  and  a  distinguished 
saint ;  and  also  the  famous  Taliesin ;  all  of  whom  received  their 
education  here.  The  ruins  and  remains  of  the  school-house  are  to  be 
seen  to  this  day  in  a  garden  on  the  north  side  of  the  churchyard  ;  and 
the  monastery,  halls,  and  buildings  thereto  belonging,  stood  in  a  field 
upon  what  is  termed  the  l(  Hill-head,"  on  the  north  side  of  the  tithe 
barn.  The  chantry-house  (now  converted  into  a  barn)  is  situate  in 
the  churchyard,  nearly  opposite  to  the  church  porch;  and  there  are 
the  remains  of  several  ancient  buildings  still  visible  in  several  parts  of 
the  town.  The  ascent  to  the  townhall,  which  is  still  perfect,  is  by 
two  flights  of  steps,  and  the  room  above  is  very  spacious  :  the  upper 
part  is  raised  above  the  lower,  like  the  halls  in  our  universities ;  and 
a  table  ran  from  wall  to  wall,  having  seats  all  round,  which  were  in 
good  preservation  a  few  years  ago ;  over  the  townhall  is  a  bell  upon 
which  the  clock  strikes,  said  to  have  been  presented  to  St.  Illtyd,  by 
one  of  the  Roman  Pontiffs,  and  concerning  which  Holinshed,  in  Ms 
Chronicles,  has  given  us  a  superstitious  story.  The  house  belonging 
to  the  rectorial  tithes,  which  were  severed  from  this  monastery  by 
Robert  Fitzhamon,  is  still  a  respectable  building,  having  hanging 

E  e  2  gardens 


146  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

gardens  descending  towards  the  church :  there  are  within  it  several 
spacious  rooms,  which  have  usually  been  occupied  by  the  parish 
school-master,  and  are  capable  of  containing  several  hundred  persons. 
There  are  two  churches  at  Llantwit  Major,  contiguous  to  each  other, 
being  separated  by  the  belfry  and  tower,  containing  six  harmonious 
bells,  which  for  sweetness  of  tone  are  scarcely  surpassed.     The  most 
western  building,  or  old  church,  is  said  to  have  been  deserted  on 
account  of  its  damp  situation ;  but,  as  the  situation  does  not,  upon 
examination,  appear  objectionable  in  this  respect,  the  new  church 
must  have  been  erected  from  some  other  cause.     Below  the  old  church 
is  an  ancient  building,  called  "  The  Lady's  Chapel,"  which  is  now 
almost  entirely  dilapidated:    a  door  opened  into  it  from  the  old 
church,  and  there  were  some  figures  or  busts  of  saints  to  be  seen 
against  the  walls,  a  few  years  ago ;  but  latterly  a  great  part  of  the 
walls  have  tumbled  in.     The  new  church  contains  three  aisles,  it  has 
a  handsome  altar-piece,  and  is  capable  of  holding  a  very  large  con- 
gregation.    In  Bishop  Gibson's  edition  of  Camden's  Britannia,  is  a 
description  of  two  curious  monuments  on  the  north  side  of  the  church. 
There  are  also  in  the  middle  of  the  old  church  two  curious  monu- 
mental stones,  lying  side  by  side,  and  touching  each  other,  and 
which,  according  to  tradition,  were  brought  hither  about  the  year 
1730,  by  a  Mr.  Thomas  Morgan,  who  was  school-master  and  parish- 
clerk  here  at  that  time,  from  a  place  called  "  The  Great  House," 
where  it  is  said  a  church  formerly  stood.     In  the  vestry  (a  room 
behind  the  altar)  there  is  a  gigantic  figure  of  a  man,  in  the  dress  of 
Henry  the  Eighth's  reign,  with  an  inscription  describing  it  as  the 
statue  of  Richard  Hopkins ;  it  is  of  a  whitish  kind  of  free-stone,  like 
that  which  is  dug  up  near  the  river  side  at  Bridgend,  in  this  county ; 
it  is  a  laboured  piece,  and  well  finished,  but  is  imperfect  at  the 
bottom.     Of  all  these  monuments  there  is  a  further  description,  ac- 
companied with  plates,  in  the  Archaiologia,  vol.  vi.  p.  22,  et  seq.— 
Near  Hopkiros's  statue  is  the  bust  of  a  child,  cut  in  high  relief;  and 
near  the  altar  is  another  rude  figure  of  a  person  kneeling,  and  much 
in  the  same  dress  as  Hopkins.     This  figure  has  two  small  columns, 
one  on  each  side  of  it,  and  just  fits  a  niche,  where  seemingly  was  also 
a  bason  for  the  holy  water,  but  which  is  now  covered  over  with  lime. 
In  the  churchyard,  on  the  south  side  of  the  church  near  the  lower 
door,  is  a  stone  which  lies  flat  on  the  ground ;  this  appears  to  have 
been  part  of  an  ancient  cross,  its  length  being  six  feet ;  it  is  also  said 
to  have  been  brought  hither  by  Mr.  Thomas  Morgan  from  fc  The 
Great    House,"  and  is    likewise    described    in  the  Archaiologia. 
Another  stone  rudely  worked,  but  without  any  letters  upon  it,  lies  by 
the  south  door  of  the  church,  on  the  left  hand  side  as  you  enter.     It 
is  about  four  feet  long,  and  has  four  sides,  which  are  nearly  parallel, 
and  of  equal  dimensions.     I  shall  now  conclude  this  account  of  the 
antiquities  of  Llantwit  Major  with  a  description  of  a  very  curious 

monumental 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  147 

monumental  cross  hitherto  unnoticed  by  any  antiquary,  it  having  been 
but  lately  discovered,  after  lying  for  ages  under  ground.  It  was  not 
visible  when  the  learned  Mr.  Lhuyd  wrote  his  continuation  of  Cam- 
den's  Britannia,  and,  perhaps,  would  have  remained  so  to  the  end  of 
time,  had  it  not  been  for  the  exertions  of  Mr.  Edward  Williams  (the 
self-taught  genius  and  antiquary  of  Wales),  who,  led  by  traditional 
history,  undertook  the  arduous  task  of  raising  this  immense  stone, 
which,  with  the  help  of  twelve  strong  men,  he  accomplished,  taking 
it  up  out  of  the  earth,  and  erecting  it  against  the  wall  of  the  church 
porch,  in  the  place  where  it  originally  stood,  on  the  30th  of  August, 
1793.  But  it  may  not  be  improper  to  give  his  own  account  of  this 
discovery,  and  of  the  circumstance  which  led  to  it,  since  it  affords  a 
proof,  among  many  others,  that  traditional  history  is  not  to  be  dis- 
credited, when  it  contains  nothing  improbable,  or  that  is  not  repug- 
nant to  common  sense.—"  In  the  summer  of  1789, 1  dug  out  of  the 
ground  in  Llantwit  churchyard  a  large  monumental  stone ;  it  is  the 
shaft  of  a  cross ;  and  its  history  affords  a  remarkable  instance  of  the 
fidelity  of  popular  tradition.  About  forty  years  ago,  one  Richard 
Purton,  then  living  at  Llan-Maes  juxta  Llantwit,  though  only  a 
shoemaker,  was  more  intelligent  than  most  of  his  class.  He  had  read 
more  history  than  many,  was  something  of  an  antiquary,  and  had 
stored  his  memory  with  a  number  of  interesting  popular  traditions. 
I  was  then  about  twelve  or  fourteen  years  of  age,  and,  like  him,  fond 
of  history  and  antiquities.  He  one  day  shewed  me  a  spot  on  the  east 
side  of  the  porch  of  the  old  church  at  Llantwit,  where  he  said  a  large 
monumental  stone  lay  buried  in  the  ground,  with  an  inscription  on  it 
to  the  memory  of  two  kings.  The  tradition  of  the  accident,  which 
buried  it  in  the  ground,  he  gave  as  follows.  Long  before  the  memory 
of  the  oldest  person  he  ever  knew  (for  the  knowledge  of  it  was  only 
traditionary)  there  was  a  young  man  at  Llantwit,  called  (c  Will  the 
Giant."  He,  at  seventeen  years  of  age,  was  seven  feet  seven  inches 
high,  but,  as  is  usual  in  premature  and  supernatural  growth,  he  fell 
into  a  decline,  of  which  he  died.  He  had  expressed  a  desire  to  be 
buried  near  the  monumental  stone  which  stood  by  the  church  porch ; 
his  wish  was  complied  with ;  the  grave  was  dug  much  larger  than 
graves  usually  are,  so  that  one  end  of  it  extended  to  the  foot  of  the 
stone  that  was  fixed  in  the  ground.  Just  as  the  corpse  had  been  laid 
in  the  ground,  the  stone  gave  way,  and  fell  into  the  grave.  Some 
had  a  narrow  escape  for  their  lives.  But,  as  the  stone  was  so  large  as 
not  to  be  easily  removed,  it  was  left  there  covered  over  with  earth. 
After  I  heard  this  traditional  account,  I  had  a  great  desire  to  dig  for 
this  stone,  and  many  times  endeavoured  to  engage  the  attention  of 
several,  and  their  assistance,  but  my  idea  was  always  treated  with 
ridicule.  In  the  year  1789,  being  at  work  in  Llantwit  church,  and 
being  one  day  unable  to  go  on  with  business  (a  stone  cutter  by  trade) 
for  want  of  assistance,  it  being  the  very  height  of  corn  harvest,  and  not 

a  man 


148 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 


a  man  to  be  found,  I  employed  a  great  part  of  the  day  in  digging  in 
search  of  this  stone,  and  found  it.  I  cleared  away  all  the  earth  about 
it.  Christopher  Wilkins  and  the  late  Mr.  David  Jones  (two  very 
respectable  farmers),  on  seing  this  stone,  ordered  their  men  to  assist 
me ;  and  we,  with  great  difficulty,  got  it  out  of  the  ground,  and  on  it 
we  found  the  following  inscription  : — 

In  nomine  Dei  summi  incipit  crux  Salvatoris,  qua?  preparavit 
Samsoni  Apati  (-/.  e.  Abbati),  pro  anima  sua  et  pro  anima  Juthahelo 
Rex  et  Artmali.  Tegat  crux  me. 

THUS   TRANSLATED. 

In  the  name  of  the  most  high  God,  the  cross  of  our  Saviour  begins, 
which  the  king  has  erected  to  the  memory  of  Sampson  the  Abbot, 
and  to  Juthahel  and  Artmael,  for  the  sake  of  their  souls.  May  the 
cross  protect  me." 

It  appears  from  the  old  register  at  Llandaff,  that  Juthahel  King  of 
Glamorgan,  and  Artmael  King  of  Gwent  (Monmouthshire),  bestowed 
lands  and  privileges  very  liberally  on  the  churches  of  St.  Illtyd. 

The  dimensions  of  this  stone  are  as  follow:  height  nine  feet; 
breadth  one  foot  seven  inches  at  the  top,  and  two  feet  four  inches  at 
the  bottom ;  thickness  one  foot  three  inches ;  it  is  of  durable  silicious 
free-stone. 

It  lay  on  the  ground  where  it  had  been  raised  out  of  the  grave  till 
the  28th  of  August,  1793,  when  I  found  assistance  to  erect  it  against 
the  east  side  of  the  church  porch,  where  it  now  stands.  It  must  have 
been  buried  in  the  ground  before  the  continuator  of  Camden  took  a 
copy  of  the  inscriptions  on  Saint  Illtyd's  monument,  &c.  otherwise  he 
would  certainly  have  copied  this  also ;  as  he  would  have  done  the  old 
stone,  placed  by  Mr.  Thomas  Morgan  before  the  church,  had  it  then 
been  there." 

Llan  Isan  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Isan,  a  saint  who  lived  in 
the  middle  of  the  seventh  century.  There  is  nothing  of  note  here 
except  St.  Denis's  Well,  which  is  esteemed  efficacious  in  scorbutic 
complaints. 

.  Llan  Maes. — The  church  of  tliis  parish  is  dedicated  to  St.  Cadog. 
It  is  situated  in  the  most  fertile  part  of  the  vale  of  Glamorgan,  and  a 
rivulet  passes  by  the  churchyard,  which  discharges  itself  into  the 
Bristol  channel,  three  miles  from  hence ;  there  are  the  ruins  of  an  old 
castle,  which  belonged  to  the  Malifants ;  and  the  manor,  which  now 
belongs  to  the  Marquis  of  Bute,  is  termed  in  the  ancient  court  rolls 
the  manor  of  Bedford  and  Malifant.  The  place  was  formerly  remark- 
able for  the  longevity  of  its  inhabitants,  and  in  the  ancient  register  of 
the  parish  there  are  several  entries  of  persons  being  buried  upwards 
of  100  years  of  age :  but  the  following  is  remarkable,  it  is  copied 
verbatim-^"  Ivan  Yorath,  buried  a  Saterdaye,  the  XII  day  of  July, 
anno  domini  1621,  et  anno  regni  regis  vicesimo  primo  anno  que 
aetatis  circa  180. — He  was  a  sowdiar  in  the  fights  of  Boswoorthe, 

and 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  140 

and  lived  at  Lantwit  Major,  and  he  lived  muche  by  fishing."  Leland, 
in  his  Itinerary,  says — "  There  is  a  castelle  almost  standing  on  an 
even  grounde,  half  a  mile  from  Llaniltute  by  Est  North  Est,  caullid 
Llaniiais ;  it  is  almost  al  doun  ;  it  longgith  now  to  the  king ;  it  was 
in  hominum  memoria  the  Male-infauntes,  ther  communely  caullid  the 
Malifauntes.  There  cummith  a  litle  bekke  within  a  stone  caste  of  the 
castelle,  and  rennith  on  the  west  side  of  it :  it  risith,  by  gesse,  halfe  a 
mile  by  North  West  above  the  castelle  of  Llaniiays,  and,  passing  by 
this  castelle,  it  goith  into  Colhow  water  by  likelihood."  Near  Llan- 
maes  village  are  the  vestiges  of  a  Roman  camp. 

Llan  Rhidian  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Rhidian.  This 
church  was  formerly  attached  to  the  abbey  of  Neath  :  here  are  two 
mineral  springs ;  that,  which  is  on  the  low  lands,  near  the  church,  is 
esteemed  efficacious  in  scorbutic  cases ;  the  other,  on  Cefn  Bryn, 
called  Holy  Well,  is  deemed  serviceable  in  strengthening  the  eyes. 
There  are  some  curious  subterranean  caverns  in  the  limestone  rocks 
here :  and  a  stream  of  water,  which,  rushing  from  its  concealed 
source  with  great  impetuosity,  at  the  foot  of  a  hill  near  the  church, 
turns  two  mills  within  the  distance  of  200  yards  only  from  its  first 
appearance.  On  a  hill,  near  the  village,  called  CH  1 for  Hill,  there 
are  vestiges  of  an  intrenched  camp,  supposed  to  have  been  thrown  up 
by  Ifor  ap  Cedifor,  a  chieftain  of  Glamorgan,  in  his  wars  with  the 
English  in  the  year  11.10.  Here  are  some  good  freestone  quarries. 
Near  the  western  extremity  of  this  parish  is  situated  the  castle  of 
Weobley,  a  considerable  part  of  which  remains,  and  part  of  it  is 
converted  into  a  farm  house :  it  appears  to  have  been  of  great  strength 
and  extent,  it  stands  on  an  eminence,  having  a  fine  view  of  the 
navigable  river  Burry  or  Lloughor,  which  flows  about  a  "quarter  of  a 
mile  below  it.  At  Penclawdd,  in  the  higher  division  of  this  parish, 
are  considerable  copper  works,  erected  about  40  years  ago, 
denominated  the  Cheadle  Copper  Company;  they  were1 'at  first 
supplied  with  coals  from  a  colliery  not  far  distant,  which  was  stopped 
on  account  of  some  failure  in  the  veins  ;  when  the  colliery  at 
Lloughor  was  opened  by  the  same  company,  and  the  works  are  now 
furnished  with  coals  from  Lloughor  colliery  by  barges;  the  ships, 
which  bring  the  Ore  from  Cornwall  and  other  places,  take  back  coals 
from  Lloughor,  or  Llan  Elly,  or  Yspytty,  on  the  Caermarthen shire 
side  of  the  river. 

Llan  Samled  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Samled,  a  saint 
whose  history  is  not  known :  there  are  excellent  seams  of  coal  now 
working  in  this  parish,  which  are  conveyed  in  barges  by  the  canal  to 
the  sea-port  of  Swansea.  Here  are  also  three  large  copper  works, 
and  two  mills  for  the  purpose  of  finishing  the  copper  for  market. 

Lloughor  or  Castell  Llychwr.— The  church  of  this  parish  is 
dedicated  to  St.  Michael.  Lloughor  is  a  corporate  town,  and  one 
of  the  contributory  boroughs  with  Caerdiff.  Among  the  officers  of 

the 


150  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

the  corporation  is  one  denominated  the  Ale  Taster,  also  two  other 
officers  to  impound  strange  cattle  upon  the  common,  and  an  unlimited 
number  of  constables  at  the  will  of  the  Steward  of  the  Court,  but  at 
present  there  are  only  four  sworn  within  the   borough.      In  this 
borough  is  a  house  called  the  sanctuary,  which  is  supposed  to  have 
been  appurtenant  to  the  manor  of  Millwood  or  St.  John's,  near  Swansea, 
which  formerly  belonged  to  the  Knights  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem. 
The  entrance  to  this  parish  is  near  the  4th  milestone,  on  the  road  from 
Swansea  to  Lloughor.     It  is  supposed  that  a  church  formerly  stood 
about  200  yards  to  the  south  of  the  ruins  of  the  castle,  on  the  marsh, 
as  there  is,,  at  this  day,  a  spot  in  that  place  called  Story  Myhangel, 
on  which  it  is  thought  to  have  been  erected.     The  present  church  is 
situated  upon  an  eminence,  and  commands  an  extensive  and  beautiful 
view  of  the  surrounding  country.     This  is  the  Leucarum  of  Richard 
of  Cirencester,  and  the  fifth  Roman  station  on  the  Via  Julia ;  the 
name  implies  that  it  was  a  fortification  on   the  river  Lloughor  or 
Llychwr,  which  divides  the  counties  of  Glamorgan  and  Caermarthen, 
over  which  there  is  a  ferry.     It  is,  however,  strongly  conjectured, 
from  traditionary  reports,  that  the  name  originally  given  to  it  by  the 
Romans  was  Tre  Afangc,  or  Beaver  Town,  from  that  animal  then 
abounding  in  the  river ;  hence  the  place  is  often  called  Trewanc,  by 
way  of  derision.     The  ruins  of  the  castle  are  of  a  quadrangular  form, 
situate  on  a  mount,  with  the  remains  of  two  ditches  which  formerly 
surrounded  it.     It  is  not  known  by  whom  this  edifice  was  erected, 
but  I  am  induced  to  think  that  the  mount  was  thrown  up  by  the 
Romans,  who  had  a  garrison  here,  as  their  road,  called  the  Julia 
Strata,  passed  through  this  town  ;   and  that  the  castle  was  built  by 
the  first  Lords  Marchers,  to  whom  this  district  was  granted  by  the 
crown  :    it  was  destroyed  by  Gruflfydd  ap  Rhys,  prince  of  South 
Wales,  in  1115.     In  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Second  it  was  granted 
to  Hugh  de  Spencer,  who  must  have  repaired,   if  not  built,  the 
present  remains  of  the  castle.     Roman  coins  have  been  found  here : 
and  on  a  common  about  three  miles  east  of  the  town,  there  are  two 
small  square  encampments,  evidently  Roman,  which  are  situated  very 
near  each  other,  and,  from  their  being  raised  on  a  common,  called 
Mynydd  Cam  Goch,  it  is  probable  that  they  were  the  hasty  efforts  of 
some  advanced  post  to  secure  itself  from  surprize,  as  it  is  evident  that 
a  battle  was  fought  near  this  spot,  at  a  place  called  to  this  day  Cadley, 
or  the  field  of  battle.      An  extensive  colliery  is  carried  on  here ;  the 
coal  is  of  excellent  quality,  and  in  the  summer  there  is  a  considerable 
trade  in  the  river.     At  the  entrance  into  the  court-yard  of  the  parson- 
age house,  lies  a  large  but  curiously  wrought  stone,  which  is  supposed 
by  some  to  have  been  a  Roman  military  stone  ;  it  is  a  favourite  resort 
on  a  summer's  evening,  and  forms  a  good  seat. 

Llys  Faen  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Cynfran,  a  saint  who 
lived  about  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century.     Rhad  Duw  a  Chynfran 

Iwyd 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  151 

Iwyd  ar  y  da,  i.  e.  "  The  grace  of  God,  and  the  blessed  Cynfran  on 
the  cattle/'  is  an  ejaculation  made  use  of  in  offering  at  the  well  of  St. 
Cynfran,  on  behalf  of  diseased  cattle. 

Margam. — The  church  of  this  parish  is  dedicated  to  St.  Mary. 
Margam  is  not  a  market  town,  but  since  the  establishment  of  copper 
works,  a  Saturday's  market  is  now  holden  adjacent  to  them.  It  is 
situated  very  pleasantly  under  the  shelter  of  a  lofty  hill,  and  luxuriant 
woods.  According  to  the  Rev.  John  Hunt,  LL.D.  the  name  of  this 
parish  has,  for  many  centuries,  been  spelt  Margam,  a  corruption  of 
the  ancient  British  name  Margan,  or  Mawrgan,  now  pronounced 
Morgan,  signifying  the  great  head  or  chief,  in  old  English,  Grostest, 
and,  according  to  the  oldest  British,  a  transposition  of  the  word  Can- 
mor,  a  name  given  to  Malcolm  the  Third,  king  of  Scotland. 
Previous  to  the  thirteenth  century,  this  parish  was  called  Pen  Dar, 
meaning  the  oak  summit  or  mountain,  a  name  very  expressive  of  the 
present  scenery.  The  church  being  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  Mary, 
the  name  also  of  the  parish  has  been  fancifully  derived  from  that 
circumstance,  from  Mair  Gwm,  or  Mary's  valley,  or  Cwm.  There 
are  vestiges  of  a  ruined  chapel  in  the  hamlet  of  Havod  y  Porth ;  of 
one  in  the  hamlet  of  Trisaint ;  and  another  in  that  part  of  Margam 
wood  called  Craig  y  Chappel,  on  an  eminence  above  the  present 
church ;  this  is  supposed  to  have  been  either  the  parish  church  in  the 
time  of  the  abbey  to  accommodate  the  dwellers  on  the  mountains,  or  a 
private  oratory  appertaining  to  it ;  the  latter  appears  to  be  the  most 
probable  conjecture.  The  abbey  of  Pen  Dar  was  founded  by  Robert 
Earl  of  Gloucester,  in  the  year  1147,  for  white  monks,  and  assumed 
the  appellation  of  Margam,  from  Mawrgan,  the  son  of  Caradoc,  in 
the  year  1200  or  thereabouts;  who,  with  his  brothers  Cadwallon  and 
Meriedoc,  confirmed  by  charter  their  father's  benefactions  to  the 
abbey.  The  house  appears  to  have  been  one  side  of  a  quadrangle : 
among  the  offices  are  some  remains  of  a  beautiful  circular  chapter 
house,  50  feet  by  12  feet  diameter,  with  12  pointed  windows,  the  roof 
resting  on  a  single  central  clustered  column ;  behind  it  are  the  cloister 
which  joined  it  to  the  church,  which  has  the  arches  of  the  nave  round. 
A  great  part  of  the  ancient  remains  have  been  lately  altered,  and  some 
pulled  down,  but  many  vestiges  still  exist  in  the  park  and  adjacent 
buildings.  The  stables  and  offices  retain  many  marks  of  antiquity, 
particularly  the  doors;  this  building  has,  from  neglect,  become  a 
ruin.  In  1761,  the  tomb  of  an  abbot  was  to  be  seen  here,  which  then 
lay  over  a  drain  ;  on  this  stone  were  two  lines  of  Latin  verse,  in  the 
monkish  jingle  of  the  times ;  and  in  the  street  was  a  cross,  having  its 
pedestal  carved  with  nobs  and  fret  work,  containing  likewise  some 
hieroglyphics,  and  near  the  top  two  curious  figures.  A  good 
specimen  of  the  Anglo-Norman  architecture  appears  on  the  west 
front  of  the  church,  but  the  inside  is  plain  and  unadorned  except  a 
few  marble  monuments  for  the  Mansell  family,  and  one  for  Sir  Lewis 

Man  sell, 


152  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Mansell,  dated   1638,  which  is  well  executed.     On  the  top  of -an 
adjoining  hill  is  a  Roman  monumental  stone,  mentioned  by  Camden, 
called  Maen  Llythyrog,  and  on  the  west  of  Margam  hill  is  a  Roman 
encampment,  and  old   intrenchments  lie  contiguous  to  it  and  the 
abbey.      There  is    also  a  Roman  monumental  stone   near  Eglwys 
Nunydd,  in  this  parish,  on  the  high  road  from  Margam  to  Cynfig. 
A  mile  from  the  abbey  was  a  convent  of  nuns,  called  Eglwys  Nunydd, 
or  the  Nuns  Church,  now  a  farm  house.      Of  this  foundation  no 
record  exists,  but  stories  are  still  prevalent  of  subterraneous  con- 
nexions between  the  two  houses.     Previous  to  the  foundation  of  the 
Cistercian  abbey  by  Earl  Robert,  we  can  trace  no  memorials  ;  and  as 
the  Earl  was  dispossessed  of  his  English  estates,  by  King  Stephen, 
for  his  adherence  to  the  claim  of  his  half-sister  the  Empress  Matilda, 
it  is  supposed,  that,  at  his  death  at  Gloucester,  on  the  3 1st  October, 
1 147,  he  gave  his  sanction  and  patronage  to  the  establishment,  and 
endowed  it  with  this  extensive  parish  and  other  property,  being  then 
part  of  vast  domains  which  he  became  possessed  of  by  his  marriage 
with  Maud,  the  daughter  and  heiress  of  Robert  Fitz-Hamon,  the 
Norman  chieftain,  in  the  county  of  Glamorgan ;  by  the  same  right  he 
became  lord  of  the  castle  and  township  of  Cynfig,  which  adjoins 
Margam,  and  was  bequeathed  to  the  abbey  with  it ;  as  also  of  CaerdiflT 
castle,  which  he  gave  to  his  son  William,  as  it  appears  that  this  Earl 
with  his  Countess,  Hawisea,  were  taken  prisoners  in  the  year  1158, 
by  the  Welsh,   in  this  fortress.      Towards  the  conclusion  of  this 
century,  Caradoc,  by  a  nuncupative  will,  bequeathed  large  posses- 
sions to  the    abbey,    which    his   sons  Mawrgan,    Cadwallon,  and 
Mereiedoc,   confirmed    by   charter  sans  date,  addressed  "  Ordini 
Cistercienci  et  Fratri  Meilero  et  Fratribus  de  Pendar."     But  in  the 
grant  of  lands,  bestowed  on  the  abbey  in  1349,  by  Sir  John  D'Abene, 
a  descendant  in  the  fifth  generation  from  Caradoc,  it  is  therein  termed 
the  abbey  of   Margam.      In  the  second  volume  of  Mr.  Stevens's 
edition  of  Sir  William  Dugdale's  Monasticon,  p.  37,  he  speaks  of 
Pendar  as  a  Cistercian  monastery  in  Wales,  the  site  of  which  no  writer 
on  monastical  history  has  discovered  ;    but  states,  that  in  the  charter 
of  Margam  granted  by  Mawrgan  and  his  brothers,  this  monastery  is 
denominated  Pendar,  and,  therefore,  identified  with  Margam.     The 
abbey,  in  all  probability,  derived  its  appellation  from  the  name  of  the 
person  who  granted  the  charter,  though  Caradoc's  name  had  the 
better  claim,  and  it  was  first  appropriated  to  the  abbey,  the  church, 
and  the  houses  clustered  round  it.     This  surmise  is  strengthened  by 
the  fact,  that  the  inhabitants  of  this  parish,  even  now,  when  they 
speak  of  Margam,  mean  to  denote  what  is  comprehended  in  the  abbey 
demesne,  though  it  is  the  general  name  of  the  whole  parish.     To 
perpetuate  our  names  may  be  deemed  a  natural  and  laudable  impulse 
of  the  human  mind,  and  such,  perhaps,  was  Mawrgan's ;   and  such 
seems  to  have  been  that  of  Hugo  le  Despenser,  though  with  less 

success, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  153 

success,  who,  confirming  to  this  abbey  the  grant  of  various  lands 
given  to  his  ancestors,  the  De  Clares,  Earls  of  Gloucester  and 
Hereford,  addresses  his  grant  in  two  instances,  "  Monachis  de 
Clareval  de  foundacione  Abbice  de  Margam  ;"  the  appellation  of 
Pendar,  the  oak  summit,  is  not  totally  forgotten,  and  is  certainly  very 
appropriate  to  the  great  feature  of  this  parish,  as  the  wood  which 
rises  immediately  from  the  church,  and  a  line  parallel  with  it,  presents 
a  magnificent  object  to  the  country,  and  is  a  conspicuous  land-mark  to 
the  Bristol  channel.  It  covers  the  breast  of  a  mountain  800  feet  in 
height,  more  than  a  mile  in  circumference,  and  in  grandeur  is  supposed 
to  stand  unrivalled.  Upon  a  rough  valuation,  made  some  few  years 
ago,  of  the  oak  timber  it  contained,  the  estimate  was  £60,000.  This 
wood  was,  in  the  ancient  grants,  denominated  Cryke  Wood,  "  Totum 
ilium  Boscum  vocatum  Cryke  Wodde."  At  the  dissolution  of  the 
abbey  (26  Henry  VIII.),  its  property,  consisting  of  this  parish,  the 
contributory  borough  and  township  of  Cynfig,  with  a  great  extent  of 
lands  and  impropriate  rights  was  rated  at  £181.  7s.  4d.  per  annum, 
according  to  Dugdale,  and  £188.  14s.  6d.  according  to  Speed.  But 
by  letters  patent  under  the  Great  Seal,  dated  5th  day  of  August,  35 
Henry  VIII.  it  was  valued  by  the  commissioners  at  £40.  12s.  lid. 
and  sold  to  Sir  Rice  Mansel,  knight,  for  £642.  9s.  8d.  and  on  the 
llth  December,  4th  and  5th  of  Philip  and  Mary,  a  remaining  part 
was  sold  to  the  said  Sir  Rice  Mansel  for  £283.  15s.  3d.  valuation  not 
recorded,  perhaps  comprehended  in  the  first.  Sir  Rice  Mansel, 
knight,  possessed  a  castellated  mansion  on  the  north-west  side  of 
Oxwich  bay,  in  the  hundred  of  Gower,  in  this  county.  His  ancestor, 
Sir  Hugh  Mansel,  married  the  sister  and  heiress  of  Sir  John  Penrice, 
knight,  of  Penrice  Castle,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay,  and  by  that 
connexion  acquired  great  property  contiguous  to  his  own.  But  the 
purchase  of  Margam  inducing  Sir  Rice  Mansel  to  reside  there,  as  a 
richer  country  and  more  commodious  situation,  his  castles  in  Gower 
became  dilapidated,  but  even  now  exhibit  proud  remains  of  ancient 
grandeur.  A  modern  house,  built  on  an  elegant  but  small  scale,  at 
the  foot  of  the  castle  of  Penrice,  by  the  present  possessor  of  the 
Margam  estate,  is  now  and  has  been  the  residence  of  the  Talbot 
family  (the  heirs  by  the  maternal  line  of  the  Mansels)  for  the  last  30 
years.  A  manuscript  in  the  library  of  His  Grace  the  Duke  of 
Beaufort,  at  Badminton,  records  a  tour  of  the  then  Duke  of  Beaufort 
through  South  Wales,  in  the  year  1684,  and  his  reception  by  Sir 
Edward  Mansel,  at  Margam,  on  the  16th  of  August.  To  pass  over 
the  usual  welcomes  of  Welsh  hospitality,  it  may  not  be  uninteresting 
to  relate  that,  amidst  other  entertainments,  with  which  His  Grace 
was  amused,  a  diversion  at  that  time  in  request,  and  every  way 
characteristic  of  the  active  energy  of  the  Cambrian,  was  exhibited, 
of  Deer-hunting  in  the  park  by  footmen,  who  ran  down  two  bucks, 
and  led  them  alive  to  the  ante- court  of  the  house  to  be  viewed  by  the 

keeper 


154  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

keeper  and  party,  and,  if  judged  fit  for  the  table,  to  receive  the  fatal 
stroke  from  a  scymitar.  A  summer-house,  built  on  an  intrenched 
hill,  called  Pen  y  Castell,  commands  a  view  of  this  extensive  park, 
and  was  a  well  selected  spot  for  observing  the  sport.  The  manuscript, 
from  which  this  extract  is  taken,  is  so  very  particular  and  circum- 
stantial in  its  narrative,  that,  as  it  makes  no  mention  of  the  Orangery, 
since  so  celebrated,  there  is  great  reason  to  suppose,  that  so  handsome 
and  singular  an  appendage  to  a  gentleman's  seat,  so  far  from  being 
omitted,  would  have  claimed  peculiar  attention,  and,  if  it  did  exist 
at  that  time,  would  have  been  recorded  in  these  annals.  No  note  has 
been  made  by  the  family  of  its  first  introduction,  but  if  we  believe  oral 
tradition  respecting  it,  and  we  have  no  other,  it  originated  from  a 
shipwreck  on  this  coast.  A  vessel  was  conveying  from  Portugal  to 
Queen  Mary,  a  present  from  a  Dutch  merchant  of  orange  and  lemon 
trees :  being  stranded,  the  plants  were  secured  and  cultivated  in  a 
house  150  feet  in  length,  with  stoves,  and  a  handsome  pavilion  in  the 
centre.  Whether  they  were  not  claimed,  or  by  any  means  not  com- 
pensated for,  we  do  not  know,  but  Sir  Thomas  Mansel,  baronet,  who 
was  Comptroller  of  the  Household  to  Queen  Anne,  and  afterwards,  in 
1711,  raised  to  the  peerage,  made  an  annual  present  of  fruit  to  her 
Majesty.  Whether  this  was  to  be  considered  a  quit  rent  for  the 
grant  of  former  possession,  or  a  grateful  compliment  for  the  honours 
conferred  upon  him,  it  is  impossible  to  decide.  The  present 
possessor,  in  1787,  built  a  new  green-house  in  a  most  superb  style, 
327  feet  in  length,  with  a  handsome  doric  front,  and  a  pavilion  at 
each  end,  and  in  the  year  1800,  a  conservatory  with  flues  in  the 
ground.  The  trees  in  the  green-house  are  all  standards,  planted  in 
square  boxes,  and  are  remarkable  for  their  round  branching  heads  ; 
they  are  in  nnmber  about  110,  and  many  of  them  are  about  1 8  feet 
high.  There  are  about  40  in  the  conservatory,  planted  in  the  natural 
earth,  and  traced  against  a  trellis  framing,  where  the  fruit  abounds, 
and  attains  its  native  size  and  excellence.  The  collection  consists  of 
the  Seville,  China,  cedra,  pomegranate,  curled-leaved,  and  nutmeg 
oranges ;  lemons, — burgamots,  citrons,  and  shaddocks.  The 
pleasure  ground,  surrounding  these  Orangeries,  is  peculiarly  favour- 
able to  the  growth  of  evergreens ;  amongst  these  a  bay  tree,  or  rather 
a  bay  bush,  derived  from  one  root,  but  sprouting  from  the  ground  in 
various  branches,  is  the  most  conspicuous,  being  65  feet  in  height, 
and  45  feet  in  diameter :  the  arbutes  are  innumerable,  and  with  the 
Portugal  laurel  and  holly,  exhibit  the  most  luxuriant  vegetation.  A 
copper  mine,  on  the  most  extended  plan  of  any  in  the  Principality, 
has  been  working  here  for  several  years,  it  was  established  by  the 
English  Copper  Company,  consumes  daily  about  70  tons  of  coal, 
with  which  this  parish  abounds,  and  by  possessing  a  commodious 
harbour  at  the  influx  of  the  Afon  into  the  Severn,  it  commands  a 
great  facility  of  exportation*  Iron  ore  is  also  in  many  parts  discover- 
able, and  limestone  abounds  in  the  neighbourhood. 

Mary 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  155 

Mary  Church,  or  Eglwys  Fair.— The  Lordship  of  Rhythyn,  mostly 
contained  within  this  parish,  constituted  formerly  one  of  the  many 
petty  sovereignties  into  which  the  county  of  Glamorgan  was  divided, 
each  exercising  Jure  Regalia;  but  which,  with  all  the  other  Lord 
Marchers,  was  abolished  by  the  incorporation  of  Wales  with  England 
in  the  reign  of  King  Henry  the  Eighth. 

St.  Nicholas. — There  is  a  house  adjoining  the  church-yard  here 
which  is  kept  in  repair  at  the  expense  of  the  parish,  and  wherein  poor 
people  live  ;  it  appears,  on  its  first  institution,  to  have  been  either  a 
chantry  or  alms-house ;  at  the  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  in  a 
field  on  the  south-side  of  the  village,  there  is  a  remarkable  stone 
(measuring  in  length  24  feet,  and  in  breadth  10  feet)  erected  on  others 
6  feet  high,  and  so  constitutes  a  spacious  room  ;  it  is  thought  to  be  a 
druidical  temple ;  it  has  a  mound  raised  round  it,  except  in  one  place 
where  you  enter.  On  the  north-side  of  the  village,  at  an  equal 
distance,  there  are  the  remains  of  a  Roman  encampment. 

Oxwich  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Illtyd :  it  is  situate  on  the 
Bristol  channel.  Here  are  the  remains  of  a  large  superb  old  mansion, 
called  Oxwich  castle,  which  was  built,  by  Sir  Rice  Mansell,  about  the 
reign  of  King  Henry  the  Eighth ;  part  of  it  now  is  converted  into  a 
large  farm-house;  the  remains  of  a  beautiful  banquetting  room  are 
still  to  be  seen,  which  is  ascended  by  a  flight  of  steps ;  the  windows 
are  of  large  and  handsome  dimensions :  about  twenty  years  ago,  a 
great  part  of  this  building  fell  in  and  destroyed  the  dairy,  belonging 
to  the  farmer,  with  all  its  contents,  but,  fortunately,  no  further  mis- 
chief was  done.  This  castle  is  not  supposed  to  have  been  built  for 
the  purpose  of  defence,  though  a  few  yards  distant,  at  the  top  of 
Oxwich  Wood,  are  the  remains  of  a  watch  tower,  which  appears  to 
have  been  of  much  stronger  workmanship,  and  of  a  more  ancient  date ; 
it  commands  a  most  extensive  and  beautiful  view  of  Oxwich  Bay,  and 
the  neighbouring  country,  which  is  well  wooded.  The  parsonage- 
house  was  erected,  about  forty  years  ago,  by  Thomas  Mansell  Talbot, 
Esq.  the  patron  of  the  living  :  it  is  a  very  commodious  and  complete 
building,  fronting  the  Bay  of  Oxwich.  The  church  is  romantically 
situate  on  the  edge  of  the  wood,  not  far  from  the  sea  shore,  and,  from 
the  sands,  is  a  very  pleasing  object,  appearing  to  be  enveloped  in  the 
trees.  Between  the  church  and  the  sea,  stand  the  ruins  of  the  old 
parsonage-house;  the  outer  wall  of  which,  still  remaining,  is  built  on 
the  rocks,  and  washed,  at  high  water  in  spring  tides,  by  the  sea, 
which,  latterly,  seemed  so  much  to  threaten  destruction  to  the  house, 
that  Mr.  Talbot,  with  great  liberality,  built  the  present  one.  Tradi- 
tion says,  that  the  sea  destroyed  land  and  houses  which  formerly  lay 
below  the  church  :  this  appears  very  likely,  as  the  church  now  stands 
on  the  southern  extremity  of  the  parsonage,  and  at  some  distance  from 
the  villages  of  Oxwich  and  Slade.  The  parsonage-house  is  now  the 
nearest  to  the  church.  The  sands  here  are  remarkably  firm  and 

smooth, 


156  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

smooth,  and  the  water  generally  clear ;  consequently  it  is  an  excellent 
place  for  sea-bathing.  Plenty  of  crabs  and  lobsters  are  caught  here, 
and  occasionally  oysters.  The  sea  weeds,  known  by  the  names  of 
layer  and  samphire,  abound  on  these  rocks  :  the  laver  is  a  broad  and 
thin  green  leaf,  growing  on  the  flat  rocks  or  stones  in  the  sea;  it  is 
gathered  and  then  boiled  well,  put  in  earthen  pots  with  merely  a  little 
salt,  and  sent,  as  a  rarity,  to  a  great  distance :  the  samphire  grows  on 
the  larger  rocks  or  cliffs  not  overflown  by  the  sea,  and,  when  not  in 
blossom,  it  is  gathered,  boiled,  and  pickled,  and  is  an  excellent  sub- 
stitute for  capers,  and  much  esteemed  as  a  pickle. 

Pen  Arth  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Mary.  There  are 
vestiges  of  a  church  which  formerly  stood  within  100  yards  of  Pen 
Arth  castle.  About  six  or  seven  hundred  acres  adjacent  are  now 
covered  with  sand,  and  the  foundation  of  the  houses  are  frequently 
dug  up  at  the  depth  of  several  feet.  The  present  parish  church  was 
built  about  half  a  mile  to  the  eastward  of  these  ruins.  A  town  is  sup- 
posed to  have  stood  formerly  where  the  sands  now  are,  as  there  is  still 
a  village  to  the  south  of  them,  called  South  Gate,  and  a  farm-house  to 
the  north  of  them,  called  Norton,  or  Northtown.  It  is  conjectured  to 
take  its  name  from  the  jutting  out  of  a  part  of  the  parish  into  the 
Bristol  channel,  something  like  the  shape  of  a  bear's  head.  Exten- 
sive remains  of  the  castle  are  still  to  be  seen :  it  is  situate  a  few 
hundred  yards  above  the  mouth  of  a  small  rivulet,  called  Pen  Arth 
Pill,  which  divided  the  parishes  of  Pen  Maen  and  Pen  Arth ;  the 
gateway,  which  is  nearly  in  a  perfect  state,  is  a  noble  specimen  of 
ancient  architecture ;  it  is  now  surrounded  by  large  sand  hills,  and 
the  sea  flows  within  two  hundred  yards  of  its  base.  A  little  below 
the  castle  on  the  sands  is  a  rock,  called  the  Three  Cliffs,  from  its 
resemblance  to  three  sugar  loaves  placed  in  a  line.  In  the  centre  of 
this  rock  is  a  curiously-formed  arch,  sufficiently  large  to  admit  a  man 
to  pass  through,  and  in  stormy  weather,  the  wind  and  sea  raging 
against  it,  occasions  a  tremendous  noise  somewhat  like  the  blowing  of 
immense  forge  bellows.  The  rocks  extend  from  this  place  to  Pwll 
ddu  Point,  which  forms  the  eastern  side  of  Oxwich  Bay.  About  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  further  is  a  singular  cavern  in  a  cliff,  called  Bacon's 
Hole,  nearly  in  the  centre  between  the  summit  of  the  precipice  and 
the  sea.  It  is  inaccessible  on  the  sea  side  at  any  state  of  the  tide  ; 
but  there  is  a  narrow  and  steep  path  from  the  top  of  the  cliff  leading 
down  to  it,  which  is  dangerous  to  those  who  are  unaccustomed  to 
such  roads,  as  a  false  step  would,  doubtless,  precipitate  them  into  the 
ocean ;  it  is,  however,  frequently  descended. 

Pen  Marc  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Mark  :  the  chapels  of 
ease  of  Aber  Ddaw  and  Rhos  have  been  demolished,  or  at  least 
disused,  since  the  time  of  Oliver  Cromwell.  The  ancient  castle  of 
Pen  Marc,  which  belonged  to  Gilbert  Humphreville,  one  of  the 
Norman  adventurers^  has  been  in  ruins  since  the  time  of  Owain 

Glyndwr. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  157 

Glyndwr.  Fonmon  castle  is  habitable,  and  is  now  the  seat  of  Robert 
Jones,  Esq.  There  is  a  tradition  that,  in  times  of  popery,  a  human 
skull,  pretended  to  be  that  of  St.  Mark,  was  kept  in  the  church-yard, 
and  that  it  was  from  this  relic  the  church  and  parish  were  named. 

Pyle  hath  its  chapel  dedicated  to  St.  James  the  Apostle.  There  is 
a  spring  near  the  chapel,  called  Collwyn  Well,  which  has  been  famed, 
for  some  centuries  past,  for  its  medicinal  virtues. 

Reynoldston  is  supposed  to  have  taken  its  name  from  Sir  Reginald 
de  Breos,  who  was  a  Lord  of  the  Manor,  and  the  founder  of  the 
church,  which  is  dedicated  to  St.  George,  and  after  whom  a  very 
fine  well  is  called  near  the  church.  Contiguous  to  St.  George's  well, 
is  another  fine  spring,  which  is  supposed  to  possess  some  medicinal 
virtues,  and  is  dedicated  to  the  Blessed  Virgin.  There  is  also  on 
Cefn  y  Brynn  a  remarkable  well,  called  Holy  Well,  a  very  copious 
spring,  which  has  the  remains  of  antiquity  about  its  square  inclosure : 
tradition  hands  down  its  celebrity  for  great  cures ;  and  it  has  been 
customary  for  the  inhabitants  of  the  vicinity  to  resort  to  it  on  Sunday 
evenings  to  drink  its  water,  and  pay  the  tribute  of  throwing  in  a  pin. 
In  a  field  adjoining  Bryn-Field  some  Roman  antiquities  have  been 
discovered  (where  are  still  the  remains  of  an  ancient  encampment)  by 
John  Lucas,  Esq.  who  has  a  handsome  residence  in  this  parish,  called 
Stout  Hall :  these  antiquities  were  discovered  in  a  fosse  which  sur- 
rounds the  encampment.  The  famous  druidical  monument,  called 
Arthur's  Stone,  mentioned  by  Camden,  is  in  this  parish,  and  is  situate 
on  the  north-side  of  Cefn  y  Brynn:  it  is  supported  by  six  rough 
pillars ;  there  are  four  other  pillars  standing  alone,  which  supported  a 
part  of  the  stone  now  broken  off,  by  what  means  is  now  unknown, 
though  it  is  said  that  it  was  broken  oft' for  the  purpose  of  making  mill- 
stones, but  was  afterwards  found  unfit  for  the  intention :  several 
smaller  pieces  have,  from  time  to  time,  been  broken  off,  chiefly 
through  mere  wickedness,  so  that  it  must  have  decreased  in  size ;  it  is 
supposed  to  weigh  now  about  twenty  tons,  and  to  have  been  brought 
from  a  distance,  as  it  is  of  a  different  quality  to  the  stone  found  upon 
this  hill ;  underneath  it  is  a  spring  of  water  seldom  dry :  a  great 
quantity  of  loose  stone,  thrown  there  by  the  country  people,  served  to 
hide  some  part  of  the  pillars,  but  were  cleared  away  at  the  expense  of 
Mr.  Lucas.  A  handsome  road  was  made  along  the  summit  of  this 
hill  by  Thomas  Mansell  Talbot,  Esq.  from  which  is  a  beautiful  and 
extensive  view  of  the  Bristol  channel,  the  coast  of  Devon,  Pembroke, 
and  Carmarthen,  and  the  whole  of  the  river  Burry  as  far  as  Lloughor, 
and  the  whole  of  the  Peninsula  of  Gower,  which  from  hence  appears 
nearly  an  island.  This  is  a  most  beautiful  ride  in  the  summer  season. 
On  the  summit  of  Cefn  y  Brynn  are  several  large  heaps  of  stones, 
particularly  on  the  eastern  extremity,  just  above  Pen  Maen  church, 
and  which  is  called  the  Beacon  by  the  country  people ;  these  were, 
probably,  either  burying  places  or  monuments  erected  by  the  Druids. 

In 


158  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

In  the  grounds  at  Stout  Hall  is  a  Meini  Gwyr,  fourteen  feet  long, 
composed  of  granite,  the  same  as  Arthur's  Stone  :  this  pillar  is  similar, 
in  shape  and  proportion,  to  those  of  Stone  Henge.  In  the  garden  is 
a  very  curious  and  extensive  cavern,  large  enough  to  contain  2000 
men :  the  bottom  of  it  is  a  plain,  about  forty  feet  below  the  surface  of 
the  ground;  there  are  two  entrances  into  it,  one  by  along  flight  of 
rustic  steps,  the  other  by  a  gradual  descent :  the  first  discovery  of  it 
was  by  a  small  aperture  in  the  lime-stone  rock,  containing  a  very  fast 
clay ;  this  Mr.  Lucas  scooped  out,  and  was  not  a  little  gratified  to  find 
the  hollow  expand,  and  the  fine  arched  roof  appear;  his  exploring 
mind  could  not  then  rest  till  he  had  scooped  out  some  thousands  of 
tons  of  clay,  which,  with  a  little  assistance,  and  now  and  then  blowing 
the  rock,  opened  the  finest  cavern  in  the  kingdom,  and  perhaps  in 
Europe :  the  arched  roofs,  in  some  places  thirty-six,  but  not  less  than 
ten,  feet  high,  are  exceedingly  grand  ;  and  it  is  tolerably  lighted  by 
several  natural  openings  through  the  incumbent  earth. 

Rhos  Sili  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Fili,  of  Ffili,  a  saint 
who  lived  in  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  century >  (there  was  also 
Ffili  Gawr,  an  ancient  British  chieftain,  from  whom,  it  is  supposed, 
the  castle  of  Caerphilly,  or  Caer  Ffili,  derived  its  name.)  In  the 
division  of  Glamorgan  by  the  Norman  adventurers,  this  lordship  was 
given  to  Reginald  Sili. 

Dre  Rhudd  hath  its  chapel  dedicated  to  St.  James.  Here  is  a 
mineral  spring  which  is  esteemed  efficacious  in  the  cure  of  sore  eyes. 
It  is  situate  on  the  river  Rhymny ;  and  the  place  is  said  to  derive  its 
name  from  the  great  number  of  yew  trees  that  grow  here. 

Roath  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Margaret.  The  Marquis 
of  Bute,  some  years  ago,  re-built  the  chancel,  and  put  up  a  very 
elegant  ornamented  window  at  the  east  end  of  it.  To  the  north  of  the 
chancel,  and  adjoining  to  it,  His  Lordship  has  erected  a  new  burying 
place  for  his  family:  the  late  Marchioness,  the  late  Lord  Mount 
Stuart,  and  others,  are  therein  deposited. 

Sully  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  John  the  Baptist.  The 
castle  and  lordship  formerly  belonged  to  one  of  the  Norman 
Conquerors. 

Tythegstone  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Tudwgr  a  saint  of  the" 
congregation  of  Cenydd,  who  lived  until  about  the  middle  of  the  sixth 
century.  On  the  estate  of  Henry  Knight,  Esq.  in  this  parish,  are  the 
remains  of  a  cromlech. 

Ystrad  Owain  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Owain,  or  Owairt 
Finddu,  a  distinguished  character  in  the  History  of  Britain ;  and 
who  was  also  accounted  a  saint  of  the  British  church.  There  were 
standing,  not  many  years  ago,  in  a  field  near  the  village,  two  large, 
but  rude,  monumental  stones,  said  to  have  been  placed  at  the  heads  of 
the  graves  of  Owain  ab  Ithel  and  his  consort,  and  commonly  called 
(t  the  King  and  Queen  stones,"  but  they  have  of  late  years  been 

removed, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  159 

removed.  Tal  y  Faen  castle,  of  which  there  are  some  remains,  was 
one  of  the  castles  belonging  to  one  of  the  thirteen  peers  of  Glamorgan: 
it  was  granted  by  Sir  Robert  Fitz  Hamon  to  Sir  Richard  de  Seward, 
in  whose  family  it  continued  for  many  generations,  and  from  whom  it 
passed,  by  marriage,  to  the  Dukes  of  Lancaster,  and  it  still  forms  a 
part  of  the  domains  of  that  duchy.  In  a  field  adjoining  the  church- 
yard, on  the  western  side,  there  is  a  very  large  tumulus,  of  which  no 
traditional  account  now  remains. 

Lalyston,  or  Tref  Lalys,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Illtyd. 
This  village  is  said  to  have  taken  its  name  from  a  person  called  Lalys, 
a  man  eminent  in  the  art  of  masonry,  and  who  was  brought,  from  the 
Holy  Land,  about  the  year  1 1 1 1 ,  by  Richard  Granville,  Lord  of 
Neath :  this  man  is  reported  to  have  built  several  abbies  and  churches, 
with  many  castles,  and  other  considerable  works;  and  afterwards 
became  architect  to  King  Henry  the  First. 

Llan-Yadog  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Madog,  a  saint  who 
lived  about  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  century.  It  is  situate  upon. 
Bury  harbour ;  and  Llan-Vadog  Hill,  upon  which  are  the  remains  of 
a  Roman  encampment,  is  a  well-known  beacon  to  mariners. 

Mr.  Edward  Williams,  a  native  of  this  county,  thus  beautifully 
describes  the  same : — 

«  Glamorgan,  boast  thy  sky  serene  j 

Thy  health  inspiring  gales; 
Thy  sunny  plains,  luxuriant  green; 

Thy  graceful  mountains  airy  scene ; 
Their  wild  .romantic  vales." 

The  following  eminent  men  were  natives  of  or  residents  in  this 
county: — Mr.  Edward  Williams,  bard  (lolo  Morganwg);  Richard 
Price,  D.D.;  Davydd  Hopgyn,  bard;  Sir  Llywelyn  Jenkins, 
Secretary  of  State  to  James  II. ;  William  Edwards,  architect;  Saint 
Caradoc ;  Rev.  Evan  Evans,  a  dissenting  preacher,  philosopher,  and 
poet;  levan  Ddu  ap  Davydd  O wain,  poet;  Robert  Thomas,  poet; 
Rev.  John  Walter,  an  eminent  divine;  Llywelyn  o  Llangewydd,  or 
Llywelyn  Sion,  poet;  Rhys  Llwyd,  poet:  Sir  Thomas  Mansel,  Bart. 
Comptroller  of  the  Household  to  Queen  Anne. 


CAERMARTHENSHIRE. 


160  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 


CAERMARTHENSHIRE. 

I  HE  general  surface  is  hilly;  the  vales  for  the  most  part  are 
narrow.  The  principal  rivers  are  the  Tawy  and  Taf:  the  former 
rises  in  Cardiganshire,  enters  Caermarthenshire  at  its  north-eastern 
corner,  and  takes  its  course  to  the  south. 

LLANDOVERY, 

or  Llan-Ym-Ddyfri,  in  the  parish  of  Llandingad,  is  supposed 
to  take  its  name  from  its  situation  near  the  conflux  of  the  rivers 
Bran  and  Gwydderig,  and  is  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from 
the  Tywi.  In  Leland's  time  "  it  had  but  one  street,  and  that 
poorly  built  of  thatched  houses,  with  the  parish  church  on  a  hill, 
near  which  several  Roman  bricks  have  been  found;"  it  is  now 
considerably  improved,  consisting  of  Castle  Street,  High  Street, 
Lower  Street,  Queen  Street,  and  Stone  Street.  This  town  is  doubt- 
less of  considerable  antiquity,  and  had  its  origin  in  the  Roman 
station,  which  was  at  or  near  Llanfair  ar  y  Brynn,  about  half  a  mile 
from  hence :  for  that  the  Romans  had  there  a  fixed  place  of  residence 
is  sufficiently  ascertained  by  numerous  pieces  of  broken  bricks, 
earthenware,  and  coins  having  been  discovered  there.  On  a  mount 
between  Boran  river  and  Ewenny  brook  are  the  remains  of  a  castle, 
consisting  of  two  sides  and  a  deep  trench,  but  by  whom  built  is 
uncertain.  In  1113  we  find  it  in  the  possession  of  Richard  de  Pws, 
and  in  1116  (or  about  that  time)  besieged  by  Gruflfydd  ap  Rhys, 
who,  after  burning  the  outworks,  raised  the  siege,  and  retired  with 
considerable  loss.  Subsequent  to  this  many  trifling  circumstances 
occurred;  but  the  last  action  (mentioned  by  Caradoc)  took  place 
in  1213  or  1214,  when  Rh}7s,  son  of  Gruffydd  ap  Rhys,  with  an  army 
of  Welsh  and  Normans,  encamped  before  this  place,  with  an  inten- 
tion to  besiege  it,  but  the  governor  thought  it  more  prudent  to 
surrender,  on  condition  that  the  garrison  should  be  permitted  to 
march  out  unmolested,  which  was  granted.  According  to  tradition 
it  was  destroyed  by  the  forces  under  Oliver  Cromwell.  This  was  the 
residence  and  supposed  birthplace  of  the  Rev.  Rh5rs  Prichard,  A.M. 
a  celebrated  Welsh  poet :  he  was  vicar  of  the  parish  of  Llandingad 
in  1602,  Chancellor  of  Saint  David's  in  1626,  and  died  in  1644.  . 

On  leaving  Llandovery,  and  at  the  distance  of  about  eight  miles, 
we  pass  on  our  left  the  town  of  Llangadock,  having  its  church  dedi- 
cated to  Saint  Cadog,  and  situate  between  the  rivers  Bran  and 
Sawthy.  The  town  is  small,  but  lately  much  improved  in  its  build- 
ings :  it  is  said  to  have  been  once  a  large  town,  and  Thomas  Beck, 
Bishop  of  Saint  David's,  made  its  church  collegiate  in  1233  (accord- 
ins; 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 


16f 


ing  to  others  in  1283),  to  the  honour  of  Saint  Maurice  and  his 
companions  and  St.  Thomas  the  Martyr;  but  if  ever  this  took  effect, 
it  did  not  (as  Tanner  says)  continue  so  long.  In  the  neighbourhood 
was  an  ancient  castle,  now  entirely  demolished.  Bledri,  the  son  of 
Cedifor,  the  great  Lord  of  Gwydigada  andElfed,  died  in  1119,  and 
was  buried  here. 

About  12  miles  from  Llandovery,  in  our  road,  is  Llandilo-Vawr, 
the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Teilo:  it  is  a  considerable 
market  town,  pleasantly  situated  on  a  rising  ground  by  the  Tawy, 
over  which  is  a  handsome  stone  bridge.  In  1213  Rhys  Fychan, 
being  fearful  that  Foulke,  Lord  of  Cardigan,  would  dispossess  him 
of  this  town,  caused  it  to  be  burnt  to  the  ground,  and  then  had 
himself  recourse  to  the  woods  and  desert  places  in  its  vicinity.  A 
decisive  battle  is  said  to  have  been  fought  here  between  Edward  the 
First  and  Llywelyn  the  Great,  in  which,  by  Mortimer's  manoeuvre, 
the  Welsh  were  defeated.  About  three  miles  distant  lie  the  ruins  of 
Cappel  yr  Ywen,  formerly  a  chapel-of-ease  under  the  mother  church. 
About  five  miles  south  is  a  chalybeate  spring,  called  Ffynnon  Craig 
Ceflfyl,  and  there  are  several  others  in  the  neighbourhood. 

One  mile  from  Llandilo-fawr  is  Dinefawr  Castle,  the  principal  seat 
of  the  Rice  family,  lately  ennobled  by  the  title  of  Lord  Dinefawr,  or 
Dynevor.  It  occupies  an  eminence  above  the  town,  covering  several 
undulating  hills  with  its  rich  graves  and  verdant  lawns.  The  castle 
was  built  by  Rhys  ap  Theodore  in  the  time  of  William  the  Conqueror, 
who  removed  hither  from  Caermarthen,  the  former  residence  of  the 
Princes  of  South  Wales.  Its  original  form  was  circular,  fortified 
with  a  double  moat  and  rampart,  having  on  the  left  side  of  the  ascent 
a  bulwark,  a  large  arch  belonging  to  which  fell  down  several  years 
ago.  South  of  the  castle  are  shewn  the  ruins  of  a  chapel  between  two 
round  towers,  and  on  the  east  side  a  dungeon  at  the  bottom  of  a 
ruined  tower.  In  the  year  1145,  Cadell,  the  son  of  Gruffydd  ap 
Rhys,  took  this  fortress  from  Gilbert  Earl  of  Clare.  Giraldus  men- 
tions it  being  demolished  in  1 194,  but  soon  after  rebuilt  with  its 
ruins,  and  consequently  made  to  occupy  a  smaller  extent  of  ground. 
After  this,  in  1204,  we  find  it  in  the  possession  of  Rhys,  the  son  of 
Gruflfydd  ap  Rhys;  but  in  1257,  Rhys  Fychan,  having  procured 
assistance,  marched  with  art  English  army  from  Carmarthen  against 
this  fortress,,  which  valiantly  held  out  until  Llewelyn  ap  Gruffydd 
came  to  its  relief,  when  a  battle  ensued,  wherein  the  English  lost  two 
thousand  men,  besides  many  barons  and  knights  that  were  taken 
prisoners.  The  demolition  of  this  castle  was  completed  in  the  civil 
wars :  two  batteries  failed  to  make  any  impression  on  its  garrison, 
but  a  third  being  erected,  it  was  reduced.  The  ruins  were  granted  to 
Sir  Rice  ap  Thomas  by  Henry  the  Seventh,  for  the  great  assistance 
given  him  on  his  landing  at  Milford  Haven,  and  afterwards  at  Bos- 
worth  Field,,  which  procured  Henry  the  crown  of  England.  Henry 

Ff2  the 


162  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

the  Eighth,  on  a  false  charge  of  treason,  seized  this  castle,  and  again 
restored  it  to  an  ancestor  of  the  present  Lord  Dinefawr,  who  is  a  lineal 
descendant  from  Urien  Reged,  Lord  of  Kidwelly,   Carunllon,  and 
Yskenen,  in  South  Wales.      In  the  centre,  amid  rich  groves  and 
verdant  lawns,  stands  the  house,  a  plain  modern  structure,  but  the 
scenery  about  it  is  beautiful,  consisting  of  a  profusion  of  woods,  prin- 
cipally of  tine  oaks  and  Spanish  chesnuts,  descending  abruptly  to  the 
bed  of  the  river  Tawy,  where  all  the  striking  beauties  of  this  enchant- 
ing tract  may  be  enjoyed  in  full  display  of  romantic  scenery,  while 
the  high  chain  of  rude  and  unequal  mountains,  crossing  the  road  at 
right  angles,  form  three  separate  vales,  widely  differing  from  each 
other  in  form  and  character.     The  Eisteddfod,  a  triennial  assembly  of 
the  bards,  was  holden  here  in  the  reign  of  its  ancient  princes. 

Three  miles  eastward  from  Llandilo-fawr  is  Carreg  Cennin  Castle, 
i.  e.  "  the  Castle  on  the  Rock  by  the  Cennin,"  a  small  river  which 
runs  at  the  foot  of  the  rock  on  which  the  castle  was  erected.     It  is 
strongly  situate  on  the  point  of  a  high  craggy  insulated  rock,  three 
sides  of  which  are  wholly  inaccessible,  and  surrounded  at  moderate 
but  equal  distances  with  mountains,  the  roads  leading  to  the  castle 
being  scarcely  passable.     The  fortress,  of  which  a  great  part  is  still 
extant,  does  not  occupy  an  acre  of  ground,  the  rocks  scarcely  admit- 
ting of  that  extent;  but  the  ruins  are  extremely  high,  and  when  seen 
from  the  road  between  Bettws  and  Llandeilo  appear  in  a  degree  of 
magnificence  uncommonly  singular.      This  was  doubtless  an  ancient 
British  building,  and  a  proof  of  its  great  antiquity  may  be  deduced 
from  its  plan,  for,  on  approaching  to  it  from  the  east  side,  we  do  not 
find  the  gateway,  as  is  usual,  between  two  towers  in  front,  but  a  strong 
covered  way  on  the  brink  of  the  rock,  which  leads  to  the  gates  on  the 
south  side.      The  well  in  this  castle  is  also  of  a  singular  kind  ;  for, 
instead  of  a  perpendicular  descent,  here  is  a  large  winding  cave  bored 
through  the  solid  rock,  with  an  arched  passage  on  the  northern  edge 
of  the  precipice,  running  along  the  outside  of  the  fortress,  with  an 
easy  slope  to  the  beginning  of  the  perforation,  which  is  in  length  84 
feet :  this  perforation  is  of  various  dimensions ;   the  breadth  of  it,  at 
the  beginning,  is  12  feet,  and  in  some  places  less  than  three,  but  at  a 
medium  it  may  be  estimated  to  be  from  five  to  six  feet,  and  the  height 
of  the  cave  ten  feet,  but  varying,  so  that  the  whole  descent  through 
the  rock  is  150  feet.     Notwithstanding  all  this  extravagant  labour, 
there  is  scarcely  water  sufficient  for  a  small  family,  nor  does  there 
appear  any  other  resource  within  the  precincts  of  the  castle.     Here 
history  appears  to  have  been  very  deficient,  for  there  is  no  account  or 
mention  of  this  castle  till  1284,  when,  according  to  Caradoc,  Rhys 
Fychan  won  it  from  the  English,  to  whom,  a  short  time  before,  it  was 
privately  delivered  by  his  mother.     In  1773  some  coins  were  turned 
up  here  by  the  plough,  and  since  variously  misrepresented,  but  the 
number  is  ascertained  to  have  been  about  two  hundred  angular  pieces 

of 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  163 

of  silver,  containing  inscriptions  for  Elizabeth,  James,  and  Charles  I. 
the  whole  of  which  were  found  near  the  foot  of  the  precipice  before 
described,  consequently  we  may  conclude  they  are  the  vestiges  of  the 
civil  dissensions  of  the  17th  century.  The  castle  is  supposed  to  have 
been  built  by  Goronw,  Lord  of  Is  Cennin,  one  of  the  knights  of  King 
Arthur's  round  table.  Near  here  is  Cwrt  Brynn  y  Beirdd,  formerly 
a  princely  bardic  residence. 

At  Abergwili,  on  the  road  from  Llandilo-fawr  to  Caermarthen, 
tradition  says  that  there  were  formerly  several  chapels,  of  which  one 
only  now  remains,  called  Llanfihangel  Uwch  Gwili,  and  the  ruins  of 
another. 

CAER  FYRDDIN,  CAERMARTHEN,  OR  CAER  FYRDDIN, 

boasts  of  very  high  antiquity,  and  is  a  town  connected  with  classical 
history  as  well  as  British  superstition.      Here  the  Romans  had  a 
station,  called  Maridunum,  of  which  little  more  is  known.     It  is  beau- 
tifully situate  on  the  banks  of  the  navigable  river  Tawy,  and  to  the 
northward  of  a  spacious  bay  to  which  it  gives  name,  opposite  the 
Bristol  channel.      It  is  said  to  have  been  anciently  esteemed  the 
capital  of  all  Wales.      Giraldus  says  that  it  was  a  place  of  great 
strength,  and  fortified  with  brick  walls,  which  are  yet  visible  near  the 
river.      It  is  now  the  capital  of  the  county,  and  was  formerly  the 
residence  of  the  Princes  of  South  Wales,  and  where  the  Ancient 
Britons  held  their  parliaments,  with  the  Chancery  and  Exchequer  for 
South  Wales,  until  that  nation  was  formed  into  a  principality  by  the 
crown  of  England.     In  the  38th  of  Henry  the  Eighth  Caermarthen 
was  created  a  borough  town.     The  castle  is  situate  on  a  rock  com- 
manding the  river  Tawy,  but  the  gate  only  remains,  forming  at  present 
the  county  gaol,  with  some  remnants  of  the  town  wall  about  the  east- 
gate.      Of  its  origin  we  have  no  account  until  11 13,  when,  according 
to  Caradoc,  the  following  were  nominated  to  defend  the  castle  in 
turns,  viz.  Owen  ap  Caradoc,  Rhytherch  ap  Theodore,  and  Meredith 
ap  Rhytherch,  each  commanding  for  a  fortnight.      $oon  after  this 
regulation,  Rhys  ap  Gruffydd  gained  possession  of  the  town,  and 
burnt  the  castle.      In  1144  it  was  rebuilt  by  Gilbert  Earl  of  Clare  ; 
but  in  the  year  1215  it  was,  by  Llewelyn's  orders,  levelled  to  the 
ground.     Without  the  town  stands  the  church  (dedicated  to  Saint 
Peter),  a  large  handsome  building,  having  a  fine-toned  organ,  and 
many  good  monuments ;  but  the  most  remarkable  is  one  erected  to  the 
memory  of  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas,  who,  as  before  mentioned,  assisted 
Henry  VII.  in  his  landing  at  Milford  Haven,  and  joined  his  forces  to 
Henry's,  and  bravely  fought  for  him  in  Bosworth  Field.      In  the 
suburbs,  but  further  east  than  the  church,  are  some  ruins  of  a  priory 
for  Black  Monks,  founded  before  1148,  and  valued  at  about  £164  per 
annum.      It  is   dedicated  to  Saint  John   the  Evangelist,   and  was 
granted  (35th   Henry  VIII.)   to   Richard  Andrews   and    Nicholas 

Temple, 


164  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Temple.  Here  was  also  a  house  of  Grey  Friars,  under  the  custody 
of  Bristol,  which  after  the  dissolution  was  granted  (34th  Henry  VIII.) 
to  Thomas  Lloyd,  and  in  the  5th  of  Edward  VI.  to  Sir  Thomas 
Gresham.  Caermarthen  is  at  present  a  very  respectable  town,  both 
in  appearance  and  trade,  containing  a  number  of  well-built  houses, 
besides  many  independent  and  genteel  families  who  have  made  it 
their  residence,  which  put  it  almost  on  a  level  with  some  of  our  best 
English  towns.  It  exports  a  great  quantity  of  oats  and  butter  to 
London  and  Bristol,  stone  and  coal  to  Norfolk,  bark  to  Ireland,  and 
oak  timber  to  some  of  the  principal  dock-yards  in  the  kingdom.  Its 
imports  are  fruit  from  Lisbon,  bale  goods  and  hardware  from  British 
ports,  and  a  great  quantity  of  timber  from  Norway  and  Russia.  The 
iron  works,  tin  works,  and  a  lead  mine  in  the  neighbourhood,  contri- 
bute likewise  to  increase  its  wealth  and  swell  its  importance. — A 
Letter  by  the  Rev.  W.  H.  Barker,  vicar  in  1811,  says — "Saint 
Peter's  is  the  name  of  tlie  parish,  which  is  frequently  called  Caermar- 
then, from  the  town  in  which  it  is  situate;  every  military- station  in 
Welsh  was  called  Gaer ;  if  walled  the  town  was  so  called,  and,  for 
distinction,  some  epitaph  usually  added.  In  the  centre  of  the  town 
stands  the  town-hall,  close  to  which  are  houses,  which  shew  the  fabric 
of  St.  Mary's  church;  not  used  for  religious  purposes  since  the  disso- 
lution of  religious  houses ;  the  heads  of  saints,  &c.  are  still  visible  on 
the  timbers  of  the  roofs.  Close  to  the  north  of  the  town  are  the 
remains  of  an  old  Roman  Prgetorium,  in  a  field  called  the  Bullrack 
(Bulwark),  where  was  the  Gaer,  or  Roman  camp  :  coins  of  the  lower 
empire  are  frequently  dug  up  in  the  gardens ;  some  Roman  altars 
have  been  also  met  with,  and  I  have  one,  a  large  tube,  with  part  of  an 
inscription,  now  in  my  possession."  Here  (according  to  Camden)  was 
born  the  British  Tages,  or  Merlin,  or  as  the  British  writers  call  him 
Merddyn  Emrys,  who  flourished  about  A.  D.  480.  The  first  historian 
that  mentions  him  is  Nennius,  yet  he  says  nothing  of  his  fabulous 
birth ;  but  tells  us  his  mother  was  a  Nun,  in  a  nunnery  here,  the  scite 
of  which  was  shewn  to  Leland :  Jiis  father  was  a  Roman  Consul  in  the 
time  of  Vortigern.  All  our  Monkish  historians  add  a  long  fable  to 
his  birth,  besides  creating  him  a  prophet  or  ^magician :  but  Humphrey 
Llwyd  represents  him  as  a  man  of  extraordinary  learning  and  pru- 
dence for  the  time  in  which  he  lived ;  and  his  skill  in  the  mathematics 
gave  rise  to  a  certain  fable,  which  has  been  transmitted  to  posterity. 
All  we  know  of  the  writings  ascribed  to  him  are  certain  alleged 
prophecies.  On  a  hill  about  one  mile  from  this  town,  the  inhabitants 
shew  a  grove  called  Merlin's,  and  a  spring  of  water  forming  a  lake. 
Here  he  is  said  to  have  frequently  retired,  to  pursue  his  studies  in 
solitude.  The  monument  erected  here  to  the  memory  of  the  late 
General  Sir  Thomas  Picton,  the  renowned  Welsh  hero,  was  thrown 
open  to  the  public  view  on  Tuesday,  the  5th  of  August,  1828.  The 
structure  in  its  general  design,  particularly  the  shaft  and  entablature, 

resembles 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 


165 


resembles  Trajan's  Pillar  at  Rome,  and  from  the  durability  of  the 
material  (black  marble),  promises  to  survive  the  wreck  of  as  many 
ages  as  that  mouldering  but  interesting  relic  of  antiquity.  On  the 
south  side  of  the  monument  is  the  following  inscription : — 

Sir  THOMAS  PICTON, 

Knight  Grand  Cross  of  the  Military  Order  of  the  Bath, 

Of  the  Portuguese  Order  of  the  Tower  and  Sword,  and  of  other  Foreign  Orders, 
Lieutenant-General  in  the  British  Army,  and  Member  of  Parliament  for  the  Borough  of 

Pembroke, 
Born  at  Poyston,  in  Pembrokeshire,  in  August,  1758, 

Died  at  Waterloo,  on  the  18th  of  June,  1815, 
Gloriously  fighting  for  his  Country  and  the  Liberties  of  Europe, 

Having  honourably  fulfilled,  on  Behalf  of  the  Public*,  various  Duties  in  various  Climates, 
And  having  achieved  the  highest  Military  Renown  in  the 

Spanish  Peninsula, 

He  thrice  received  the  unanimous  Thanks  of  Parliament; 
And  a  Monument,  erected  by  the  British  Nation,  in  Saint  Paul's  Cathedral, 

commemorates  his  Death  and  Services. 

His  grateful  Countrymen,  to  perpetuate  past  and  incite  to  future  Exertions, 
Have  raised  this  Column  under  the  Auspices  of  his  Majesty 

King  George  the  Fourth, 
To  the  Memory  of  a  Hero  and  a  Welshman. 
The  Plan  and  Design  of  this  Monument  was  given  by  our  Countryman, 

John  Nash,  Esq.  F.  R.  S.  Architect  to  the  King. 
The  Ornaments  were  executed  by  E.  H.  Bailey,  Esq.  R.  A. 

And  the  whole  was  erected  by  Mr.  Daniel  Mainwaring,  of  the  Town  of  Caermarthen, 
in  the  Years  1826  and  1827. 

On  the  north  side  is  a  translation  of  the  above  in  Welsh.  The 
subscribers  have  transferred  their  property  in  the  monument  to  the 
corporation,  to  whom  it  now  of  right  appertains. 

About  7  miles  beyond  Caermarthen  is  the  village  of  Saint  Clare, 
where  was  anciently  a  castle,  which  was  gone  to  ruin  in  Leland's  time. 
Here  was  likewise  a  priory  of  monks,  cell  to  the  Cluniac  Abbey  of 
St.  Martin  de  Campis,  in  Paris,  founded  in  the  year  1291,  and  given 
by  Henry  the  Sixth  to  All  Souls  College,  Oxford.  Five  miles  from 
St.  Clare  stood  Ty-Gwyn,  or  White  House,  tjie  ancient  palace  of 
Howel  Dda,  the  first  sovereign  of  all  Wales.  IJere  in  942  he  sent 
for  the  Archbishop  of  St.  David's,  with  the  rest  of  the  bishops  and 
principal  clergy  to  the  number  of  140,  besides  the  barons  and  princi- 
pal nobility.  Thus  collected  in  the  palace  of  Ty-Gwyn,  they  passed 
the  Lent  in  prayer  and  fasting,  imploring  Divine  assistance  in  the 
design  of  reforming  the  laws.  At  the  close  of  the  season  the  king 
chose  twelve  of  the  gravest  and  most  experienced  men  of  this 
assembly,  who,  in  concert  with  Blegore,d,  a  very  learned  man  and 
able  lawyer,  he  commissioned  to  examine  the  old  laws,  in  order  to 
retain  the  good  and  abrogate  those  that  were  improper  or  unneces- 
sary. The  commission  being  executed,  the  new  laws  were  publicly 
read  and  proclaimed  ;  three  copies  were  accordingly  written,  one  for 
the  king's  own  use,  the  second  to  be  laid  up  in  his  palace  of  Aber- 
flfraw,  in  North  Wales,  and  the  third  at  Dinefawr,  in  South  Wales, 

that 


166  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

that  all  the  Welsh  provinces  may  have  access  to  them ;  and,  as  a 
further  confirmation  of  the  whole,  the  king  with  the  archbishop 
went  to  Rome,  and  obtained  of  the  Pope  a  solemn  ratification  of  the 
same,  which  continued  in  force  till  the  conquest  of  Wales  in  1282  by 
Edward  the  First.  Mr.  Warrington  says — "  the  death  of  this 
amiable  prince,  who  had  long  enjoyed  the  mild  honours  resulting 
from  peace  and  the  public  esteem,  spread  universally  the  deepest 
sorrow.  As  a  great  memorial  of  his  virtues,  posterity  has  given  him 
the  surname  of  Dda,  or  f  the  Good :'  his  code  of  laws  is  the  best 
eulogium  to  his  memory,  and  raises  him  as  much  above  the  rest  of 
the  Cambrian  princes  as  peace  and  gentleness  of  manners  and  a 
regular  state  are  preferable  to  the  evils  inseparable  from  war,  to  the 
fierceness  of  uncivilized  life,  and  to  the  habits  of  a  wild  independancy. 
From  this  comparison  \i  is  the  author's  meaning  to  except  those 
British  and  Cambrian  princes  who  defended  their  country  from  the 
rapacity  or  ambition  of  foreign  enemies,  a  conduct  than  which  nothing 
can  be  more  meritorious,  or  scarcely  any  thing  have  a  higher  claim 
on  the  respect  and  gratitude  of  mankind." 

Three  miles  south  of  Saint  Clare  is  Llacharn,  a  small  village 
situate  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Taf:  it  is  irregularly  built  on  a  low 
bank  of  the  estuary,  with  a  ferry  to  Llanstephan.  Llacharn  Castle 
is  a  fine  old  ruin,  and  is  recorded  either  to  have  been  built  by 
Guido  de  Brian  in  the  reign  of  King  Henry  the  Third,  or  to  have 
been  rebuilt  by  him,  as  it  is  said  that  this  castle  was  destroyed  by 
Llywelyn  ap  lorwerth  in  1215:  if  so,  Guido  de  Brian  rebuilt  it  in 
the  following  reign.  The  remains  of  an  ivy-clad  gateway  and  various 
other  ruins  of  the  castle  are  still  standing  in  a  good  state  of  pre- 
servation. It  still  exhibits  the  fragments  of  an  ancient  keep,  situate 
on  an  elevation,  and  surrounded  by  a  deep  moat.  The  cloak  or 
mantle  of  Sir  Guido  de  Brian  the  younger,  Lord  Marcher  in  the 
reign  of  King  John,  richly  embroidered  in  purple  and  gold,  is  still 
preserved  in  the  church.  Josiah  Tucker,  D.  D.  Dean  of  Gloucester, 
was  born  here,  and  died  in  1729,  aged  87 :  he  was  a  celebrated 
political  writer  and  able  divine.  There  are  in  this  parish  the 
remains  of  a  ruin,  now  called  Roche's  Castle,  which  tradition  reports 
to  be  those  of  a.  monastery,  though  it  is  not  ascertained  when  it  was 
built,  or  to  what  order  it  belonged.  The  ancient  appellation  of  the 
parish,  Llacharn,  or  Tal  Llacharn,  i.  e.  "  Above  the  great  Lake," 
has  probably  been  corrupted  into  its  present  name  of  Laugharne 
from  that  of  a  General  William  Laugharne,  who,  in  the  year  1644, 
besieged  and  took  the  castle  of  Llacharn.  Tradition  says  that  the 
parish  church  formerly  stood  upon  a  farm  called  Croseland,  or 
Christ's  Land,  but  no  vestige  now  remains,  if  any  such  edifice  had 
been  there. 

About  three  miles  eastward  from  the  last-mentioned  place  is  Llan- 
stephan, having  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Stephen. — Llanstephan 

Castle 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  167 

Castle,  which  crowns  the  summit  of  a  bold  hill,  hath  its  precipitous 
base  washed  by  the  sea;  its  broken  walls  enclose  a  large  area,  and 
it  is  encircled  with  several  ramparts,  appearing  to  have  possessed 
considerable  strength.  The  whole  affords  a  very  picturesque  appear- 
ance, exhibiting  a  wide  estuary,  with  a  rocky  promontory  opposite, 
and  the  boundless  sea.  The  village  is  neat,  and  well  situated  in  a 
woody  valley,  commanding  an  extensive  view  of  the  neighbouring 
estuary  of  the  Taf,  near  its  conjunction  with  the  sea.  The  castle 
was  built  probably  by  the  Normans  before  1215,  but  afterwards  fell 
into  the  possession  of  Llywelyn.  Here  is  a  well,  called  Saint 
Anthony's  well,  walled  with  stone  and  mortar,  and  over  it  is  a  niche, 
where  it  is  supposed  a  figure  of  the  saint  was  placed.  Great  cures 
are  said  to  have  been  performed  by  the  water  of  this  well  formerly, 
but  it  has  not  been  much  resorted  to  of  late  years.  Here  was  a 
chapel,  called  in  ancient  records  "  Marble  Church,"  which  originally 
belonged  to  the  church  of  Llanstephan ;  but  the  dissenters  having 
possessed  themselves  of  it  during  the  civil  wars,  have  retained  it  ever 
since. 

Kydweli,  or  Cydweli,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary: 
the  edifice  consists  of  one  aisle,  with  a  steeple  and  spire  165  feet 
high.  Kydweli  is  a  small  neat  town,  a  little  distance  from  the  coast ; 
it  is  divided  into  what  is  called  the  Old  and  New  Town,  and  only 
separated  by  a  bridge  over  the  Wendroth.  The  old  town  (in  Leland's 
time)  was  well  walled,  with  three  gates,  having  over  one  the  town- 
hall,  and  under  it  a  prison.  In  990  this  place  was  almost  destroyed 
by  Edwin  ap  Einion,  and  afterwards  (in  1093)  it  suffered  considerably 
by  the  Normans,  who  destroyed  some  of  the  principal  houses,  and 
made  a  dreadful  massacre  of  the  inhabitants.  The  town  is  very 
much  decayed,  but  the  castle  is  well  worthy  of  observation,  placed 
on  an  elevated  mount  above  a  small  river,  and  remarkable  for  the 
perfect  uniformity  of  its  four  round  towers.  The  building  is  attri- 
buted to  King  John,  as  is  the  town,  though  unconnected,  and  said  to 
belong  to  the  Duchy  of  Lancaster,  from  which  it  derives  some  privi- 
leges. The  castle  is  neat,  and  well  supported  by  a  fair  and  double 
wall.  Alice  de  Londres,  wife  of  the  Duke  of  Lancaster,  lived  some 
time  in  this  fortress,  which  she  repaired ;  but  it  afterwards  received 
more  alterations,  in  expectation  of  Henry  the  Seventh  coming  into 
Wales.  By  the  new  town  is  an  ordinary  harbour,  nearly  choked  with 
sand,  so  that  only  small  vessels  are  able  to  approach  its  quay.  Here 
was  a  priory  of  black  monks,  founded  by  Roger,  Bishop  of  Salisbury, 
in  1130,  as  a  cell  to  Sherburn  Abbey,  and  valued  at  £22. 

On  leaving  Kydweli  we  proceed  northerly,  and  at  the  distance  of 
eight  miles,  pass  through  Caermarthen,  20  miles  beyond  which  we 
arrive  at  Newcastle-in-Emlyn,  or  Dinas  Emlyn,  on  the  river  Tawy : 
it  contains  nothing  remarkable,  except  the  site  of  an  ancient  castle, 
but  of  the  superstructure  thereof  there  is  not  a  fragment  remaining. 

In 


168  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

In  1215  we  find  it  recorded  of  this  fortress,  that  Llywelyn  ap  lorwerth 
had  won  the  castle,  and  subdued  Camaes.  The  castle  was  one  of 
the  principal  residences  of  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas;  and  some  coins  and 
other  vestiges  of  a  Roman  station  are  said  to  have  been  discovered 
here.  The  situation  of  this  town  and  the  road  to  it  from  Caermar- 
then  is  in  general  dreary  and  mountainous,  which  formerly  subjected 
the  traveller  to  considerable  danger,  particularly  from  the  numerous 
and  imperceptible  turf-pits  with  which  the  neighbourhood  abounded; 
but  it  is  now  much  improved. 

Kryg-y-Dyrn  is  a  remarkable  tumulus  in  Trelech  parish,  being  in 
circumference  sixty  paces  and  in  height  six  yards.  It  rises  from  an 
easy  ascent,  and  is  hollow  on  the  top,  gently  inclining  from  the  cir- 
cumference to  the  centre.  This  heap  is  chiefly  composed  of  small 
stones  covered  with  turf,  and  may  probably  be  called  a  carnedd.  On 
the  top,  in  a  small  cavity,  is  a  large  flat  stone  of  an  oval  form,  about 
three  yards  long  and  twelve  inches  thick.  On  searching  under  it  was 
found  a  cistvaen,  or  stone  chest,  four  feet  long  and  three  broad,  com- 
posed of  seven  stones.  About  the  outside,  and  within  the  chest,  some 
rough  pieces  of  brick  were  found,  also  pieces  of  wrought  free-stone, 
with  a  great  quantity  of  human  bones.  It  is  supposed  to  have  been 
the  burial-place  or  sepulchre  of  some  British  chief  before  the  Roman 
conquest.  "  That  it  is  older  than  Christianity  (says  the  learned 
Camden)  there  is  no  room  to  doubt." 

Bwydd- Arthur,  or  "  Arthur's  Table,"  is  on  a  mountain  near  Cil-y- 
maen-llwyd,  consisting  of  circular  stones  or  monuments;  the  diameter 
of  the  circle  is  about  twenty  yards,  and  is  composed  of  extraordinarily 
rude  stones,  pitched  on  their  ends  at  unequal  intervals,  of  three,  four, 
six,  and  eight  feet  in  height ;  they  were  originally  23  in  number,  but 
now  there  are  only  15  standing,  eight  of  the  smallest  being  carried 
away  for  various  purposes  by  the  residents  of  the  vicinity.  The 
entrance  for  above  three  yards  is  guarded  on  each  side  by  small 
stones,  contiguous  to  each  other,  and  opposite  to  this  passage,  at  the 
distance  of  about  300  yards,  stand  three  more,  considerably  larger 
and  more  rude  than  the  preceding. — This  country  abounds  with 
small  ancient  forts,  camps,  and  tumuli  or  barrows.  About  the  year 
1692  several  gold  coins  were  found  in  different  parts  of  this  county  ; 
and  in  the  parish  of  Cynwyl  Caeo,  a  few  years  ago,  a  beautiful  gold 
torques,  now  in  the  possession  of  John  Johnes,  Esq.  was  ploughed 
up  by  his  servants  in  the  common  field,  the  extremity  of  which  was 
adorned  with  a  curious  figure  of  a  serpent  of  the  same  pure  metal. 
Another  torques,  adorned  with  the  figure  of  a  dolphin  of  the  same 
material,  was  dug  up  not  a  long  time  ago  near  the  same  spot ;  and 
Roman  ornaments,  though  never  searched  for,  are  frequently  disco- 
vered. In  digging  for  gravel  to  repair  the  roads,  a  common  coarse 
pebble  was  found  here,  with  an  amethyst  in  the  middle  of  its  upper 
surface,  which  on  examination  proved  to  be  a  very  valuable  antique  of 

Diana ; 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  169 

Diana  ;  it  is  now  also  in  the  possession  of  John  Johnes,  Esq. — At  a 
place  called  Hen  Llan,  in  this  parish,  there  is  a  Roman  causeway, 
called  by  the  inhabitants  Sarn  Helen,  the  usual  appellation  in  the 
principality  for  Roman  roads,  in  honour  of  Helena,  the  mother  of 
Constantine  the  Great,  whom  they  represent  as  a  native  of  Wales. 

Some  vestiges  of  the  chapel  at  Pump  Saint,  which  was  of  consider- 
able magnitude,  remained  within  the  memory  of  man :  and  in  the 
north-east  extremity  of  the  parish  was  anciently  another  chapel  at 
Court  y  Cadno,  L  e.  "  Fox  Hall,"  but  all  traces  of  it  are  now  obliterat- 
ed :  it  is  beautifully  situate  near  the  rivers  Coethi  and  Twrch.  In  the 
heroic  elegies  of  Llywarch  Hen,  a  celebrated  poet,  who  flourished 
from  about  the  year  520  to  630,  Caeo  is  called  Caer  Caeo,  which 
seems  to  imply,  that  it  was  then  considered  as  a  city,  or,  at  least,  as  a 
well-fortified  place  :  and,  from  the  magnitude  of  the  church,  it  is 
conjectured,  that  some  monastic  or  ecclesiastical  institution  was 
established  here  in  the  middle  centuries.  At  the  mines  within  this 
parish,  and  which  were  doubtless  worked  by  the  Romans,  is  a  well  of 
remarkably  cold  water,  issuing  from  a  rock,  and  considered  formerly 
as  infallibly  efficacious  in  rheumatic  complaints.  Near  Briw  Nant, 
the  seat  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lloyd,  and  on  the  estate  of  John  Johnes, 
Esq.  of  D61  Coethi,  are  two  sulphureous  springs,  which  are  supposed 
to  be  superior  to  the  wells  in  the  counties  of  Brecknock  and  Radnor, 
but  they  are  scarcely  known,  and  remain  in  a  very  neglected  state. 
A  celebrated  mineralogist,  from  an  experiment  made  upon  one  of 
them,  found  that  the  water  was  impregnated  with  a  greater  quantity 
of  sulphur  than  any  spring  that  he  had  visited.  Near  Pump  Saint, 
is  a  chalybeate  spring  of  great  celebrity,  for  the  many  extraordinary 
cures  which  it  is  reported  to  have  effected. 

At  Maes  Llan  Wrthwl,  in  this  parish,  a  great  battle  was  fought 
between  the  Romans  and  the  ancient  Britons,  and  a  Roman  general 
was  interred  there.  Under  the  threshold  of  the  door,  at  the  seat  of 
J.  Bo  wen,  Esq.  are  the  neglected  fragments  of  a  stone,  with  an  inscrip- 
tion, given  by  Camden,  at  length.  There  are  several  tumuli  in 
the  neighbourhood,  particularly  near  a  bridge  called  Pont  Rhyd 
Remus,  i.  e.  "  the  bridge  on  Remus's  ford."  Roman  bricks  are  often 
dug  up  in  the  adjacent  fields.  Tradition  says,  that  a  large  town,  called 
Y  Dref  Goch  yn  Neheubarth,  i.  e.  "  the  Red  town  in  South  Wales," 
was  built  here  by  the  Roman  soldiery,  and  that  the  houses  were  prin- 
cipally constructed  of  brick.  Near  the  summit  of  a  hill,  where  at 
present  there  is  no  water,  are  the  ruins  of  a  mill,  called  Melin  Milwyr, 
i.  e.  "  the  Soldier's  Mill :"  the  traces  of  an  aqueduct  are  observed 
near  the  spot.  The  water  was  raised  with  immense  labour,  and 
brought  over  the  highest  hills  for  many  miles,  and  passed  over  the 
excavated  mountain,  where  they  dug  for  ore,  in  order  to  wash  away 
the  dross  in  the  manner  described  by  Pliny.  It  is  hardly  credible, 
that  a  stream  of  the  magnitude  of  the  Coethi  could  be  thus  raised  and 

carried 


170  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

carried  so  prodigious  a  distance  over  steep  precipices ;  but  the 
vestiges  of  the  work  are  still  visible,  and  excite  every  intelligent  per- 
son's admiration.  Considerable  quantities  of  gold  are  supposed  to 
have  been  obtained,  of  old  time,  in  these  mines. 

In  the  parish  of  Eglwys  Cymmyn,  i.  e.  "  the  Communion  Church," 
on  the  old  chalice  for  communion  service  is  inscribed  in  old  letters — 
"  Poculum  Ecclesiae  de  Eglon  Skymine,  1574."  Skymine  signifies 
(e  bleak,"  and  the  church  is  situate  high  and  is  bare  of  trees."  Here 
is  a  place  called  Pwll  Cogan,  consisting  of  a  few  houses,  which  is 
remarkable  only  for  the  mention  of  it  in  Sir  John  Pryse's  History  of 
the  Welsh  Wars.  There  are  also  vestiges  of  a  castle  or  fortification 
in  a  field  called  Pen-coed,  which  is  from  thence  called  Castle  Park ; 
and  another  place  called  Peace  Park,  from  the  circumstance  of  a  peace 
having  been  concluded  there,  and  which  is  also  mentioned  by  Sir  John 
Pryse.  Here  are  also  two  streams  which,  after  a  subterraneous  pass- 
age for  some  distance,  empty  themselves  into  the  bay  of  Caermarthen. 
According  to  tradition,  the  old  parish  church  of  Llan-Arthne  was 
carried  away  by  the  overflowing  of  the  river  Tywi,  and  the  site  there- 
of to  this  day  is  called  Hen  Llan,  or  "  the  Old  Church."— The 
ancient  chapel  called  Cappel  Ddewi,  on  the  banks  of  the  Tywi,  is 
nearly  in  ruins. 

In  the  churchyard  of  the  parish  of  Llanfihangel-ar-ararth,  close  to 
the  west  end  of  the  church,  is  a  Roman  monumental  stone  with  an 
inscription.  There  are  also  the  ruins  of  a  chapel,  called  Pencader 
Chapel,  which  has  been  in  a  neglected  state  for  nearly  a  century. — 
There  are  three  tumuli  in  this  parish. 

In  the  parish  of  Llan-gyndeyrn  there  is  a  ruinous  place  adjoining 
the  church,  called  Hen  Plas,  or  "  the  Old  Mansion,"  the  supposed 
residence  of  an  ancient  potentate.  There  were  two  chapels  in  this 
parish,  one  called  Cappel  Evan,  now  a  farm-house,  the  other  Cappel 
Dyddgen,  the  roof  of  which  is  gone,  but  the  walls  are  up,  and  its 
present  use  is  that  of  a  hovel  for  cattle :  the  late  tenant  would  not 
plough  up  the  chapel  yard. — The  seat  of  Miss  Gwynne,  called  Glyn 
Abbey,  is  supposed  to  have  been  an  abbey  or  religious  edifice  for- 
merly ;  but  the  house  having  been  completely  altered,  no  appearance 
of  such  a  structure  now  remains. 

In  the  parish  of  Llan-Gunog  is  a  school,  which  tradition  says  was 
founded  in  consequence  of  a  cure  effected  on  one  of  the  Vaughans  of 
Derllys  by  a  fountain  called  New  Well,  which  springs  near  the  site 
on  which  the  school  now  stands.  This  seems  to  carry  with  it  a  pro- 
bability of  truth,  as  upon  a  stone  over  the  entrance  of  the  school-room 
is  engraved — "  This  is  a  Charity  School  for  ever,  built  at  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  by  the  lord,  freeholders, 
and  inhabitants  of  the  manor  of  Penrin,  A.D.  1705. 

The  parish  church  of  Tal  y  Llychau  was  built  out  of  the  ruins  of 
the  old  abbey,  about  fifty  years  ago.  There  were  formerly  five 

chapels 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  171 

chapels  in  this  parish,  which  is  generally  called  Talley.  The  abbey 
was  a  Premonstratensian  Abbey,  founded  by  Rhese  son  of  Griffith, 
Prince  of  South  Wales,  who  died  in  1197.-— It  was  dedicated  to  the 
Blessed  Virgin  Mary  and  John  the  Baptist. — There  are  now  consi- 
derable remains  of  it  in  the  church-yard.  At  the  dissolution  it  had 
eight  canons. 

Bach-Ynys  is  situate  on  the  river  Bary.  This  island  is  thought  to 
have  been  the  place  where  Saint  Piro,  about  A.  D.  513,  built  a 
monastery,  which  he  himself  was  first  abbot  of,  and  wherein  he  was 
succeeded  by  the  elder  Sampson. 

Cil-y-Maenllwyd  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Philip  and 
Saint  James.  Here  is  a  chapel  in  sufficient  repair,  called  Castell 
Dwy  Rhann.  Tradition  says  that  there  was  formerly  a  castle  near 
the  chapel. 

Cynwyl. — The  vestiges  of  an  old  chapel  are  still  discernible  on  the 
farm  of  Troed-y-Rhiw,  in  the  northern  part  of  this  parish ;  the  wall 
of  the  churchyard  is  easily  traced ;  the  adjacent  field  is  called  Caer- 
Hen-Eglwys:  it  is  supposed  to  have  been  defaced  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  the  Eighth,  or  perhaps  sooner.  The  country  here  is  full  of 
deep  dingles  and  dorsal  hills,  all  of  which  converge  in  a  point  at 
Convil.  The  chalybeate  spring  of  Ffosana  is  reported  to  have  done 
wonders :  its  virtues  are  very  efficacious  at  this  time,  but  the  natives 
prefer  resorting  to  more  fashionable  though  less  sanative  waters:  its 
constituent  parts  have  been  analyzed. — An  unnoticed  but  very  remark- 
able piece  of  antiquity  is  to  be  seen  in  the  north-west  extremity  of 
this  parish,  viz.  a  druidical  temple,  or  observatory.  On  the  sideland 
summit  of  a  high  mountain,  facing  the  south,  is  a  centre  stone  of 
huge  magnitude,  being  from  10  to  15  tons,  placed  horizontally, 
oblong,  and  2  feet  thick,  supported  by  four  uprights,  one  of  which 
has  declined  from  its  original  position,  and  sunk  deeper  into  the 
ground.  Four  other  similar  but  smaller  stones  of  about  4  or  5  tons 
surround  it ;  but  these  are  all  slipt  from  their  respective  fulcra,  and 
lie  now  in  a  shelving  position.  Scattered  about,  at  various  and  irre- 
gular distances  around,  are  several  smaller  stones,  disturbed  and 
broken  by  the  masons  for  the  purpose  of  building.  A  crug  or 
tumulus  of  large  circumference  adjoins  the  temple:  a  wide  flat 
turbary  surrounds  it.  The  large  stones  are  not  the  stones  of  the 
country;  they  are  hard,  rough,  flaky,  brown,  large-grained,  and 
seemingly  weather-worn. — In  the  same  parish  is  "  The  Line,"  a  mile 
and  quarter  long  and  about  17  feet  high,  which  is  said  to  have  been 
thrown  up  by  Henry  Earl  of  Richmond  when  on  his  way  from 
Milford  Haven  to  meet  Richard  the  Third. 

Saint  Ishmael. — This  parish  is  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  navi- 
gable river  Tywi.  There  are  some  old  walls,  overgrown  with  ivy,  on 
a  farm  called  Pen  Allt,  which,  tradition  says,  was  formerly  a 
monastery.  The  parish  church  is  built  upon  a  rock  near  the  sea- 
shore, 


172  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

shore,  and  at  high  spring  tides  the  waves  wash  within  thirty  yards  of 
its  foundation.  The  small  village,  called  Ferryside,  is  much  resorted 
to  for  the  purpose  of  sea-bathing.  About  a  mile  from  the  village  is 
Iscoed,  the  seat  of  Sir  William  Mansell,  Baronet.  The  chapel-of- 
ease,  called  Llan-Saint-Cappel,  or  Halkin  Church,  is  in  good  repair, 
and  duly  served. 

Llan-Ddarog  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Twrog,  who  lived 
about  the  latter  end  of  the  fifth  or  beginning  of  the  sixth  century. 
There  are  the  remains  of  an  old  chapel  in  this  parish,  called  Saint 
Bernard's  Chapel,  and  which  has  been  in  ruins  for  the  last  150 
years. 

Llan-Dyfaelog  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Tyfaelog,  of 
whom  no  mention  is  made  in  history.  About  30  years  ago  there  was 
a  chapel  in  the  lordship  of  Cloigin,  being  extra-parochial,  and  in 
which  no  service  was  performed,  except  that  of  marriage:  at  present 
not  a  vestige  remains  of  it  more  than  the  foundations,  the  stones 
being  all  carried  off  by  the  neighbours  for  their  own  private  use.  A 
farm-house  near  the  church,  called  Nant-Llan,  is  generally  supposed 
to  have  been  a  monastery.  There  is  a  spring  of  clear  water  on  the 
tenement  ofPistyll,  in  the  lordship  of  Cloigin,  called  Pistyll  Gwynn, 
famed  in  the  memory  of  old  people  as  a  cure  for  sore  eyes ;  but  it 
is  now  disused  and  unfrequented.  This  is  a  very  pleasant  part  of  the 
county.  Salmon,  sewin,  and  other  fish  are  had  here  in  great 
abundance. 

Llan-Dyfeisant  is  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Tywi.  Part  of 
the  town  of  Llan-Deilo-Fawr  is  in  this  parish.  There  is  no  mineral 
spring  in  this  parish;  but  it  may  not  be  unworthy  of  remark,  that 
there  is  a  spring  which  ebbs  and  flows  every  day  (the  vulgar  opinion 
says)  "  with  the  tide,"  with  which,  however,  it  has  no  connexion. 
It  is  conceived  to  be  a  mere  natural  syphon  in  the  bowels  of  the 
earth,  which  is  not  an  uncommon  phenomenon.  This  spring,  or 
rather  the  prill  which  issues  from  it,  is  called  Nant-y-Rhybo,  signify- 
ing "  the  Bewitched  Brook,"  the  country-people  in  the  dark  ages 
ascribing  every  thing  to  witchcraft  which  they  could  not  otherwise 
account  for.  This  spring  was  noticed  by  Giraldus  Cambrensis,  and 
his  account  is  copied  by  various  tourists.  Dinefawr  Castle  is  in  this 
parish,  near  the  church.  A  few  years  ago,  in  levelling  uneven  ground 
in  the  churchyard,  were  discovered  the  foundations  of  some  Roman 
walls ;  and  as  the  north-west  corner  of  the  church  is  placed  on  the 
fragment  of  a  Roman  edifice,  it  is  not  improbable  that  the  church 
might  have  been  built  on  the  ruins  of  a  Roman  temple.  Twenty 
years  ago,  a  pot  of  Roman  coins  was  found  in  the  parish,  within  300 
yards  of  the  church ;  a  few  of  which  were  in  the  possession  of  the 
Rev.  Thomas  Beynon. 

Llan-Egwad  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Egwad,  a  saint  who 
lived  about  the  close  of  the  seventh  century:  it  is  intersected  by 

the 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  173 

the  river  Coethi,  which  here  falls  into  the  Tywi.  There  were 
formerly  several  chapels,  but  of  which  no  vestiges  remain  at  present, 
excepting  of  one,  called  Cappel-Gwilym-Foethus,  near  Coethi 
bridge,  and  which  has  been  in  ruins  more  than  a  century. 

Llan-Elly  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Elliw.  The  chapels 
of  Berwick  and  Ddewi  are  in  ruins.  The  chapel  of  Saint  John  has 
been  repaired  by  subscription,  and  is  now  used  by  the  methodists. 

Llanfair-y-Bryn. — The  church  consists  of  one  large  circle,  and 
(what  is  rather  singular)  is  situated  in  the  parish  of  Llan-Dingad, 
and  about  a  mile  distant  from  the  nearest  part  of  its  own  parish :  it 
has  a  tower,  which  is  about  60  feet  high.  It  is  also  particularly 
worthy  of  notice,  that  the  church  is  built  on  or  near  the  site  of  a 
Roman  station,  as  Roman  antiquities  have  frequently  been  found  in 
the  neighbourhood.  There  are  extensive  lead  mines  in  Rhandir 
Abbot,  about  6  or  7  miles  north  of  the  church.  The  principal  seats 
in  this  parish  are  Glanbran  Park,  the  residence  of  Sackville  Gwynne, 
Esq.  and  Cynghordy,  the  residence  of  the  Rev.  Pryce  Jones. 

Llanfihangel-Aber-Bythych  hath  its  chapel  dedicated  to  Saint 
Michael.  The  parish  derives  its  name  from  its  locality,  being  situate 
at  the  confluence  of  a  brook  called  Bythych  with  the  river  Tywi ;  part 
of  it  lies  within  the  Duchy  of  Lancaster.  There  is  an  open  mountain 
in  this  parish,  which  extends  to  three  other  parishes,  called  Mynydd 
Mawr,  L  e.  "  the  Great  Mountain."  Golden  Grove,  the  ancient  seat 
of  the  Vaughans  Earls  of  Carbery,  and  now  the  property  of  the 
Right  Hon.  Lord  Cawdor,  is  situate  in  this  parish.  Oliver  Crom- 
well, in  his  way  to  besiege  Pembroke  Castle,  came  suddenly  across 
the  country  with  a  troop  of  horse,  to  Golden  Grove,  with  an  intent 
to  seize  the  person  of  Richard  Earl  of  Carbery,  who  was  a  royalist. 
The  Earl,  having  fortunately  had  notice  of  his  approach,  retired  to  a 
sequestered  farm-house  among  the  hills ;  and  the  Protector,  having 
dined  at  Golden  Grove  with  the  Countess  of  Carbery,  in  the  afternoon 
pursued  his  march  to  Pembroke. — The  great  Jeremy  Taylor,  D.  D. 
Chaplain  to  King  Charles  the  First,  and  afterwards  Lord  Bishop  of 
Down  and  Connor,  lived  several  years  at  Golden  Grove  during  the 
.usurpation,  under  the  protection  of  this  loyal  Earl,  to  whom  some  of 
his  works  are  dedicated. — There  is  a  small  British  encampment  now 
remaining,  pretty  perfect,  in  this  parish. 

Llanfihangel  Rhos  y  Corn.  It  is  supposed  that  there  was  a  chapel 
.here  formerly,  as  there  is  a  well,  called  Ffynnon  Cappel,  and  near  it 
.an  old  yew  tree.  A  turbary  extends  close  to  the  bank  whereon  the 
church  stands. 

Llan  Gathan  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Cathan,  a  saint  and 
founder  of  some  churches  in  Wales  about  the  commencement  of  the 
seventh  century.  There  are  the  vestiges  of  an  old  chapel,  within  half 
a  mile  of  the  church,  called  Cappel  Pen  Arw ;  near  to  which  there  is 
a  spring^  formerly  supposed  to  have  been  of  great  efficacy  in  curing 

sore 


174  TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES. 

sore  eyes  and  rheumatism.      The  castle  of  Drys  Llwyn   and  the 
celebrated  Grongar  Hill  are  also  situate  in  this  parish. 

Llan  Llwny  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Llonio,  a  saint  of  the 
congregation  of  Illtyd,  in  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century.  It  is  situate 
on  the  south  bank  of  the  river  Teifi.  On  a  farm  called  Maes  Nonny, 
i.  e.  <(  the  nun's  field,"  are  the  remains  of  a  nunnery,  where  is  also  a 
tumulus,  called  Y  Castell,  or  the  Castle.  Here  is  likewise  a  spring, 
called  Ffynnon  Nonny,  or  the  Nun's  Spring.  Near  the  church  are 
some  remains  of  an  old  priory,  called  by  the  parishioners  Briordy. 
This  nunnery  or  priory  are  neither  of  them  mentioned  in  Tanner's 
Notitia  Monastica. 

Llan  Sadwra  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Sadwrn,  a  saint  who 
lived  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fifth  and  beginning  of  the  sixth  centuries. 
There  was  in  this  parish  a  very  ancient  mansion,  called  Abermarles, 
belonging  to  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas,  Knight  of  the  Garter.  It  is 
mentioned  in  Leland's  Itinerary,  and  called  "  a  fair  house  of  old  Sir 
Rees's."  Rhys  ap  Grufydd,  the  grandson  of  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas, 
was  attainted  of  high  treason  in  the  reign  of  King  Henry  the  Eighth, 
and  the  estate  became  forfeited,  and  was  granted  by  the  Crown  to  Sir 
Thomas  Johnes,  Knight.  It  afterwards  came  by  marriage  to  Sir 
Francis  Cornwallis,  of  the  county  of  Suffolk,  Knight.  His  stm, 
Francis  Cornwallis,  died,  leaving  four  daughters,  co-heiresses ;  the 
three  youngest  of  whom  married  and  had  a  numerous  issue :  the  estate 
was  divided  among  their  descendants  in  the  year  1793,  and  the  old 
mansion,  demesne,  park,  and  manor,  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  late  Viscount 
Hawarden,  of  the  kingdom  of  Ireland,  who  sold  them  to  Captain 
(afterwards  Admiral)  Thomas  Foley,  who  has  built  a  handsome 
house  out  of  the  ruins  of  the  old  mansion.  Admiral  Foley,  while 
a  post  captain,  distinguished  himself  much  in  the  service  of  his 
country :  he  led  the  fleet  to  action  at  the  battle  of  the  Nile ;  he 
commanded  the  Britannia  in  Lord  St.  Vincent's  gallant  action ;  and 
Lord  Nelson  shifted  his  flag  on  board  his  ship  at  the  battle  of  Copen- 
hagen. 

Llan  Sadwrnon  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Sadwrnon.  In 
this  parish  are  the  ruins  of  Broadway  House,  formerly  the  residence 
of  John  Powel,  Esq.  Chief  Justice  of  the  Common  Pleas,  and  Keeper 
of  the  Great  Seal.  He  was  one  of  the  judges  who  sat  on  the  trial  of 
the  seven  bishops,  and  who  were  sent  to  the  tower  by  the  order  of 
King  James  the  Second,  in  the  year  1688.  He  was  buried  in  the 
chancel  of  the  church  of  Llacharn,  where  an  elegant  monument  is 
erected  to  his  memory.  He  died  in  1696,  aged  63. — There  is  also  a 
curious  and  beautiful  cavern  in  a  lime-stone  hill  here,  called  Coegen. 

Llan  Sawyl  is  pleasantly  situated  on  a  branch  of  the  Coethi.  John 
Thomas  Phillips,  preceptor  to  William  Duke  of  Cumberland  and 
several  of  the  royal  family,  and  whose  Latin  epistles  are  so  well 
known,  was  a  native  of  this  parish,  and  left  to  it  £60  per  annum  by 

will 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  175 

will  to  support  a  charity  school,  but  he  having  died  before  the  will 
was  properly  executed,  the  legacy  was  lost.  The  Pughs,  of  Clun-y- 
March,  have  a  seat  in  this  parish,  and  the  family  has  flourished  here 
for  many  years.  Rh>7d  Odyn,  or  e(  Edwin's  Ford,"  is  the  seat  of  the 
very  ancient  family  of  Williams,  whose  ancestors  have  at  various 
periods  represented  the  county  in  parliament  for  many  generations, 
and  so  far  back  as  the  reign  of  King  Henry  the  Eighth  ;  it  is  situate 
in  a  delightful  vale  on  the  banks  of  the  Coethi.  Sir  Nicholas  Wil- 
liams, Baronet,  one  of  the  maternal  ancestors  of  the  present  proprietor, 
erected  a  singular  conical  structure  called  Pigyn  Nicholas,  i.  e. 
"  Nicholas's  Peak,"  upon  the  summit  of  one  of  the  most  elevated 
hills,  which  was  conspicuous  at  an  immense  distance;  it  had  several 
extensive  rooms,  and  might  probably  have  been  used  as  a  fortress  :  but 
latterly  it  was  only  a  place  of  amusement,  and  through  the  inattention 
of  the  proprietors  was  suffered  to  fall  into  decay,  and  is  now  in  ruins. 

Llan-y-Crwys. — The  small  river  Twrch  flows  near  the  church,  and 
divides  this  parish  from  that  of  Caeo.  On  a  common  near  its  sum- 
mit is  a  large  long  stone,  called  Hir  Faen,  about  five  yards  high, 
fixed  perpendicularly,  but  for  what  purpose  is  not  known:  it  is 
supposed  by  some  persons  to  have  been  erected  for  a  mark  or  guide 
for  the  shepherds  or  others  occasionally  traversing  the  common, 
though  it  is  most  probable  that  it  was  put  up  when  a  perambulation 
was  made,  as  it  stands  where  not  only  the  two  parishes  of  Llan-y- 
Crwys  and  Cellan  join,  but  also  where  the  two  counties  of  Caermar- 
then  and  Cardigan  are  united. 

Myddfai  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Michael. — Adjacent  to 
the  vicarage  is  a  field,  called  Monks  Field :  there  are  also  two  tumps 
or  hillocks,  one  near  the  river  Bran,  and  the  other  near  the  river 
Usk.  Here  are  two  king's  mills,  viz.  Cil-Gwynn  and  Bran;  each  of 
which  pays  £2  annually  to  the  lord  of  the  manor.  This  parish  is 
surrounded  by  seven  different  rivers.  There  is  a  parish  register  at 
Myddfai,  written  in  Latin  during  the  time  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  by 
which  it  appears  that  John  Powell,  Esq.  then  married  every  couple 
at  church ;  it  is  signed  by  himself.  On  the  marriage  of  the  daughters 
of  every  freeholder  in  Myddfai  there  is  a  fee  of  one  shilling  due  to  the 
lord  of  the  manor,  in  lieu  of  the  first  night's  lodging  with  the  bride, 
and  which  every  freeholder  in  the  hundred  of  Perfedd  is  obliged  to 
pay  according  to  an  ancient  custom.  In  the  chancel  is  a  monument 
to  Erasmus  Williams,  Esq.  of  Llwvn-y -Wormwood,  and  a  tomb-stone 
in  memory  of  the  Right  Rev.  Morgan  Owen,  Lord  Bishop  of 
LlandafF,  buried  in  1644.  In  the  churchyard  is  interred  William 
Price,  Gent,  who  left  legacies  to  40  children  and  grand-children ;  he 
was  related  to  Lord  Crewe  and  Admiral  Curtis.  There  are  also  in 
the  churchyard  an  yew-tree  25  feet  in  circumference,  and  a  sycamore 
whose  diameter  is  18  feet.  This  parish  is  esteemed  one  of  the 

richest 
G  g 


176  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

richest  in  the  county:  it  abounds  with  beautiful  prospects  and  the 
seats  of  ancient  families.  Near  the  ruins  of  the  chapel  of  D61- 
Hywel  thirty  small  silver  coins  were  discovered  in  1807.  Myddfai  is 
famous  for  the  physicians,  who  lived  there  in  the  thirteenth  century. 
One  of  these,  Rhiwallon,  according  to  Mr.  Owen,  lived  here  early  in 
the  thirteenth  century,  and,  in  conjunction  with  his  three  sons, 
Cadwgan,  Gruffydd,  and  Einion,  drew  up  a  full  account  of  the 
practice  of  physic  as  then  known  to  them;  and  the  original  manu- 
script which  he  wrote  seems  to  be  the  one  preserved  in  the  Welsh 
Charity  School  in  London,  of  which  there  are  several  old  copies.  It 
is  worthy  of  notice,  that  the  descendants  of  Rhiwallon,  without  inter- 
mission, continued  as  practitioners  in  physic  at  Myddfai  until  writhin 
the  memory  of  people  living  in  1809.  Phylip  Feddyg  was  one  of  the 
long  line  of  practitioners  here  descended  from  Rhiwallon  :  he  revised 
and  enlarged  the  work  of  his  ancestor ;  and  the  labours  of  both  of 
them  are  preserved,  which  are  not  only  very  curious  but  also  valuable 
for  the  knowledge  displayed  in  them.  Phylip  lived  from  about  1330 
to  1380. 

New  Church,  or  Llan-Newydd. — There  is  a  stone  pillar  on  the 
side  of  the  road  near  the  church  with  the  following  inscription,  now 
almost  obliterated: — "  Sepulchrum  Severini  films  Severi:"  and 
within  a  mile  eastward  of  the  church,  and  near  the  ruins  of  an  old 
chapel  (which  is  now  converted  into  a  barn),  there  is  a  circular 
mound,  which  has  much  the  appearance  of  a  Roman  encampment. 

Penboyr  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Llawddog,  a  saint  who  lived 
about  the  year  520.  Here  is  a  mineral  spring  lately  discovered, 
called  Rebecca's  Well,  which  is  much  resorted  to.  In  the  parish  are 
several  tumuli,  and  also  the  remains  of  a  Roman  encampment,  of 
which  the  churchyard  constitutes  a  part.  Round  the  churchyard  is 
a  well-cemented  wall,  7  feet  high,  built  at  the  expense  of  the  then 
Rector,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Beynon.  At  a  farm,  called  Bron-Rhufain, 
a  pot  of  Roman  coins  was  discovered  a  few  years  ago ;  and  there  are 
still  many  traces  of  Roman  vestiges  and  roads  in  this  and  the  neigh- 
bouring parishes.  There  is  also  a  chapel  here,  called  Trinity  Chapel, 
in  which  Divine  Service  is  performed  every  Sunday  in  the  summer, 
and  every  other  Sunday  in  the  winter  season. 

Pen-Bre. — There  is  an  extensive  common  in  this  parish,  used  as  a 
sheep-walk,  and  at  times  overflowed  by  the  tide,  the  right  to  which 
is  chiefly  attached  to  certain  farms  in  the  adjoining  parishes :  it  is 
computed  that  from  eight  thousand  to  ten  thousand  sheep  depasture 
there  for  eight  months  in  the  year.  The  name  implies  the  head  or 
extremity  of  an  isthmus,  which  this  parish  forms.  The  chapel  of 
Llandurry  in  this  parish  is  served  in  the  summer  months ;  and  Trym- 
saran,  an  ancient  seat  of  the  Mansel  family,  is  situate  here,  but  the 
title  and  name  are  now  extinct. 

Pencader, — The  chapel  of  this  place  is  now  in  ruins.     Here  Henry 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  177 

the  Second  received  homage  and  pledges  from  Rhys,  Prince  of  South 
Wales  in  1163. 

The  following  eminent  persons  were  natives  or  inhabitants  of  this 
county: — Rev.  Rhys  Prichard,  A.M.;  Merddyn  Emrys,  astrologer 
and  prophet;  Rev.  Josiah  Tucker,  D.  D.  Dean  of  Gloucester,  and 
a  political  writer;  Sir  John  ap  Rhys,  historian;  Admiral  Foley; 
John  Powell,  Esq.  Chief  Justice  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  and 
Keeper  of  the  Great  Seal ;  John  Thomas  Phillips,  poet,  preceptor  to 
William  Duke  of  Cumberland;  Rhiwallon,  a  celebrated  physician; 
also  his  sons,  Cadwgan,  Gruffydd,  and  Einion;  Phylip  Feddyg,  a 
descendant  of  Rhiwallon,  physician;  and  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas. 


PEMBROKESHIRE 

J.  S  well  watered  by  springs  rising  in  the  slopes,  so  as  to  give  a 
convenient  supply  to  the  adjacent  lands  in  general ;  but  some  part  of 
the  coast  is  in  want  of  water  in  the  summer  season,  particularly  where 
limestone  is  found  at  a  moderate  depth.  The  prevailing  state  of  the 
air  is  moist ;  and  there  is  probably  more  rain  here  than  in  any  other 
part  of  the  kingdom,  owing  to  the  insular  situation,  and  the  high 
mountains  of  Caermarthenshire  and  Breconshire  lying  eastward, 
which  stop  the  current  of  the  clouds  brought  by  the  westerly  winds 
from  the  Atlantic  ocean,  and  occasion  thereby  torrents  of  rain  to 
descend  in  Pembrokeshire  whenever  those  winds  prevail.  Woods 
are  rather  scarce,  particularly  towards  the  western  coast.  The  prin- 
cipal river  is  the  Cleddau  east  and  west,  which,  rising  in  the  northern 
part,  unite  at  a  small  distance  from  Milford  Haven. 

PEMBROKE, 

the  county  town,  consists  principally  of  one  long  street,  reaching  from 
the  east  gate  to  the  west.  The  town  stands  on  an  arm  of  Milford 
Haven,  and  is  built  on  a  rocky  situation  :  it  was  well  walled,  and  had 
three  gates,  of  which  the  eastern  is  the  fairest,  having  before  it  a 
tower  and  in  the  entrance  a  portcullis.  In  the  reign  of  William 
Rufus,  Arnulph  de  Montgomery,  brother  to  Robert  Earl  of  Shrews- 
bury,  fortified  it  with  walls,  and  built  the  castle  (but  very  meanly) 
with  stakes  and  green  turf.  This  structure  being  burnt  down,  Henry 
the  First  rebuilt  the  castle,  which  covers  the  whole  of  a  great  mount 
that  descends  in  a  perpendicular  cliff  on  each  side,  except  towards  the 
town,  where  it  is  almost  encompassed  by  one  of  those  winding  estu- 
aries which,  being  fed  by  some  small  rivers,  penetrate  into  the  county 
towards  Milford  Haven.  The  castle  stands  on  a  hard  rock,  and  is 
very  large  and  strong,  and  double  warded.  In  the  outer  ward  is  the 

G  g  2  chamber 


178  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

chamber  where  Henry  the  Seventh  was  born,  in  remembrance  of 
which  a  chimney  hath  on  it  his  arms  and  badge.  In  the  bottom  of  the 
large  round  tower,  in  the  inner  ward,  is  a  vault,  called  Wogan  or 
Hogan,  remarkable  for  its  echo.  The  top  of  this  tower  is  gathered 
with  a  roof  like  a  cone,  and  covered  with  a  millstone,  but  the  greater 
part  is  now  in  ruins.  The  remains  are  of  Norman  architecture, 
mixed  with  early  gothic.  The  walls  of  the  tower  are  four  feet  thick, 
and  the  diameter  of  the  space  within  twenty-five ;  the  height  from 
the  ground  to  the  dome  75  feet,  but  visible  marks  appear  within  that 
its  height  was  originally  divided  by  four  floors.  In  1648,  Colonels 
Langhorn,  Powell,  and  Poynor,  being  displeased  with  the  parliament, 
declared  for  the  king,  and  held  this  town  and  castle  four  months; 
but  Cromwell  obliged  them  to  surrender,  and  afterwards  dismantled 
the  castle.  Some  round  stones,  which  the  besiegers  fired  against  the 
castle  to  kill  the  garrison  by  shivering  the  pavement,  have  been  found 
in  the  area,  now  a  bowling  green.  Many  bones  of  the  besiegers 
killed  in  a  pursuit,  and  buried  on  St.  Cyrian's  hills,  two  miles  from 
Tenby,  were  found  in  1761.  Here  was  a  priory,  founded  for  Bene- 
dictines by  the  Earl  of  Pembroke  in  1098,  afterwards  a  cell  to  Saint 
Alban's,  and  at  its  dissolution  valued  at  £57.  On  a  hill  south  of  the 
town,  and  in  the  parish  of  St.  Mary,  stands  Saint  Daniel's  church, 
which  is  now  private  property ;  it  has  a  high  and  handsome  tower 
and  spire,  but  nothing  is  known  among  the  inhabitants  at  what  period 
it  became  private  property ;  and  it  has  frequently  been  sold  with  the 
adjoining  lands.  Arnulph  Earl  of  Pembroke,  having  given  the 
church  of  Saint  Nicholas  within  the  castle  of  Pembroke,  and  twenty 
carucates  of  land,  in  the  year  1098,  to  the  Abbey  of  Saint  Martin,  at 
Sayes  in  Normandy,  here  was  shortly  after  a  Benedictine  priory 
erected,  dedicated  to  Saint  Nicholas,  and  made  a  cell  to  that  foreign 
abbey.  William  and  Walter  Mareschal,  Earls  of  Pembroke,  were 
benefactors  to  it.  King  Edward  the  Third  seized  it  into  his  hands 
when  he  had  wars  with  France,  and  King  Henry  the  Fourth  restored 
it,  but  being  seized  again,  it  was  granted  (1 9th  Henry  VI.)  to  Hum- 
phrey Duke  of  Gloucester,  who  gave  it  (21st  Henry  VI.)  as  a  cell  to 
Saint  Alban's,  and  the  king  confirmed  his  gift  in  the  twenty-seventh 
year  of  his  reign.  It  was  granted  (37th  Henry  VIII.)  to  John 
Vaughan  and  Catherine  his  wife. — There  is  a  building  adjoining  the 
churchyard  on  the  east  called  Monkton  Hall,  but  it  is  doubtful  whe- 
ther it  belonged  to  the  priory:  it  has  the  marks  of  considerable 
antiquity,  and  has  long  been  in  the  possession  of  the  Owens  of 
Orielton,  which  is  in  the  parish  of  Saint  Nicholas.  Here  was  also 
a  hospital,  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary  Magdalene,  of  the  yearly  value  of 
£1.  6s.  8d.  This  chapel,  which  is  in  the  parish  of  Saint  Michael, 
stands  upon  the  lands  of  J.  Adams,  Esq.  and  is  now  in  ruins. — Near 
Pembroke  is  Stackpool  Court,  the  elegant  mansion  of  Lord  Cawdor, 
surrounded  with  fine  plantations ;  and  on  the  coast  contiguous  is  the 

chapel 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  179 

chapel  and  legendary  well  of  Saint  Govin,  reputed  to  be  miraculous 
for  the  cure  of  various  diseases. 

Two  miles  off  is  Lamphey,  having  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint 
Faith.  This  saint  was  born  at  Pais  de  Gavre,  in  France,  and  suf- 
fered martyrdom  under  Dacianus,  A.  D.  290.  Lamphey  is  a  pleasant 
village,  situate  on  a  gentle  ascent,  but  chiefly  noticed  for  the  ancient 
castellated  mansion  of  Lamphey  Court,  one  of  the  seven  palaces  of  the 
Bishop  of  Saint  David's,  afterwards  a  seat  of  the  Earl  of  Essex,  and 
at  present  tolerably  entire,  with  some  features  of  gothic  elegance. 

MILFORD   HAVEN 

appears  like  an  immense  lake,  formed  by  a  great  advance  of  the  sea 
into  the  land  for  the  space  of  about  ten  miles  from  the  south  to  Pem- 
broke, beyond  which  the  tide  comes  up  to  Carew  Castle.  It  is 
sufficiently  wide  and  spacious  to  hold  the  whole  British  navy ;  the 
spring  tides  rise  here  36  feet,  and  the  neap  above  26  feet,  so  that  ships 
may  be  sent  out  of  this  harbour  in  an  hour's  time,  and  in  eight  or  nine 
hours  be  over  at  Ireland,  or  the  Land's  End,  and  this  with  almost 
any  wind,  day  or  night.  There  is  no  place  in  Great  Britain  or 
Ireland  where  nature  has  bestowed  more  conveniences  for  the  building 
of  ships  of  war,  and  for  erecting  forts,  docks,  quays,  and  magazines, 
than  Milford,  which  has  greater  extent  and  depth  of  water  than  any 
other  port  in  the  kingdom.  There  are,  besides,  several  places  where 
forts  may  be  erected  at  a  very  small  expense,  which  would  render  it 
secure  from  any  attack  of  an  enemy. 

On  leaving  Pembroke,  we  proceed  in  a  north-easterly  direction, 
and,  at  the  distance  of  four  miles,  pass  Carew  Castle,  in  the  parish  of 
Carew,  or  Caer  Yw,  which  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  John  the 
Baptist.  The  castle  is  situate  on  a  gentle  erninence  above  an  arm  of 
Milford  Haven.  Its  remains  indicate  it  to  have  been  a  stately  fortress 
and  the  work  of  different  ages :  the  north  side  of  the  castle  exhibits 
the  mode  of  building  in  the  time  of  Henry  the  Eighth,  but  scarcely 
castellated ;  from  the  level  of  this  side  the  windows  are  square,  and 
of  grand  dimensions,  projecting  in  large  bows,  and  internally  richly 
ornamented  with  a  chimney-piece  of  Corinthian  columns,  which 
appear  among  the  latest  decorations  of  this  magnificent  edifice.  The 
great  hall,  built  in  the  decorated  Gothic  style,  measuring  80  feet  by  30, 
is  much  dilapidated,  but  still  a  noble  relic  of  antique  grandeur:  the 
other  parts  of  the  building  are  of  a  more  remote  date,  and  most  of  the 
walls  seem  remarkably  thick  and  of  solid  masonry.  It  was  formerly 
the  property  of  Gerald  de  Carrio  and  his  descendants,  until  Edmund 
mortgaged  the  castle  to  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas.  It  was  afterwards 
forfeited  to  Henry  the  Eighth,  who  granted  it  to  Sir  John  Perrot,  but 
it  was  soon  afterwards  purchased  by  Sir  John  Carew,  kinsman  and 
heir  of  Sir  Edmund,  to  whom  King  Charles  the  First  restored  the 
fee-simple  and  inheritance,  and  from  whom  it  descended  to  the 

present 


180  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

present  owner.  It  was,  according  to  Leland,  rebuilt  by  Rhys  ap 
Thomas  in  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Seventh,  consisting  of  a  range  of 
apartments,  erected  round  a  quadrangle,  with  a  round  tower  at  each 
corner.  The  north  has  a  noble  hall,  120  feet  by  20,  built  by  Sir 
John  Perrot,  who  entertained  here  the  Duke  of  Ormond  in  the  year 
1553,  and  afterwards  retired  to  it  at  the  expiration  of  his  deputy  ship 
in  Ireland.  On  the  west  side  of  the  gateway  are  the  arms  of  Eng- 
land, of  the  Duke  of  Lancaster,  and  of  the  Carew  family,  with  an 
elegant  room  contiguous. 

Seven  miles  south-east  of  Carew  is  the  town  of  Tenby,  or  Dinbych 
y  Pysgod,  singularly  situated  on  the  steep  ascent  of  a  long  and  narrow 
rock,  with  the  bay  on  one  side,  and  the  western  coast  on  the  other, 
being  only  divided  by  a  narrow  tract  of  land  occasionally  overflowed 
by  the  sea.  The  extraordinary  intermixture  of  wood,  rocks,  and 
houses,  together  with  the  lofty  spire  of  the  church,  dedicated  to  St. 
Mary,  give  the  place  a  very  romantic  appearance  ;  but  the  extensive 
sea  views  have  a  still  more  pleasing  effect.  The  beauty  of  its  situation, 
and  its  fine  sands,  have  exalted  Tenby  from  an  obscure  seaport  to  a 
considerable  town,  where  the  influx  of  company  is  often  very  great,  in 
consequence  of  which  it  has  received  great  improvement,  and  is 
embellished  with  several  good  modern  buildings  and  a  commodious 
hotel :  the  sands  are  pleasant,  and  the  conveniences  for  bathing  are 
excellent,  besides  the  hot  and  cold  baths  of  Sir  William  Paxton  on  a 
grand  scale.  The  town  has  been  well  walled,  with  strong  gates,  each 
having  a  portcullis,  and  that  leading  to  Caermarthen  being  circled  on 
the  outside,  with  an  embattled  but  opened  roof  tower,  after  the 
manner  of  Pembroke.  It  has  of  late  years  become  a  place  of  resort  as 
a  watering  place,  and  seems  to  bear  the  bell  from  most  places  of  that 
description  in  Wales:  during  tUe  summer  months  the  influx  of 
strangers  is  very  great  and  respectable  :  the  beach  is  covered  with  a 
fine  sand,  and  sheltered  by  cliffs  behind,  and  in  front  by  high  rocks 
rising  out  of  the  sea.  affording  a  desirable  seclusion  to  persons  bathing. 
The  church  is  a  large  handsome  edifice  of  very  ancient  appearance : 
the  western  door  exhibits  a  very  curious  mixture  of  the  Gothic  or 
Saracenic  style  of  architecture,  and  the  whole  edifice  is  perhaps  one  of 
the  largest  buildings  in  the  Principality;  consisting  of  three  broad 
aisles,  nearly  of  the  same  dimension,  except  the  nave,  which  is  rather 
higher,  and  prolonged  beyond  the  two  former.  A  carved  ceiling, 
formed  of  wood,  ornamented  at  the  intersection  of  the  ribs,  with 
various  armorial  bearings,  and  supported  by  human  figures,  springing 
from  pillars  of  wood,  is  a  remarkable  singularity  in  this  edifice.  Here 
are  several  fine  old  monuments,  particularly  two  of  gypsum,  with  the 
sides  highly  ornamented  with  good  basso-relievos;  and  at  the  west 
end  is  another  erected  to  the  memory  of  John  More,  in  1639.  King 
Henry  the  Seventh  is  said  to  have  borne  great  affection  to  this  town 
for  eminent  services  rendered  him  when  he  was  obliged  to  leave  the 

realm ; 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES  181 

realm;  and  his  gratitude  was  afterwards  evinced  to  his  great  bene- 
factor and  strenuous  adherent,  Mr.  Griffith  White,  then  Mayor,  by 
granting  him  a  lease  of  all  the  crown  lands  about  Tenby.  According 
to  Bishop  Tanner,  there  was  an  hospital  or  lazar-house,  dedicated  to 
St.  Mary  Magdalene,  near  Tenby,  for  the  king's  tenants,  under  the 
government  of  the  Mayor,  of  the  yearly  value  of  40s. ;  and  also  an 
hospital  or  free  chapel  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  of  the  yearly  value  of 
£6.  Near  Tenby  shore  are  the  small  islands  of  St.  Catharine  and 
Caldy,  or  Ynyspyr,  i.  e.  "  the  Island  of  the  Lords,"  it  was  formerly 
the  property  of  the  Barre  family.  The  Abbey  pf  St.  Dogmael  had 
this  small  island  by  the  gift  of  Robert  Fitz  Martin's  mother,  and 
before  the  dissolution  had  a  cell  here. 

Resuming  our  road,  at  the  distance  of  about  eight  miles  from  Carew 
castle,  we  arrive  at  Arberth,  or  Narberth,  which  Leland  calls  "a little 
place,  a  little  pretty  pile  of  old  Sir  Rhys,  given  unto  him  by  King 
Henry  the  Eighth."  It  is  a  poor  little  village,  and  by  it  is  a  small 
forest.  On  entering  Arberth,  the  old  castle  stands  on  an  eminence  on 
the  right,  and  affords  a  fine  object  for  the  artist;  as  a  piece  of  romantic 
scenery,  it  affords  considerable  pleasure  to  the  contemplative  anti- 
quary ;  while  the  turrets,  which  separate  the  keep  from  its  exterior, 
evince  it  to  have  been  extremely  grand  and  cumbrous  in  its  ancient 
state.  By  whom  or  when  this  castle  was  built  is  uncertain,  but  it  is 
believed  to  have  been  built  by  Sir  Andrew  Perrot,  and  was  the 
residence  of  the  ancient  Barons  of  Narberth :  it  suffered  much  during 
the  usurpation  of  Oliver  Cromwell.  Leland  describes  it  to  be  in 
ruins  in  his  time.  The  church  is  dedicated  to  St.  Andrew.  At 
Templetown,  a  village  in  the  south-east  part  of  this  parish,  is  a  chapel 
now  in  ruins,  and  which  is  thought  to  have  belonged  formerly  to  some 
of  the  order  of  the  Knights  Templars  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem.  It  is 
said  to  take  its  name  from  having  been  the  favourite  resort  of  the  knights 
during  the  season  in  which  they  enjoyed  the  recreation  of  hunting. 

About  one  mile  from  Narberth  we  take  a  westerly  direction,  and  at 
the  distance  of  about  eight  miles  we  pass  through 

HAVERFORDWEST, 

or  Castell  Hwlffordd,  a  large  town,  descending  in  several  steep  streets 
from  the  top  of  an  high  hill  to  a  branch  of  the  Haven,  from  whence  it 
derives  its  commercial  importance,  and  may  be  properly  called  the 
modern  capital  of  the  county  :  it  is  also  become,  from  its  great  extent 
and  superior  decorations,  the  seat  of  the  Assizes,  besides  having 
the  appearance  of  greater  opulence  and  trade  than  falls  to  the  lot  of 
most  Welsh  Towns.  Among  the  public  concerns  of  this  place  are  a 
good  quay  and  custom-house,  free  school,  charity  school,  and  alms- 
house.  Of  its  three  churches,  St.  Mary's,  St.  Martin's,  and  St. 
Thomas's,  that  of  St.  Mary's  is  the  most  elegant.  With  all  these 
advantages,  it  has  many  ill-paved  streets,  but  several  very  good  houses, 
which,  though  widely  interspersed  about  the  place,  do  in  some 

measure 


182  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

measure  compensate  for  the  inconvenience  of  avenues  almost  uniformly 
steep  and  slippery,  with  the  ground  floors  in  some  parts  overlooking 
the  neighbouring  roofs.  The  town  was  formerly  fortified  by  a  strong 
wall  or  rampart,  having  on  the  western  summit  the  shell  of  "an  exten- 
sive castle  commanding  the  town,  and  built  by  Gilbert  Earl  of  Clare 
in  the  reign  of  Stephen :  a  great  part  is  still  standing,  and  lately  con- 
verted into  a  gaol.  It  had  formerly  an  outer  gate,  with  two  port- 
cullises, and  an  inner  one.  The  walls  were  strong  and  well  fortified, 
with  a  rampart  and  castle  in  the  parish  of  St.  Martin,  with  towers, 
supposed  to  have  been  destroyed  in  the  civil  wars  in  the  reign  of 
Charles  the  First.  Here  is  likewise  a  good  parade  commanding  an 
extensive  view  of  the  neighbouring  county,  and  the  ruins  of  an  ancient 
abbey  extending  a  considerable  way  by  the  side  of  the  hill :  at  the 
extremity  of  this  walk  stand  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  priory  of  Black 
Canons,  erected  before  the  year  1200,  dedicated  to  St.  Mary  and 
St.  Thomas  the  Martyr,  and  liberally  endowed,  if  not  founded,  by 
Robert  de  Haverford,  Lord  of  this  place,  who  bestowed  on  it  several 
churches  and  tythes  within  the  barony,  which  were  afterwards  con- 
firmed by  Edward  the  Third.  The  remains  are  now  very  considerable, 
particularly  the  chapel,  which  has  still  one  arch  in  good  preservation 
and  beautifully  inwreathed  with  a  rich  drapery  of  ivy,  and  some  fine 
specimens  of  Gothic  workmanship.  There  was  also  "  a  house  of 
Black  Friars  within  the  town,  granted  38th  Henry  VIII.  to  Roger 
and  Thomas  Barlow."  There  is  a  remarkable  echo  on  the  south-side 
of  the  castle. 

About  four  miles  south  of  Haverfordwest  are  the  remains  of  a 
priory,  called  Pilla,  or  Pille  Rose,  situate  in  the  parish  of  Stanton,  or 
Staintown,  the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  St.  Peter,  and  founded 
by  Adam  de  Rupe,  about  the  year  1200,  for  Monks  of  the  order  of 
Trione,  who  in  time  forsook  that  strict  rule  and  became  afterwards 
Benedictines.  At  the  dissolution  it  was  granted  to  Roger  and 
Thomas  Barlow  :  a  very  small  portion  of  it  now  remains,  having  been 
greatly  diminished  within  the  memory  of  man,  by  pulling  parts  down 
and  using  the  stones  in  other  buildings.  This  house  was  dedicated 
to  St.  Mary  and  St.  Budoc,  and  is  said  to  have  been  subordinate  to 
St.  Dogmael's.  Near  the  village  of  Pille,  in  this  parish,  are  the  ruins 
of  an  old  chapel  or  chantry  with  an  arched  roof,  and  nearly  entire, 
now  used  as  a  gunpowder  magazine  for  two  batteries,  one  of  two  guns 
at  Milford,  and  the  other  of  seven  guns,  on  an  opposite  point,  at 
Hakin.  Here  the  late  Sir  William  James,  Bart,  who  was  an  honour 
to  the  county  of  Pembroke,  went  first  to  school,  and  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  those  acquirements  which  proved  so  beneficial  to  his  country. 

At  the  distance  of  five  miles  south-east  is  Picton  Castle,  the  seat  of 
the  late  Lord  Milford,  and  now  of  his  representative,  whose  extensive 
domains  cover  a  great  tract  of  country.  It  is  situate  near  the  East 
Cleddau,  and  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  residences  in  the  kin  gdom 

having 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  183 

having  been  built  by  William  Picton,  a  Norman  knight,  in  the  reign 
of  William  Rut  us.  During  the  civil  wars,  Sir  Richard  Phillips  made 
a  long  and  vigorous  defence  in  it  for  Charles  the  First.  The  extensive 
plantations  which  environ  this  seat  render  the  whole  a  beautiful 
retreat. 

Three  miles  north  of  Picton  Castle  is  Wyston,  or  Whiston,  in 
the  Welsh  "  Castell  Gwys,"  having  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint 
Mary.  It  is  a  small  corporate  town,  and  was  formerly  defended  by 
a  magnificent  castle,  which  has  been  for  many  years  neglected,  though 
now  rendered  habitable,  and  the  internal  part  modernised,  which 
renders  the  whole  an  agreeable  residence.  This  was  the  ancient  seat 
of  the  Wogans,  and  was  the  head  of  the  barony  of  Dau  Gleddau. 

Gwyr  is  a  small  district,  inhabited  by  a  colony  of  Flemings,  who 
settled  here  in  the  reign  of  Henry  the  First.  In  Caradoc's  Chronicle 
of  Wales  we  find  that  a  great  number  of  Flemings,  having  been  driven 
out  of  their  habitations  by  a  very  extraordinary  inundation  of  the  sea, 
sought  protection  in  England,  where  they  were  cordially  received; 
but  when  these  people  began  to  disperse  themselves  along  the  king- 
dom, and  their  number  increase,  it  began  to  create  some  uneasiness, 
which  Henry  the  First  remedied  by  removing  or  settling  them  as  a 
colony  in  South  W'ales ;  therefore  he  gave  them  the  country  adjoining 
to  Tenby  and  Haverfordwest.  By  this  policy  the  king  rid  his  own 
dominions  of  an  incumbrance,  at  the  same  time  fixing  a  curb  on  the 
restless  Cambrians.  This  little  territory,  which  the  Flemings  inha- 
bit, the  Welsh  call  Gwyr,  and  the  English  often  "  Little  England 
beyond  Wales,"  because  their  language  and  manners  are  still  distin- 
guishable from  the  Welsh,  for  in  point  of  speech  they  nearly  assi- 
milate the  English.  The  descendants  of  this  colony,  or  the  present 
inhabitants  of  Gwyr,  seldom  intermarry  with  the  Welsh,  but  appear 
rather  averse  from  the  language  and  manners  of  the  country  they 
inhabit.  Both  sexes  among  the  Flemings  distinguish  themselves  by 
wearing  a  short  cloak,  generally  called  a  Gwyr  Wittle. 

Returning  on  our  road,  on  leaving  Haverfordwest,  our  route  lies  in 
a  northerly  direction,  and  at  the  distance  of  about  1 1  miles  we  arrive 
at  Fishguard,  or  Aber-Gwayn,  which  stands  on  a  steep  rock,  with  a 
convenient  harbour,  formed  by  the  Gwain  river,  over-hanging  an 
exceedingly  high  mountain,  along  the  side  of  which  is  cut  a  narrow 
road,  scarcely  wide  enough  to  admit  two  horses  abreast.  This  port 
is  almost  the  only  one  from  the  Mersey  to  the  Severn,  whose  entrance 
is  bold  and  safe,  not  obstructed  by  shoals  or  bars,  and  has  been 
proved  to  be  an  object  of  national  attention.  The  principal  exports 
are  oats  and  butter :  the  imports  are  shop  goods  from  Bristol,  culm, 
coal,  lime,  and  timber.  Here  is  carried  on  a  general  fishery,  but  not 
to  that  extent  of  which  it  is  capable,  employing  at  present  about  30 
or  40  boats,  which  begin  about  the  end  of  harvest  and  continue  to 
Christmas.  Fishguard  is  properly  divided  into  the  upper  and  lower 

town: 


184  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 

town :    the  upper  is  situate  on  a  considerable  eminence  above  the 
harbour,  containing  the  church  (dedicated  to  Saint  Mary),  market- 
place, shops,  and  inns ;  the  lower  occupies  the  eastern  side  of  the 
river  and  port,  in  a  single  and  double  row  of  buildings  of  a  considera- 
ble length  from  south  to  north,  bounded  by  the  pier,  and-^ossessing 
all  the  advantages  for  trade.      At  the  entrance  of  the  harbour  is  a 
small  fort,  mounted  with  a  battery,  at  the  expense  of  Sir  Hugh 
Owen,  Bart.     It  may  be  said  of  Fishguard  bay  in  general,  that  ships 
of  the  largest  size  may  anchor  in  all  parts  of  it  with  south-east, 
southerly,  and  westerly  winds,  in  perfect  safety.     The  road  in  general 
may  contain  above  a  hundred  sail  ofvessels,  large  and  small,  sheltered 
from  all  winds  except  north-north-west  to  north-east.     The  harbour 
of  Fishguard  is  of  an  irregular  form,   but   capacious  and  easy  of 
access,  having  neither  rock  nor  bar  at  its  entry,  which  is  about  1160 
feet  wide  and  about  2400  feet  in  length.     The  Irish  packets  often  put 
in  here.     There  are  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  ecclesiastical  building, 
called  Cappel  Llanfihangel,  in  the  east  end  of  the  parish ;  and  also 
the  ruins  of  two  other  churches,  called  Llanfarthin  and  Llanist;  and 
it  is  supposed  that  the  modern  parish  of  Fishguard  composed  two 
parishes  before  the  present  church  was  built.     It  was  formerly  part  of 
the  possessions  of  the  abbey  of  Saint  Dogmael,  and  granted  away  at 
the  dissolution  of  religious  houses  in  the  reign  of  King  Henry  the 
Eighth.     Here  is  a  fine  mineral  spring,  which  was  found  to  be  effica- 
cious in  curing  numbness  of  the  limbs ;  and  on  enclosing  it,  about  40 
years  ago,  a  stone  was  discovered,  with  a  motto  in  antient  Greek 
characters.     Near  the  churchyard,  a  few  yards  from  the  north-east 
wall,  is  a  most  remarkable  echo.     The  town  has  still  the  ruins  of  an 
old  castle,  built  by  the  descendants  of  Martin  de  Tours,  in  which 
place  Rhys  ap  Gruflfydd,  Prince  of  South  Wales,  was  confined.     The 
castle  was  demolished  by  Llywelyn  when  in  the  possession  of  the 
Flemings,  and  has  now  only  the  gateway  left.      Between  the  church 
and  the  river  is  a  vast  stone  of  nine  tons  weight  and  about  nine  feet  in 
diameter,  resting  on  others,  and  forming  a  cromlech.     In  the  neigh- 
bourhood are  several  of  the  latter,  or  cistvaens,  contained  within  the 
circuit  of  sixty  yards,  and  standing  near  the  road  side.      Fishguard  is 
rendered  memorable,  likewise,  by  the  French  invasion  near  Llan- 
wnda  (alias  Llan  Anno)  church,  where  they  landed  on  February  22d, 
1797,  to  the  number  of  about  1400   men.       On  this  occasion  the 
greatest  exertions  were  used  by  the  chief  men  of  the  county  to  collect 
what  small  force  they  could,  which  arrived  at  Fishguard  the  same 
evening,  consisting  of  the  Pembrokeshire  Fencibles,  100;  part  of  the 
Cardiganshire  Militia,  200;  Fishguard  and  Newport  Fencibles,  300; 
and  Lord  Cawdor's  troop  of  Cavalry,  60;  total  660.     These  men, 
though  properly  trained  to  the  use  of  the  musket,  had  never  seen  one 
fired  in  anger ;  but  many  of  the  officers  had  been  long  in  the  service, 
and  were  experienced  in  the  art  of  war.      To  these  must  be  added  a 

great 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  185 

great  many  gentlemen  volunteers,  and  colliers,  and  the  common 
people  of  all  descriptions,  armed  and  unarmed;  the  whole  of  which 
were  very  judiciously  placed  on  Goodrich  sands,  under  Fishguard. 
Fortunately,  on  the  following  evening,  about  ten  o'clock,  a  French 
officer  arrived  with  offers  to  surrender  in  the  morning,  which  they 
accordingly  did,  and  gave  up  their  arms,  when  they  were  marched 
from  hence  to  Haverfordwest,  and  confined  in  several  places,  as  the 
castle,  church,  and  store-house,  but  were  soon  after  removed  to 
Milford,  and  put  in  prison  ships.  Thus  ended  this  singular  expedi- 
tion, the  object  of  which  remains  enveloped  in  mystery ;  but  it  is 
evident  something  more  was  intended  than  was  effected,  by  the  quan- 
tity of  powder  brought  with  them,  amounting  to  about  70  cart  loads, 
and  a  great  number  of  hand-grenades. 

About  six  miles  from  Fishguard  is  Newport,  or  Tref  Draeth,  a 
small  corporate  town,  seated  on  the  foot  of  a  high  hill  near  the  sea 
shore,  with  a  good  annual  fair  for  cattle,  &c.  It  has  some  fragments 
remaining  of  a  stupendous  fortress,  but  too  mutilated  to  merit  descrip- 
tion. The  church,  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary,  is  a  tolerable  structure ; 
and  there  are  upwards  of  two  hundred  houses,  with  good  paved 
streets.  Here  the  river  Nefern  is  navigable,  and  runs  by  one  end  of 
the  town,  but  the  trade  of  this  place  is  very  inconsiderable.  In  the 
churchyard  near  the  town  are  several  druidical  sepulchres  and  altars, 
one  of  which  is  about  nine  feet  in  diameter,  and  of  a  conical  form  and 
well  preserved,  considering  in  what  period  it  was  probably  erected. — 
There  was  a  house  of  Augustine  friars  here. 

"  In  the  churchyard  at  Nefern,  the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to 
Saint  Brynach  or  Bernagha,  a  renowned  British  abbot,  who  flourished 
in  the  fifth  century  (observes  Mr.  Gibson),  on  the  north  side,  is  a 
rude  stone  pitched  on  end,  about  two  yards  in  height,  of  a  triquatrous 
form,  with  another  smaller  angle,  having  on  the  south  side  an  inscrip- 
tion, which  seems  older  than  the  foundation  of  the  church,  and  was 
perhaps  the  epitaph  of  a  Roman  soldier,  for  I  guess  it  must  be  read 
Vitelliani  Emeriti"  In  the  same  churchyard,  on  the  south  side,  is 
erected  a  handsome  pillar  as  the  shaft  or  pedestal  of  a  cross,  supposed 
to  be  British ;  it  is  of  a  quadrangular  form,  about  two  feet  broad, 
18  inches  thick,  and  13  feet  high,  neatly  carved  on  all  sides,  with 
certain  endless  knots,  which  are  about  thirty-one  in  number,  and  all 
different :  the  top  is  covered  with  a  cross  stone,  below  which  there  is 
a  cross  carved  on  the  east  and  west  sides,  and  about  the  middle  there 
are  some  letters,  which  perhaps  are  no  other  than  the  initials  of  those 
persons  by  whom  it  was  erected.  There  is  also  an  inscription  within 
this  church,  which  is  equally  obscure,  and  seems  more  like  Greek 
than  Roman  characters :  the  stone  is  pitched  on  one  end  not  two  feet 
high,  and  is  round  at  top,  about  which  the  letters  are  cut.  Near 
Pentre  Evan,  in  the  same  parish,  is  a  remarkable  cromlech,  and  this 
neighbourhood  abounds  with  druidical  antiquities.  The  castle  is 
demolished. 

Ten 


186  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Ten  miles  east  of  Newport  is  Kilgerran,  or  Cilgaran  (having  its 
church  dedicated  to  Ciaran,  a  saint  who  founded  the  Abbey  of 
Clonmacknois  on  the  Shannon,  in  the  6th  century),  which  consists  of 
one  irregular  street.  It  stands  on  a  steep  hill  at  the  extremity  of  a 
remote  corner  of  Pembrokeshire,  and  has  some  remains  of  an  old 
castle,  projecting  proudly  over  the  river,  which  winds  beautifully 
between  the  steep  banks,  thickly  fringed  with  wood  and  interspersed 
with  rocks,  while  the  opposite  seat  and  groves  of  Coedmore  add  con- 
siderably to  the  natural  beauty  of  the  prospect.  Of  the  castle  two 
round  towers  are  all  that  remain,  situate  at  the  extremity  of  a  long 
street.  When  this  became  a  military  station  is  not  known ;  but 
Rhys,  Prince  of  South  Wales,  took  the  castle  in  1164,  and  razed  it  to 
the  ground,  and  afterwards  rebuilt  it  in  1 165,  wherein  he  was 
besieged  by  a  numerous  army  of  Normans  and  Flemings,  without 
success.  In  1205  it  was  surrendered  to  William  Marshall,  Earl  of 
Pembroke,  and  restored  to  Llewelyn  ap  lorwerth  in  1215 ;  but  on  the 
death  of  Gruffydd,  the  son  of  Llewelyn  ap  lorwerth,  near  Kydweli, 
the  Earl  again  took  possession,  and  began  to  build  a  very  strong 
castle,  but  being  re-called  to  London  by  Henry  the  Third  before  the 
completion,  it  was  never  finished.  There  are  vestiges  of  a  chapel  in 
the  castle,  called  Cappel  Bach.  Through  this  village  runs  a  small 
river,  called  the  Teifi,  which  generally  affords  the  traveller  some 
curious  observations,  particularly  the  numerous  coracles  which  stand 
at  almost  every  door. 

Two  miles  from  Nefern  is  Saint  Dogfael  Abbey,  in  the  parish  of 
Saint  Dogfael,  to  whom  the  church  is  dedicated ;  this  saint  lived 
about  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century.  The  abbey,  situated  in  a 
vale  encompassed  by  hills,  was  founded  for  Benedictines  in  the  time 
of  William  the  Conqueror,  and  was  valued  at  £87.  8s.  6d.  Some 
ruins,  which  constitute  part  of  the  chapel,  remain.  In  the  latter  was 
found  a  stone,  with  some  unintelligible  inscription,  but  by  the  charac- 
ters thought  to  be  British.  In  the  neighbourhood  are  several  barrows 
and  a  few  heaps  of  stones  (said  to  have  been  druidical  altars,  but  at 
present  in  a  state  of  total  ruin),  wherein  have  been  found  urns,  &c. 
The  most  remarkable  are  in  Cemaes  barony ;  and  on  a  hill  called  Kil 
Rhedyn  there  are  three  Danish  encampments — one  at  a  place  called 
Wolf's  Castle,  with  three  tumuli  near  it,  and  two  at  Sealyham,  in  the 
centre  of  one  of  which  is  a  rocking  stone.  There  is  a  strong  chaly- 
beate spring  near  the  church,  efficacious  in  consumptions. 
About  fifteen  miles  south  of  Fishguard  is  the  city  of 

SAINT  DAVID'S, 

which  has  given  one  saint  to  the  church,  and  to  the  nation  three  lords 
treasurer,  one  lord  privy  seal,  a  chancellor  to  the  queen,  and  another 
to  the  university  of  Oxford.  It  is  situate  in  a  deep  hollow,  and  is 
well  sheltered  from  the  winds  which  ravage  this  stormy  coast.  Here 
are  a  few  good  houses  appropriated  to  the  ecclesiastical  establishment, 

in 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  187 

iii  the  midst,  of  which  the  cathedral  appears,  rising  with  renovated 
magnificence.  The  precise  origin  of  this  city  and  cathedral  cannot 
be  ascertained,  but  it  appears  to  have  been  of  considerable  importance 
in  the  time  of  the  Ancient  Britons.  The  first  account  of  this  cathe- 
dral commences  in  911,  when  the  Danes  under  Uther  and  Rahald 
destroyed  it,  and  slew  its  defender,  Peredwr  Gam.  It  was  soon 
rebuilt,  but  again  much  defaced  by  Swaine,  the  son  of  Harold,  in  993, 
who  likewise  slew  Morgeney,  then  bishop  of  that  diocese.  This 
appears  to  have  been  the  last  transaction  of  importance  till  1079, 
when  William  the  Conqueror  entered  Wales  with  a  great  army, 
marching  after  the  manner  of  a  pilgrimage  as  far  as  Saint  David's, 
when,  having  made  an  offering  and  paid  his  devotion  to  that  saint,  he 
received  homage  of  the  kings  and  princes  of  that  country.  In  1087  a 
most  daring  sacrilege  was  committed  at  Saint  David's :  the  shrine 
belonging  to  the  cathedral  was  feloniously  carried  away,  and  all  the 
plate  and  other  utensils  were  stolen.  Subsequent  to  this,  or  about 
1101,  Saint  David's  began  to  be  subject  to  the  see  of  Canterbury,  but 
was  always  before  the  metropolitan  church  of  all  Wales.  The  former 
cathedral  having  been  often  demolished,  the  present  one  was  built  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  the  Second  (1110):  it  is  a  handsome  edifice,  with 
two  transepts,  being  in  length  from  east  to  west  300  feet,  and  the 
body  with  the  aisles  76  feet  broad ;  behind  the  choir  is  a  most  beauti- 
ful chapel,  with  a  rich  roof  of  carved  stone,  built  by  Bishop  Vaughan 
in  the  time  of  Henry  the  Eighth.  In  the  north  wall  of  the  choir  was 
the  shrine  of  Saint  David,  with  a  canopy  of  four  pointed  arches,  and 
in  front  four  quatrefoil  holes,  into  which  the  votaries  put  their  offer- 
ings, which  were  taken  out  by  the  monks  at  two  iron  doors  behind. 
Within  the  choir  are  the  monuments  of  Owen  Tudor  and  Rhys  ap 
Tudor,  and  likewise  of  Bishops  lorwerth  and  Anselm  in  the  13th 
century,  and  of  Edmund  Earl  of  Richmond.  There  is  a  tradition 
that  King  Henry  the  Eighth  had  once  a  design  of  removing  the 
episcopal  see  from  hence  to  Caermarthen,  but  that  he  desisted  from 
the  intention  when  he  was  informed  that  the  bones  of  his  grandfather, 
the  Earl  of  Richmond,  were  buried  here.  Giraldus  Cambrensis, 
Archdeacon  of  Brecon,  was  also  buried  here  in  1213.  The  modern 
church,  much  to  the  honour  of  its  proprietors,  is  in  excellent  preserv- 
ation, and  has  had  considerable  attention  and  expense  bestowed  on  it 
lately,  for  the  whole  is  in  good  repair,  particularly  the  west  front, 
which  has  been  rebuilt,  and  in  a  taste  perfectly  corresponding  with 
the  rest  of  the  edifice.  The  tower  is  finely  carved  in  fret-work,  and, 
like  many  of  our  English  cathedrals,  the  gothic  ornaments  of  the 
choir  contrast  the  Saxon  pillars  and  arches  of  the  great  aisle,  which 
are  themselves  curiously  worked  in  wreathes.  The  ceiling  (of  Irish 
oak)  is  much  to  be  admired,  together  with  a  very  perfect  mosaic 
pavement.  In  Saint  Mary's  Chapel,  founded  by  Bishop  Haughton 
and  John  of  Gaunt  in  1365,  and  endowed  with  £106  per  annum,  are 


some 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

some  curious  remains  of  pillars  arid  arches,  with  which  the  whole 
space  is  strewed;  various  also  are  the  devices  in  sculpture  to  be 
found  here,  including  the  heads  of  seven  sisters,  who  are  said  to  have 
contributed  to  the  building.  The  Chapel  House  has  a  very  fine 
covered  ceiling,  and  Saint  Mary's  Hall,  now  in  ruins,  exhibits  much 
ancient  grandeur.  According  to  the  Liber  Regis  this  bishoprick  is 
worth  £426.  2s.  Id.  but  its  real  value  is  upwards  of  £2,400.  The 
bishop's  palace,  though  in  ruins,  appears  to  have  been  formerly  a 
magnificent  and  princely  structure :  it  stood  over  the  river  Alan  to 
the  south-west :  two  parts  of  its  quadrangle  are  yet  nearly  entire,  and 
crowned  with  a  light  gothic  parapet,  but  the  arch  leading  to  the 
King's  Hall  is  singularly  fine,  with  the  statues  of  King  John  and  his 
Queen.  The  hall  itself  is  a  grand  room,  80  feet  long  by  30  wide, 
with  an  elegant  circular  window  at  the  east  end,  opening  like  a  wheel, 
with  a  rim,  spokes,  and  centre,  wrought  in  the  finest  gothic  taste,  and 
quite  entire ;  the  chapel  contains  a  font,  with  the  remains  of  some 
curious  pieces  of  sculpture.  The  kitchen  is  nearly  wrhole,  with  four 
chimnies  and  four  arches,  supported  by  a  solid  pillar  in  the  centre. 
Its  modern  ecclesiastical  establishment  is  highly  respectable,  consisting 
of  a  bishop,  six  canons-residentiary,  four  archdeacons,  and  several 
canons.  Bishop  Gower's  palace  is  situate  by  the  side  of  the  river 
Alan:  here  are  three  sides  of  a  magnificent  palace,  the  hall  being  58 
feet  by  23,  to  which  belongs  a  parlour  25  feet  by  28,  with  a  central 
pillar  supporting  four  wide  arches  which  occupy  four  sides  of  the 
room,  forming  four  large  chimnies.  The  south  side  of  the  quadrangle 
consists  of  a  very  noble  hall,  built,  it  is  said,  to  entertain  King  John 
on  his  return  from  Ireland.  Within  the  close  are  four  or  five  good 
prebendal  houses ;  and  north-east  of  the  college  of  Saint  Mary  are 
the  ruins  of  the  Vicars'  Choral  College. — Richard  Davies,  D.  D. 
Bishop  of  St.  Asaph  from  1559  to  1561,  was  in  the  latter  year  trans- 
lated to  Saint  David's:  he  was  the  coadjutor  of  W.  Salusbury  in 
translating  the  new  testament  into  Welsh,  and  was  one  of  those 
eminent  scholars  who  were  employed  by  Queen  Elizabeth  in  making 
the  English  version  of  the  bible. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  church  of  Briddell,  in  the  churchyard,  is 
a  large  stone  9  feet  in  length,  but  without  any  inscription  upon  it, 
having  only  on  one  side  a  wheel  marked  with  a  cross. 

In  the  parish  of  Castle  Martin,  the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to 
Saint  Michael,  are  the  remains  of  an  old  castle,  still  apparent. — The 
grass  in  the  parish  churchyard  of  Saint  Edeyrn  is  in  great  esteem,  on 
account  of  its  supposed  efficacy  and  wonderful  effect  in  curing  not 
only  cattle,  horses,  sheep,  and  pigs,  which  have  been  bitten  by  mad 
dogs,  but  human  beings  also!  In  the  chancel  wall  is  a  cavity  with  a 
stone  trough,  into  which  persons  pay  what  they  please  for  the  grass ; 
and  this  is  the  perquisite  of  the  parish  clerk. — In  the  parish  of  Hum- 
berstone,  or  Saint  Herbert's  Town,  the  church  of  which  is  dedicated 

to 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES'.  189 

to  St.  David,  is  an  observatory.  Here  are  the  remains  of  an  ancient 
religious  edifice,  but  it  is  not  known  of  what  order  or  by  whom 
founded. — In  the  parish  of  Llan-y-Tudwal  are  two  ancient  encamp- 
ments, supposed  to  be  British. — In  the  parish  of  Llanwnda,  at  the 
verge  of  a  rocky  eminence  above  the  village,  is  a  cromlech,  and  the 
remains  of  Druidical  monuments  and  other  ancient  works  are  nu- 
merously dispersed  in  this  parish.  There  is  also  a  tradition  of  a 
town  having  anciently  existed  here,  called  Tref-Culhwch.  The 
celebrated  Giraldus  Cambrensis  was  vicar  of  this  parish. 

In  the  parish  of  Maen-Clochog,  which  hath  its  church  dedicated 
to  Saint  Mary,  is  "  Saint  Mary's  Well,"  said  to  be  efficacious  in 
rheumatism.  "  Maen-Clochog,"  adds  a  respectable  divine,  vicar  of 
this  parish,  "  is  derived  from  the  Welsh  language,  and  signifies  a 
sounding  stone,  which  was  a  large  stone  placed  upon  three  smaller 
ones,  and  so  well  poized  that  a  child  of  five  years  old  could  shake  it 
(although  it  was  about  two  tons  weight),  and  in  moving  it  sounded 
like  a  bell.  Some  of  the  inhabitants  of  Maen-Clochog,  thinking 
there  was  a  treasure  concealed  under  it,  bored  a  hole  in  it  and  had  it 
split  with  gunpowder,  and  then  dug  up  the  small  stones;  but,  to  their 
great  disappointment,  they  found  no  treasure."  In  this  parish  is 
Preseley,  which  is  the  highest  mountain  in  South  Wales,  and  which 
was  formerly  covered  with  wood:  the  old  inhabitants  who  live  on  its 
borders  have  a  tradition  that  the  old  Britons  or  WTelsh  had  their 
habitations  here  in  the  time  of  the  civil  wars;  its  name  formerly  was 
Preswylfa,  but  now,  by  a  corruption  and  abbreviation  of  the  word,  it 
is  called  Preseley. 

In  Maenor-Byrr  parish,  that  is  ef  the  Manor  of  the  Lords,"  is  a 
castle  on  the  sea-coast.  It  appears  to  have  been  of  Norman  erection, 
and  fell  to  the  crown  in  the  reign  of  Henry  the  First,  but  was  granted 
by  James  the  First  to  the  Bowens  of  Trelogne,  from  them  it  descended 
by  marriage  to  the  family  of  Picton  Castle,  and  in  the  year  1740  was 
the  property  of  Sir  Erasmus  Phillips.  The  ponderous  towers  and 
massive  fragments  denote  its  original  strength  and  importance ;  and  it 
attracts  the  curious,  and  induces  many  strangers  to  visit  it  during  the 
summer  months.  It  was  once  the  property  of  the  Barri  family,  and 
here  Giraldus  Cambrensis  was  born  in  1 145.  In  the  church,  Which 
is  dedicated  to  Saint  James,  is  a  sepulchral  effigy  of  a  near  relative  of 
Giraldus,  in  good  preservation. 

In  the  parish  of  Merthyr,  which  hath  its  church  dedicated  to 
the  Holy  Martyrs,  is  a  large  and  perfect  cromlech,  erected  on  six 
strong  pillars,  now  standing  on  a  farm  belonging  to  the  Bishop,  called 
Long  House. — In  the  churchyard  of  Penally  is  a  very  beautiful  shaft 
of  one  of  the  early  crosses,  covered  with  rich  tracery :  and  in  a  field 
a  little  to  the  northward  of  the  church  are  the  remains  of  a  building, 
which  from  its  form  and  position  is  thought  to  have  been  a  chantry 
chapel;  the  parsonage-house  bears  marks  of  its  having,  been  formerly 

of 


190  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

of  great  extent  and  consequence. — Ramsey  Island,  in  the  parish  of 
Saint  David,  is  about  three  miles  in  length  and  about  one  mile  in 
breadth:  it  was  famous  for  its  breed  of  falcons.  "  Saint  Justinian,  a 
noble  Britain  by  birth,  built  a  monastery  in  the  island  of  Ramsey,  in 
Pembrokeshire,  where  the  monks  lived  happily  under  his  disci- 
pline, till  three  of  them,  by  the  Devil's  instigation,  slew  this 
Justinian,  in  the  year  486." 

In  the  parish  of  St.  Bride,  which  is  situated  on  the  south  side  of  a 
spacious  bay,  to  which  it  gives  name,  facing  St.  George's  channel,  is 
a  scite  of  a  building,  called  kf  The  Chapel,"  on  the  north  side  of  the 
present  church-yard :  and  the  remains  of  an  old  burial  ground  (with 
several  stone  coffins),  part  of  which  has  been  destroyed  by  the  sea. 

At  the  small  village  of  Ca'stle  Morrice,  was  formerly  a  castle, 
belonging  to  the  Bishops  of  St.  David,  but  which  is  now  entirely 
demolished,  and  on  its  scite  is  erected  a  farm-house. 

Bosheston  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Michael.  It  is  situate 
on  the  Bristol  channel.  On  the  southern  point  of  the  parish,  close  to 
the  sea,  is  a  little  chapel,  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  the 
residence  of  a  hermit ;  and  near  to  it  a  small  well  which  is  much 
resorted  to  in  rheumatic  complaints.  Lord  Cawdor  is  proprietor  of 
the  whole  parish,  except  one  small  farm.  Mr.  Emanuel  Bowen,  in 
his  map  of  South  Wales,  states  that  "  Bosheston  Meer  is  a  hole  like 
a  coal-pit,  but  so  very  deep  as  to  have  a  communication  with  the  sea, 
and  notwithstanding  the  surface  is  on  the  top  of  exceeding  high  rocks, 
yet,  in  a  flood  tide,  the  wind  southerly,  the  water  flies  violently  out  of 
it  upwards." 

Burton  is  situate  on  the  river  Cleddau.  The  old  castle,  called 
Burton  Castle,  affords  a  delightful  prospect,  and  is  much  admired  by 
persons  sailing  up  the  river. — In  the  parish  of  Camrhos  is  a  large 
tumulus. 

Castle  Beilh  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Michael.  There  are 
vestiges  still  remaining  of  a  Roman  station  on  the  borders  of  this 
parish.  The  high  road,  which  is  the  division  of  the  parishes  of 
Ambleston  and  Castle  Beilh,  runs  at  present  through  the  centre  of  it. 
Several  pieces  of  Roman  bricks  have  been  discovered  there  lately  by 
an  antiquary :  but  various  pieces  of  different  kinds  of  utensils  were 
found  when  the  mound  was  removed  by  the  farmers,  in  order  to  sow 
corn  thereon,  about  fifty  years  ago.  It  is  the  opinion  of  two  anti- 
quaries, who  have  just  inspected  it,  that  it  was  the  Roman  station 
( Advicesimum ) ,  in  their  way  from  Caermarthen  to  St.  David's. 

Clydau  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Clydai,  a  female  saint,  who 
lived  about  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century.  The  church  is  double, 
and  is  a  plain  neat  structure,  with  a  square  tower  neatly  built. 

Saint  DogmaePs  is  situate  on  the  river  Teifi.  Here  is  a  chalybeate 
spring  which  is  now  in  use.  Here  was  a  monastery  of  the  order  of 
Tirone,  begun  by  Martin  of  Tours,  who  conquered  the  country  of 

Cemaes, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  191 

Cemaes,  in  or  soon  after  the  reign  of  William  the  Conqueror,  and 
which  was  endowed  and  made  an  abbey  by  Robert  Fitz-Martin,  his 
son,  in  the  reign  of  King  Henry  the  First.  It  was  dedicated  to 
Saint  Mary,  had  an  yearly  revenue  of  £96.  Os.  2d.  in  the  whole,  and 
£87.  8s.  6d.  clear  (26th  Henry  VIII.),  and  was  granted,  in  the  35th 
year  of  King  Henry  VIII.  to  John  Bradshaw. 

East  Haroldston  hath  its  chapel  dedicated  to  Saint  Ishmael.  Here 
was  the  hermitage  of  Saint  Caradog;  and,  probably  near  a  place 
called  Poorfield,  the  common  on  which  Haverfordwest  races  are 
holden,  as  there  is  a  well  there  called  Caradog's  well,  round  which, 
till  within  these  few  years,  there  was  a  sort  of  vanity  fair,  where  cakes 
were  sold  and  country  games  celebrated. 

West  Haroldston  had  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Madog,  who 
lived  about  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century.  There  are  the  founda- 
tions of  several  houses'  still  remaining,  which  prove  the  former  popu- 
lation to  have  been  much  greater  than  it  is  at  present.  Some  centuries 
back  it  was  the  residence  of  the  Lord  of  Haroldston,  who  is  the  lord 
paramount  over  several  manors. 

Saint  IshmaePs  is  situate  on  Milford  Haven.  This  was  the  last 
place  of  residence  of  Saint  Caradog  the  historian,  where  he  died,  and 
was  buried  with  great  honour  in  the  cathedral  church  of  St.  David's. 

Johnston. — The  only  object  of  note  in  this  parish  is  the  old  family 
mansion  of  the  Right  Hon.  Lord  Kensington,  called  Johnston  Hall, 
which  is  now  partly  occupied  as  a  farm-house,  and  the  remainder  is 
in  a  rapid  state  of  decay. 

Llan-Deilo. — The  church,  which  is  now  in  ruins,  was  dedicated  to 
Saint  Teilo :  it  is  united  to  the  vicarage  of  Maen  Clochog.  Here  is 
a  fine  spring,  which  the  credulous  still  believe  will  cure  coughs, 
"  when  the  water  is  drunk  out  of  the  skull  of  Saint  Teilo,"  which  is 
carefully  kept  clean  and  shining  on  the  shelf  of  a  farm  house  close  by 
the  well. 

Llan-Hauaden  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Aidan,  a  saint  and 
bishop  of  Lindisfarne,  or  Holy  Land,  who  died  in  the  year  651. 
The  great  baronial  castle,  which  is  now  in  ruins,  was  the  ancient 
residence  of  the  bishops  of  the  diocese.  It  is  situate  on  the  banks  of 
the  east  Cleddau.  Here  was  an  hospital  (the  ruins  of  which  re- 
main), founded  by  Thomas  Beke,  Bishop  of  St.  David's,  A.D.  1287. 

Llan-ych-Llwydog  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  David.  It 
is  beautifully  situate  on  the  river  Gwayn.  The  church,  according  to 
Mr.  Fenton,  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  Clydawc,  a  regulus  of 
the  country,  who  was  murdered  in  the  neighbourhood  as  he  was 
pursuing  the  chase,  and  whose  grave,  by  tradition,  is  marked  by  two 
upright  stones  still  visible  in  the  churchyard. 

Marloes,  or  Morlas,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Peter. — 
The  inhabitants  of  this  village,  who  are  descended  from  the  Flemings, 

~are 
H  h 


192  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

are  uncommonly  industrious,  and  among  other  articles  of  trade  dis- 
pose of  great  numbers  of  leeches,  with  which  Marloes  Mere  abounds. 

Nolton,  or  Knowelton,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Madoc. 
There  are  the  remains  of  a  chapel,  situate  near  the  small  village  of 
Druidston,  i.  e.  Druid's  Town,  which  name  the  chapel  goes  by. 
This  part  of  the  county  is  all  English.  Nolton  stone  is  said  to  be 
equal  to  Portland  stone. 

Saint  Petrox,  or  Llan-Pedrog,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint 
Pedrog,  who  lived  about  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  century.  This 
place  is  celebrated  for  the  salubrity  of  the  air,  and  the  longevity  of 
its  inhabitants. 

Rhos  Market  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Ishmael. — In  the 
village  is  an  old  mansion,  now  a  farm  house,  which  was  an  ancient 
seat  of  the  family  of  Walter,  and  remarkable  at  this  day  for  nothing 
but  its  having  been  the  birth-place  of  the  celebrated  Lucy  Walter, 
mistress  to  King  Charles  the  Second,  and  mother  to  the  unfortunate 
Duke  of  Monmouth. 

Rudbaxton,  or  Rudepascton,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint 
Michael.  Tradition  says  that  there  were  formerly  two  chapels  here, 
called  Saint  Catherine's  and  Saint  Leonard's,  but  there  are  now  no 
vestiges  of  either  remaining.  In  part  of  this  parish  is  a  hill,  upon 
which  is  an  ancient  camp  commonly  called  The  Rath.  Opposite  to 
the  entrance  into  the  churchyard  is  one  of  those  large  mounts  which 
are  so  frequently  met  with  in  this  county,  and  whose  origin  and  use 
have  not  been  as  yet  decisively  ascertained. 

Slebech  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  J  ohn  the  Baptist.  It  is 
beautifully  situate  near  the  east  Cleddau.  Wizo,  and  Walter  his 
son,  having  given  lands  here  to  the  Knights  of  Saint  John  of  Jeru- 
salem for  the  recovery  of  the  Holy  Land,  a  preceptory  of  their  order 
was  settled  here  before  A.  D.  1301,  which  was  endowed  at  the 
dissolution  with  £211.  9s.  lid.  per  annum  in  the  whole,  and  £184. 
10s.  lid.  clear,  and  was  granted,  with  several  other  places  in  these 
parts,  to  Roger  and  Thomas  Barlow.  There  is  no  trace  left  of  any 
building  coeval  with  the  ancient  commandery,  except  the  church. 

Tref  Asser  is  in  the  parish  of  Llanwnda.  Here  the  celebrated 
Asser  Menevensis  is  said  to  have  been  born.  Near  this  is  a  tumulus, 
called  Castell  Poeth,  i.  e.  "  The  Hot  Castle,"  in  which  fragments  of 
ums  and  other  sepulchral  indications  have  been  discovered. 

Walwyn's  Castle  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  James.  It  is 
said  that  the  body  of  Gwalchmai  (the  cousin  of  Arthur),  of  a  gigantic 
stature,  was  discovered  here  in  the  reign  of  William  the  Conqueror  ; 
which  Gwalchmai,  being  driven  from  his  inheritance  in  Galway,  was 
wrecked  upon  this  coast,  and  here  interred. 

Castle  Martin  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Michael.  The 
remains  of  an  old  castle  are  still  apparent  in  the  village. 

The  following  eminent  persons  were  natives  or  inhabitants  of  this 

county : — 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 


193 


county  : — Henry  the  Seventh,  King  of  England,  born  in  Pembroke 
Castle  ;  Giraldus  Cambrensis ;  Sir  William  James,  Baronet -\sser 
Menevensis  ;  General  Sir  Thomas  Picton  ;  Captain  Foley,  K.  N. ; 
Lucy  Walter,  mistress  to  King  Charles  the  Second,  and  mother  to 
the  unfortunate  Duke  of  Monmouth. 


FLINTSHIRE 

J.S  the  smallest  county  in  the  Principality;  the  air  is  cold  but 
generally  healthful ;  and  this  county,  like  other  parts  of  the  Cambrian 
territory,  is  full  of  hills,  particularly  near  the  shore  of  the  Dee,  where 
the  land  rises  rapidly,  forming  a  ridge  of  hills  running  for  a  consider- 
able distance  parallel  to  that  river.  The  commercial  importance  of 
Flintshire  is  almost  solely  derived  from  its  mineral  productions, 
particularly  the  lead  ore,  which  is  smelted  on  the  spot,  and  the  metal 
exported  from  Chester.  Some  kinds  of  the  ore  contain  silver  enough 
to  repay  with  profit  the  expense  of  separating  that  precious  metal 
from  the  lead ;  and  large  quantities  of  silver  have  been  annually 
extracted  in  this  county,  which  is  chiefly  used  by  the  manufacturers 
of  Birmingham  and  Sheffield.  The  calamine  is  mostly  exported, 
and  some  used  at  a  brass-foundry  at  Holywell ;  from  the  coal  pits 
the  city  of  Chester  is  chiefly  supplied.  The  most  remarkable  river  in 
this  county  is  the  Alyn,  which,  near  Mold,  sinks  under  ground,  and 
is  lost  for  a  considerable  space.  The  rivers  of  the  Vale  of  Clwyd 
have  likewise  their  exit  in  Flintshire,  including  the  Elwy  and  Chwilar, 
which  supply  the  epicure  with  delicious  fish, 

FLINT, 

anciently  called  Colsul  or  Coleshill,  is  the  county  town,  incorporated 
by  Edward  the  First,  and  a  place  of  great  antiquity,  but  small  and 
irregularly  built,  near  the  sea.  It  is  much  resorted  to  by  the  neigh- 
bouring gentry,  as  a  bathing  place,  though  the  marshy  coast,  on  which 
the  sea  frequently  flows,  renders  it  extremely  disagreeable.  The 
church  (dedicated  to  Saint  Mary)  is  a  chapel  of  ease  to  Northop. 
The  county  gaol  stands  adjacent  to  the  churchyard,  on  a  fine  healthy 
situation,  but  the  assizes  for  the  county  are  held  at  Mold.  This  town 
was  formerly  enclosed  with  a  vast  ditch  and  double  walls  of  earth, 
which  at  the  east  end  unite  in  one,  having  four  entrances.  The 
castle,  built  of  red  stone,  stands  close  to  the  sea,  on  a  rock,  enclosing 
a  space  of  about  three  quarters  of  an  acre,  treble  ditched,  or  divided 
in  three  parts  by  many  ditches.  The  first  is.  formed  by  the  high  bank 

H  h  2  of 


194  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

of  the  town  and  castle,  beyond  which  is  a  large  square  area;  another 
ditch  separates  this  from  a  smaller  square  court  with  round  towers. 
One  side  of  the  court  is  entire,  with  several  pointed  windows :  the 
castle  is  defended  by  three  round  towers  at  three  of  the  angles,  and  at 
the  south-east  by  a  fourth,  larger  than  the  rest,  detached  from  a  wall 
called  the  double  tower  or  dungeon,  to  which  Richard  the  Second 
retreated.     It  is  formed  by  two  concentric  walls,  each  six  feet  thick, 
with  a  gallery  eight  feet  broad  and  fourteen  high,  arched  with  another 
over  it,  having  four  doors  opening  into  a  circular  area  in  the  centre  of 
twenty  feet  diameter.     Towards  the  west  end  of  the  south  side,  in  the 
ditch,  is  a  draw-well,  communicating  with  the  second  story.     From 
the  south  side  runs  a  double  wall,  enclosing  a  considerable  area,  with 
earth  on  the  outside  piled  up  to  the  top.     Richard  the  Second,  after 
his  return  from  Ireland,  stopped  here,  where  he  slept  and  dined,  in 
1399  ;  but  it  was  afterwards  invested  by  10,000  men,  commanded  by 
the  Duke  of  Lancaster;  and  on  Richard's  departure  he  was  taken 
prisoner,  and   soon  after  murdered  at  Pontefract.     The  castle  was 
begun  by  King  Henry  the  Second,  and  finished  by  Edward  the  First. 
In  1647  this  castle  was  dismantled  by  the  parliament,  after  standing 
two  long  sieges  during  the  civil  wars.     It  now  belongs  to  the  crown, 
which  appoints  a  constable,  who  is  also  mayor.     The  precinct  of 
Flint  is  thought  to  have  once  served  to  inclose  a  small  Roman  station, 
from  the  numerous  Roman  coins  and   other  antiquities  discovered 
there.     About  a  mile  from  this  town,  on  the  lower  road  to  Chester, 
stood  Atis  Cross,  where  tradition  places  a  large  town  in  ancient  times, 
and  where,  it  is  said,  foundations  of  large  buildings  are  often  dis- 
covered.    It  was  undoubtedly  a  Roman  station,  by  the  number  of 
coins  and  other  fragments  found  there  and  in  the  lands  contiguous. 

On  leaving  Flint  we  proceed  southerly,  and,  at  the  distance  of 
three  miles,  pass  through  Northop  or  Llan  Eurgain,  having  its 
church  dedicated  to  Eurgain,  a  female  saint  whose  history  is  not 
known.  There  is  a  farm-house  called  Manachlog,  i.  e.  "  The  Monas- 
tery," which  stands  on  Watt's  Dyke,  and  which  probably  took  its 
name  from  being  a  grange  belonging  to  a  monastery,  as  there  is  no 
tradition  of  its  ever  having  been  a  religious  house.  About  a  mile 
north-west  of  Northop  church  is  the  site,  surrounded  by  a  moat,  of 
Llys  Edwin,  or  Edwin's  Palace :  he  was  head  of  one  of  the  fifteen 
tribes  of  North  Wales,  and  Lord  of  Tegeingl. 

About  three  miles  beyond  Manachlog  we  pass  through 

MOLD, 

called  in  Welsh  Yr  Wyddgrug,  or  the  conspicuous  barrow :  it  is  a 
small  market  town,  consisting  of  one  long  street,  wider  than  most 
belonging  to  North  Wales.  The  church,  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary,  is 
a  neat  building,  ornamented  all  round  the  top  walls  with  gothic 
carvings  of  animals ;  the  pillars  in  the  interior  are  light  and  elegant, 

having 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  195 

having  between  the  arches  figures  of  angels  bearing  shields  with  arms 
on  them,  probably  those  borne  by  the  benefactors  of  this  church: 
among  the  monuments  is  an  elegant  one  for  Robert  Davies,  Esq.  of 
Llannerch,  who  died  in  the  year  1728  ;   near  to  it  is  another  to  his 
grandfather,  Robert  Davies,  Esq.  of  Gwysaney,  the  paternal  seat  of 
the  family.     Gwysaney  is  a  most  respectable  old  house,  and  in  the 
time  of  the  civil  wars  was  of  strength  sufficient  to  be  garrisoned ;  it 
was  taken  April,  1645,  by  Sir  William  Brereton.      Mold  had  an 
ancient  castle  on  a  hill  with  a  keep  on  the  north  side,  and  at  the  south 
end  a  long  square  area,  both  divided  from  the  former  by  a  deep  ditch, 
while  another  surrounded  the   whole,   dividing  it  into  three  parts, 
until  demolished  by  Owen  Gwynedd.  in  1144.      It  was  again  re-built 
by  Gruff ydd  ap  Gwenwynwyn  in  1263,  who  closely  besieged  it,  and 
burnt  the  fortress.     Near  the  church,  built  in  the  reign  of  Henry  the 
Eighth,  was  found  a  gold  coin  of  Vespasian  ;  in  the  south  chapel  is  a 
small  niche,  with  a  statue  of  Robert  Warton,  or  Parsew,  bishop  of 
Saint  Asaph  from  1536  to  1554,  which,  according  to  the  inscription, 
was  erected  by  one  John  ap  Rh$rs ;  and  against  a  pillar  of  the  nave  is 
a    monumental  inscription  for  William    Wynne,  of  Tower,  D.D. 
Near  Mold  is  Maes  Garmon,  or  German's  field,   so  called  from   a 
victory  obtained  by  Germanus  over  the  Pagans,  Picts,  and  Saxons, 
in  440,  in  commemoration  of  it  an  obelisk  was  erected  in  1730  by 
Nehemiah  Griffith,  Esq.  on  the  supposed  spot,  with  a  suitable  inscrip- 
tion.    At  the  north  end  of  the  town  stands  the  mount,  called  by  the 
Welsh  Yr  Wydd-grug,*  and  from  which  the  place  took  its  name.     It 
was   translated  by  the  Normans  into   Mons   Altus,   and   afterward? 
corrupted  into  Monte  Alto,  Montaldo,  and  finally  to  Moulde,  and 
Mold.     This  eminence  is  partly  natural  and  partly  artificial.     The 
Britons  first,  and  then  the  Saxons  and  Normans,  taking  advantage  of 
such  a  situation,  placed  a  castle  on  its  summit  :    this  mount  is  now 
called  the  Bailey  Hill,  from  the  word  Ballium  or  Castle  Yard ;   it 
appears  to  have  been  strongly  fortified,  and  is  divided  into  three  parts, 
the  lower  ballium  or  yard,  the  upper,  and  the  keep.      In  the  reign  of 
William  Rufus  this  place  was  in  the  possession  of  one  Eustace,  who 
then  did  homage  for  Mold  and  Hope  Dale.     In  the  time  of  King 
Stephen  it  was  the  property  of  Robert,  High  Steward  of  Chester, 
and  one  of  the  Barons  of  the  Norman  Earls.     In  1144  this  fortress 
was  taken  by  the  Welsh,  under  their  prince  Owen  Gwynedd,  and 
razed  to  the  ground.     A  little  time  before  the  conquest  of  Wales,  the 
inhabitants  of  Molesdale,  or  Ystrad  Alun,  presented  a  memorial  of 
the  wrongs  done  to  them  by  Roger  de  Clifford,  Justiciary  of  Chester, 
and  his  deputy,  Roger  Scroghil.      They  alleged  that  their  lands  were 
taken  from  them ;    that  they  were  grievously  and  unjustly  fined  on 
trivial  occasions ;    and  that  after  paying  a  sum  for  exemption  from 

English 

*  Gwydd-gr&g,  derived  from  Gwydd,  conspicuous ;   and  Crftg,  a  tumulus,  mount,  or 
tomraen  :  the  initial  C  in  composition  being  changed  into  g. 


106  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

English  laws  they  were  obliged  to  submit  to  a  trial  by  jury,  contrary 
to  the  usage  of  their  country.  Henry  the  Fourth  made  a  grant  of 
this  place,  together  with  Hope  and  Hope  Dale,  to  Sir  John  Stanley, 
and  it  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  Derby  family  until  the 
attainder  of  Earl  James.  An  old  house  in  this  parish,  called  the 
Tower,  from  its  singular  construction,  being  a  square  building  con- 
sisting of  three  stories,  was  at  one  time  the  residence  of  Reinallt  ap 
Gruffydd  ap  Bleddyn,  one  of  the  six  gallant  captains  who  defended 
Harlech  Castle  on  the  part  of  Henry  the  Sixth  against  the  Earl  of 
Pembroke.  This  Reinallt  and  his  people  were  in  continual  feuds  with 
the  citizens  of  Chester  ;  in  1465  a  considerable  number  of  the  latter 
came  to  Mold  fair,  and  a  fray  ensued  between  the  said  parties,  in 
which  a  dreadful  slaughter  ensued  on  both  sides,  but  Reinallt 
obtained  the  victory,  and  took  prisoner  Robert  Bryne,  linen-draper, 
and  Mayor  of  Chester  in  1461,  whom  he  led  to  his  tower  and  hung 
on  the  staple  in  his  great  hall.  An  attempt  was  made  afterwards  to 
seize  Reinallt,  and  two  hundred  tall  men  went  from  Chester  for  that 
purpose.  Hearing  of  their  approach  he  retired  to  a  neighbouring 
wood,  and  permitted  part  of  his  enemies  to  enter  his  building ;  he 
then  rushed  from  his  cover,  fastened  the  door,  and  setting  fire  to  the 
place,  burnt  them  without  mercy  ;  he  afterwards  attacked  the  rest  and 
pursued  them  to  the  sea  side,  where  those  who  escaped  the  sword 
perished  in  the  channel.  Reinallt  received  his  pardon  from  Thomas 
Lord  Stanley,  Lord  of  the  Council  of  Wales,  and  it  was  subsequently 
confirmed  under  the  Great  Seal  by  Edward  IV.  His  actions  were 
celebrated  at  the  time  in  poems,  particularly  by  Lewis  Glynn  Cothi, 
an  eminent  bard,  and  an  officer  under  Jasper,  Earl  of  Pembroke.  It 
seems  that  Lewis  had  married  a  Cestrian  widow  against  the  consent 
of  the  inhabitants,  who  persecuted  him  and  despoiled  him  of  all  his 
property.  This  severity  irritated  the  poet,  and  called  into  exercise 
his  satirical  genius  ;  in  one  of  his  compositions  he  summons  the 
ministry  of  angels  and  of  devils  to  his  assistance,  and  pours  a 
profusion  of  curses  on  Caer-JJ-eon  and  its  people.  He  wishes  water 
to  drown,  fire  to  burp,  and  air  to  infect  the  hated  place,  and  that 
grace  might  grow  in  every  part,  except  the  sacred  edifices,  of  this 
habitation  of  the  seven  deadly  sins.  The  tower  was  called  after  the 
name  of  its  hero  ;  it  was  also  called  Bryncoed  and  Broncoed,  or 
Wood  Hill,  most  probably  from  the  wood  which  surrounded  it. 

About  five  miles  to  the  north-west  of  Mold,  is  Pen  Bedw,  formerly 
the  seat  of  Watkin  Williams,  Esq.  now  deceased,  who  possessed  some 
remains  of  Sir  Kenelm  Digby's  library,  and  a  superb  pedigree  of  that 
family,  illuminated  with  drawings  of  all  the  arms  and  tombs,  which 
was  completed  in  the  year  1634,  and  is  said  to  have  cost  £1000.  In 
the  meadow  below  the  house  are  part  of  a  druidical  circle  and  a  small 
tumulus.  On  the  summit  of  one  of  the  mountains,  at  a  great  height 
above  the  house,  is  a  very  strong  British  post,  called  Moel  Arthur, 

with 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  197 

with  two  deep  ditches  and  suitable  dykes  on  the  accessible  sides. 
This  is  one  of  the  posts  that  defended  the  Ordovices  and  their  suc- 
cessors from  the  incursions  of  the  Romans.  These  stations  are  very 
numerous  in  this  county,  and  easily  distinguished  by  their  conforming 
to  the  shape  of  hills,  and  being  generally  unprovided  with  water. 

Returning  on  our  road,  at  the  distance  of  about  six  miles  from 
Mold,  we  pass  through  Hope,  or  Queen's  Hope,  or  East  Hope,  a 
small  village,  having  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Cynfarch,  son  of 
Meirchion,  who  lived  about  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century,  which, 
with  the  parish,  formerly  belonged  to  the  Crown  ;  the  ground  is  rather 
hilly,  but  the  vallies  are  fertile  in  corn  and  grass.  At  the  termination 
of  the  village  are  some  picturesque  remains  of  its  ancient  castle,  in 
which  Eleanor,  the  Queen  of  Edward  the  First,  lodged  on  her  way  to 
Caernarvon,  where  her  husband  sent  her,  to  give  the  Welsh  a  ruler 
born  among  them.  Soon  after  the  surrender  of  the  castle  to  Edward 
the  First,  in  1282,  the  king  bestowed  it  on  her:  from  whence  the 
place  took  the  name  of  Queen?s  Hope.  Here  is  a  fine  old  bridge 
over  the  river  Alun,  near  .the  extremity  of  the  village,  from  whence 
may  be  had  a  fine  view  of  the  place,  said  to  have  been  a  Roman 
station,  forming  a  slope  to  the  river,  having  three  parallel  streets, 
intersected  by  three  others  at  right  angles.  Some  Roman  bricks  were 
lately  found  in  the  ruins  of  an  old  house  in  the  village,  and  large  beds 
of  iron  cinders,  supposed  to  be  from  the  works  of  the  Romans  at  Caer 
Estyn,  in  this  parish.  The  Welsh  name  pf  the  parish  is  Estyn.  A 
Roman  road  likewise  points  from  the  village  towards  Mold,  and  is 
visible  more  than  once  in  the  fields  near  Plas  Teg,  with  an  artificial 
mound  close  on  its  course.  This  place  is  supposed  to  haye  been, 
Caer  Gaur-lle,  or  "  Camp  of  the  Great  Legion,"  a  name  bestowed 
by  the  Britons  on  the  26th  legion,  analagoiis  to  Victrix :  giving  it  the 
strength  of  a  giant.  About  a  mile  west  of  Hope  is  Plas  Teg,  the 
ancient  seat  of  the  Trevor  family.  The  building  is  ascribed  to  Inigo 
Jones,  in  the  year  1610,  and  had  formerly  a  hall  in  the  centre,  43  feet 
by  23  feet,  but  now  only  inhabited  by  a  farmer.  It  is  erected  round 
a  square  court,  with  four  towers  at  the  corners,  having  in  each  a  room 
23  feet  by  19  feet,  with  closets  15  feet  and  a  half  in  circumference. 

Returning  on  our  road,  at  the  distance  of  one  mile,  we  arrive  at 
Caergwrle,  once  a  flourishing  town,  and  which  continued  such  until 
Wrexham  became  so  much  frequented,  which  has  been  the  means  of 
reducing  this  place  to  its  present  state,  It  is  by  the  learned  asserted, 
that  Caergwrle  was  formerly  a  Roman  station :  probably  an  out  post 
to  Deva,  as  some  tiles  were  found  here  many  years  since,  inscribed 
"  LEGIO  XX."  which  proves  it  to  have  been  of  Roman  origin. 
Besides  the  British  name  Caergwrle,  or  "  The  Camp  of  the  Great 
Legion,"  the  ruins  of  a  castle  are  still  yet  to  be  seen,  on  the  summit  of 
a  high  rock,  a  little  distance  off;  but  the  remains  are  few,  and  not 
important ;  yet  such  as  sufficiently  indicate  the  building  to  have  been 

of 


198  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

of  great  extent.  The  rock  on  which  this  fortress  was  built  is  a  com- 
position somewhat  singular,  being  a  grit  stone,  so  exceedingly  coarse 
as  to  have  much  the  appearance  of  pebbles  among  mortar.  The 
founder  of  this  castle  is  not  known,  although  by  its  construction  we 
might,  without  hesitation,  pronounce  it  to  be  of  British  origin,  and 
probably  built  by  Gruffydd  Maelor  in  the  reign  of  Owen  Gwynedd, 
between  1137  and  1169.  Edward  the  First  bestowed  the  castle  on 
David  ap  Gruffydd,  brother  to  the  last  prince  of  Wales :  but  when 
David  took  up  arms,  in  conjunction  with  his  brother,  against  Edward, 
in  1282,  it  was  invested,  and  surrendered  to  the  king,  after  a  fortnight's 
siege :  not  long  after  this  reversion  it  appears  to  have  been  burnt  by  a 
casual  fire,  but  was  again  rebuilt,  and  given  by  Edward  the  Second  to 
Sir  John  Stanley.  In  this  parish  are  some  extensive  lime  quarries,  in 
which  are  frequently  found  a  species  of  the  fossil  called  entrochi,  in 
shape  somewhat  cylindrical,  about  one  inch  long,  and  formed  of  a 
number  of  round  joints. 

RUDDLAN, 

(the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary,)  lies  on  a  flat  in  the 
middle  of  the  Vale  of  Clwyd,  and  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  river,  two 
miles  from  its  influx  with  the  sea,  where  it  is  sufficiently  wide  to  permit 
vessels  at  high  water  to  ride  under  the  bridges.  This  was  once  a 
considerable  town,  but  now  only  a  small  borough,  which  contributes 
to  elect  a  member  for  Flint.  Ruddlan  derived  much  importance  from 
its  elegant  castle,  wherein  Edward  the  First  kept  three  christmases. 
It  is  a  square  building,  erected  with  red  stone,  surrounded  by  a 
double  ditch  on  the  north,  with  a  strong  wall  and  foss  all  round. 
Below  the  hill,  on  the  river  side,  is  a  square  tower  called  Twr-y- 
Silod,  and  another  in  the  castle  is  called  Twr-y-Brennin,  or  "  The 
King's  Tower."  The  walls  enclose  an  irregular  square,  with  galleries 
and  appurtenances  all  round  •  the  north  wall  appears  much  shattered, 
but  the  other  two  are  pretty  entire.  To  the  south  of  the  castle  they 
shew  a  mount  called  Tut-hill,  from  whence  the  inhabitants  say  it  was 
battered ;  but  it  appears  a  more  ancient  fortification,  surrounded  by 
a  deep  ditch  including  the  abbey  :  it  may  have  been  the  residence  of 
the  ancient  Welsh  princes,  perhaps  burnt  by  Harold  in  1054,  and  the 
ships  in  the  harbour  destroyed  at  the  same  time.  This  castle  was 
built  by  Robert  de  Rodelent,  but  soon  after  burnt  by  Gruffydd  ap 
Cynan,  Prince  of  Wales,  and  Randal  Earl  of  Chester.  Subsequent 
to  this,  Henry  the  Second  rebuilt  or  fortified  this  castle,  where 
Giraldus  Cambrensis  says  he  was  nobly  entertained.  Queen  Eleanor 
was  also  delivered  of  a  princess  here  in  1283.  Northumberland 
seized  this  castle  in  1399,  previous  to  the  deposition  of  Richard  the 
Second,  who,  with  his  retinue,  partook  of  refreshment  here  on  their 
way  to  Flint  castle.  At  a  private  dwelling  house  in  this  place  they 
shew  the  gable  of  a  building,  in  which  it  is  said  Edward  the  First 

held 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  199 

held  the  parliament  that  passed  the  statute  of  Ruddlan  about  1284, 
which  is  no  more  than  regulations  made  by  the  king  in  council  for  the 
future  government  of  Wales,  which,  he  informs  us  in  the  preamble, 
was  then  totally  subdued.  Of  this  place  only  one  gothic  window 
now  remains  to  distinguish  it  from  a  neighbouring  barn,  while  the 
hall  that  once  contained  the  parliament  of  England  is  now  filled  with 
bark  to  supply  a  tan-yard.  There  is  another  old  house  on  the  north 
side  of  the  castle,  where  they  say  the  king  resided  when  one  Gruffydd 
Llwyd  ap  Rhys  brought  him  information  of  the  queen's  safe  delivery 
at  Caernarvon  Castle,  for  which  the  king  immediately  knighted  him. 
— More  to  the  south  are  the  remains  of  a  Priory  of  Black  Monks, 
founded  before  1268.  Below  the  town,  on  a  large  marsh,  was  fought 
the  famous  battle  (in  794)  between  Prince  Caradoc  and  the  Saxons 
under  Offa  King  of  Mercia,  in  which  the  latter  was  killed  and  a  great 
number  of  his  army  slain.  On  this  occasion  the  fine  plaintive  Welsh 
tune  called  Morfa-Ruddlan  was  composed,  descriptive  of  the  san- 
guinary battle  on  this  marsh.  At  Ruddlan  is  a  bridge  consisting  of 
two  arches,  built  or  rebuilt  in  1595,  with  the  arms  of  Hughes,  Bishop 
of  Saint  Asaph,  on  one  of  the  battlements. 

Two  miles  and  a  half  north-east  of  Ruddlan  is  Disserth,  a  small 
village  situate  among  hills,  from  whose  top  falls  a  beautiful  cascade, 
rising  from  a  small  well  called  Ffynnon  Asa,  or  "  Saint  Asaph's  Well," 
in  a  dingle  in  Cwm  parish,  one  mile  off:  its  perpendicular  height  is 
seventeen  yards,  concealed  between  two  arches  of  the  rock  behind 
which  it  has  worn  itself  a  passage.  In  a  romantic  bottom,  and  finely 
overshaded  with  yew-trees,  stands  the  church  or  chapel,  dedicated  to 
Saint  Bridget,  with  some  good  paintings  in  the  east  window.  In  the 
churchyard  is  an  ancient  cross,  adorned  with  wreaths  ;  another  with 
some  traces  of  a  human  figure,  now  placed  as  a  stile  in  the  church- 
yard •  on  the  altar  tomb  is  cut  a  rude  cross  and  sword.  To  the  north 
of  this  village  are  some  small  remains  of  Gerri  Castle,  or  Castell  y 
Craig,  which  .appears  to  have  been  fortified  by  Henry  III.  in  1246. 
At  the  siege  of  this  castle  was  slain  Eineon  ap  Ririd  Flaidd,  to  whom 
some  attribute  the  cross  erected  on  the  spot  called  Croes  Eineon, 
supposed  to  be  that  which  now  forms  the  stile  before  mentioned. 

Returning  on  our  road  we  proceed  i:i  an  easterly  direction,  and  at 
the  distance  of  about  five  miles  pass  through  Newmarket,  having  its 
church  dedicated  to  Saint  Michael.  It  is  a  small  town,  almost  the 
entire  erection  of  its  then  owner,  John  Wynne,  Esq.  of  Gob,  who 
died  in  the  last  century.  The  ancient  name  of  this  parish  is  Tre- 
lawny d.  The  church  is  a  very  antique  building,  with  a  handsome  old 
cross  in  the  church-yard.  Here  is  one  of  the  charity  schools  founded 
and  opened  in  1726  by  Dr.  Daniel  Williams,  a  dissenting  minister, 
with  an  endowment  of  £8  per  annum,  a  charity  which  he  extended  to 
every  county  in  North  Wales,  distinguishing  that  at  Wrexham,  the 
place  of  his  birth,  by  an  annual  salary  of  £15.  From  the  town  is  an 

ascent 


200  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

ascent  called  Copar'leni,  on  whose  summit  is  an  enormous  carnedd  or 
tumulus,  formed  of  limestones.  It  was  probably  the  site  of  a  specula, 
or  a  memorial  of  some  chieftain,  or  it  might  have  been  a  place  for 
signals  by  fire,  to  announce  the  approach  of  an  enemy  by  sea.  The 
tract  from  thence  to  Caerwys  was  certainly  a  field  of  battle,  for  no 
place  in  Wales  exhibits  an  equal  quantity  of  tumuli,  and  all  sepul- 
chral :  perhaps  in  this  place  was  the  great  slaughter  of  the  Ordovices 
by  Agricola. 

About  six  miles  from  Newmarket,  and  nearly  two  to  the  left  of  the 
road,  is  Downing,  situate  among  woods,  in  the  parish  of  Whiteford, 
the  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary ;  but  Downing  is 
principally  known  to  the  world  as  the  seat  of  the  late  Thomas 
*ennant,  Esq.  to  whose  indefatigable  researches  the  natural  history 


and  topography  of  Great  Britain  are  under  many  obligations;  he  was 
born  on  the  14th  June,  1726,  at  Downing,  and  there  he  closed  his 
useful  life  in  the  year  1794.  Downing  is  also  the  principal  house  in 
the  township,  and  was  built  about  the  year  1627,  but  the  present 
name  is  evidently  a  corruption  of  Tre-Eden-Owain,  the  name  of  the 
township  in  which  it  stands.  The  house  was  founded  by  John 
Pennant,  of  Bychton,  who,  marrying  a  rich  heiress  of  this  place, 
erected  an  elegant  mansion  with  stone  brought  from  a  dingle  called 
Nant-y-bi,  opposite  the  modern  edifice  ;  the  present  structure  is 
erected  in  the  form  of  a  Roman  H,  a  mode  of  architecture  common  in 
Wales  at  that  period,  with  this  ancient  and  pious  motto  on  the  front  : 
f— "  Hefy  Dduw  heb  ddim,  a  Duw  a  digon  :"  signifying, — "Without 
God  there  is  nothing :  with  God  enough."  The  grounds  are  very 
extensive,  with  walks  along  fine  sweet-swelling  lands  beneath  the 
shady  deep  of  glens,  or  through  the  contracted  meads  which  meander 
quite  to  the  shore,  with  fine  views  towards  the  hills  and  the  ancient 
Pharos  on  Garreg :  over  the  channel  of  the  Dee  are  the  Hilbree  isles, 
on  one  of  which  are  some  remains  of  a  cell  of  Benedictines :  but  the 
sea  view  is  still  more  animated  with  the  sight  of  numerous  fleets 
entering  and  sailing  out  of  Liverpool.  Below  the  house  are  the  ruins 
of  the  abbey  of  Malandina,  which  add  considerable  beauty  to  the  view. 
The  house  has  latterly  been  considerably  improved,  richly  furnished 
with  antique  carvings,  and  specimens  of  the  horns  of  all  the  European 
beasts  of  chase :  the  library  contains  a  numerous  and  choice  collection 
of  books,  chiefly  of  natural  history,  with  a  great  collection  of  MSS. 
being  solely  the  labour  and  industry  of  the  late  Thomas  Pennant, 
Esq. :  in  the  hall  are  some  good  pictures  by  Peter  Paillow,  an 
excellent  painter  of  animals  and  birds  :  the  parlour  is  embellished 
with  portraits  and  paintings  mostly  reduced  from  originals  by  the 
ingenious  Moses  Griffith,  an  untaught  genius  of  North  Wales,  who 
accompanied  Mr.  Pennant  in  most  of  his  tours  through  England, 
Scotland,  and  Wales.  On  a  hill  there  is  a  cavern,  supposed  to  have 
been  made  by  the  Romans  when  they  worked  these  and  the  neigh- 
bouring 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  201 

bouring  mines.  Mynydd  Garreg,  a  high  hill  about  two  miles  to  the 
north-east  of  Downing,  in  a  very  conspicuous  part  of  the  country, 
has  on  its  summit  a  Pharos,  erected  by  the  Romans  to  conduct 
navigators  to  and  from  the  Deva.  It  is  tolerably  entire,  and  built 
of  limestone  bedded  in  hard  mortar,  of  a  circular  form  and  considerable 
height ;  the  inner  diameter  is  twelve  feet,  the  walls  three  feet  thick, 
with  the  doors  or  entrances  opposite  each  other,  and  over  them 
square  funnels  like  chimnies,  opening  on  the  outside  about  half  way 
up,  and  on  each  side  a  window.  About  four  feet  from  the  ground  are 
three  circular  holes  through  the  whole  wall,  lined  with  mortar,  very 
frequent  in  Roman  buildings :  within  are  traces  of  a  stair-case,  leading 
to  the  upper  story,  in  which  are  eight  small  square  openings,  cased 
with  free  stone,  each  separated  by  wooden  pannels,  the  grooves  of 
which  only  remain  :  in  each  of  these  partitions  were  placed  the  lights, 
which  the  Romans  thought  necessary  to  keep  distinct,  lest  the  seamen 
should  take  it  for  a  star.  To  this  building  are  evidently  a  broad 
raised  road,  pointing  from  the  east,  and  near  its  upper  end  are  marks 
of  a  trench  round  the  whole. 

About  one  mile  and  a  half  north  of  this  building  is  Mostyn  Hall,  a 
seat  belonging  to  a  family  of  that  name,  lineally  descended  from 
Tudor  Trevor,  Earl  of  Hereford  before  the  conquest,  and  which 
family  first  settled  here  in  the  reign  of  Richard  the  Second,  though 
they  did  not  assume  the  name  of  Mostyn  till  the  reign  of  Henry  the 
Eighth.  The  old  mansion  has  a  venerable  appearance ;  and  the  park 
is  small,  but  beautifully  broken  and  clothed  in  various  parts  with  fine 
oaks  and  magnificent  beeches.  The  ground  around  slopes  finely  to 
the  sea,  facing  the  north-east,  where  trees  grow  close  to  the  water 
edge ;  the  house  is  placed  about  half  a  mile  from  the  shore,  and  built 
on  so  singular  a  plan  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  describe  this 
curious  structure.  It  consists  of  an  old  hall  for  servants,  and  had 
formerly  a  chapel  on  the  outside,  now  converted  into  bed  rooms  :  on 
the  porch,  said  to  be  re-built  in  1628,  are  the  arms  of  the  four  great 
alliances  of  the  family,,  rudely  cut  in  stone,  which  seem  to  have 
been  copied  from  an  original  on  the  great  chimney  piece  in  the  hall. 
When  the  house  was  built  is  uncertain,  but  it  is  supposed  in  the  early 
time  of  Henry  the  Sixth,  or  perhaps  more  anciently.  In  many  places 
the  walls  are  furnished  with  ancient  guns,  swords,  pikes,  helmets, 
breast  plates,  funeral  achievements ;  and  a  variety  of  the  spoils  of  the 
chase,  particularly  a  falcon,  which  is  nailed  against  the  wall  of  the 
room,  with  two  bells,  one  hung  to  each  foot,  and  which,  with  these 
incumbrances,  flew  from  its  owner  in  the  county  of  Angus,  on  24th 
September,  1772,  and  was  killed  near  this  house  on  the  26th.  At  the 
end  of  the  gallery  is  a  great  room,  remarkable  for  being  the  place 
where  Henry  Earl  of  Richmond  laid  the  foundation  of  his  plan  to 
overthrow  the  House  of  York ;  but  while  he  was  at  Mostyn,  Richard 
the  Third's  party  arrived,  so  that  he  had  but  just  time  to  leap  out  of  a 

back 


202  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

back  window  and  make  his  escape  through  a  hole,  called  to  this  day 
the  king's  window.      In  1631,  Sir  Roger  Mostyn,  Baronet,  made  a 
very  handsome  addition  to  this  house  by  erecting  a  large  square 
appendage,  containing  six  bed  rooms,  a  handsome  eating  room,  and  a 
drawing  room,  with  a  large  bow  window  in  the  middle  of  each : 
opposite  to  one  of  the  windows  is  an  elegant  fire-place,  and  above  are 
the  arms  of  the  numerous  alliances  of  the  family  beautifully  executed 
in  stucco,  dated  1632  ;    to  the  preceding  might  be  added  a  long 
catalogue  of  paintings,  executed  by  some  of  the  first  artists  ;  besides 
an  extensive  and  valuable  library  of  ancient  classics,  medallic  histories, 
gems,  and  a  variety  of  polite  literature,  no  where  else  to  be  found, 
particularly  manuscripts,  beautifully  written  and  illuminated.      The 
house  stands  in  a  township  of  the  same  name,  called  by  the  Welsh 
Tre-Mostyn.      The  estate  came  into  the  family  by  the  marriage  of 
levan  Vychan,  of  Pengwern,  near  Llangollen,  with  Angharad,  heiress 
of  Hywel  ap  Tudor  ap  Ithol  Vychan,  of  Mostyn,  in  the  reign  of 
Richard  the  Second.     Hywel  derived  his  descent  from  Edwin  Lord 
of  Tegeingl,  or  Englefield ;   his  grandfather  Ithel  was  a  person  of 
great  property  at  the  time  of  the  conquest  of  the  principality,  and  in 
1301  did  homage  at  Chester  to  Edward  prince  of  Wales  for  his  lands 
at  Northop  and  Mostyn.      In  the  highest  part  of  this  township  is  the 
curious  cross  called  Maen  Achwynfan,  or  "  the  stone  of  lamentation  :" 
it  stands  in  a  small  field,  opposite  to  the  gate  which  opens  from  the 
turnpike-road  into  Garreg,  and  takes  its  name,  in  all  probability, 
from  the  penances  which  were  so  often  finished  before  such  sacred 
pillars.     It  is  twelve  feet  high,  two  feet  four  inches  at  the  bottom,  and 
ten  inches  thick ;  the  base  is  sunk  in  another  stone,  and  the  top  is 
round,  it  is  of  an  elegant  form  and  sculpture  :   near  to  it  is  an  ancient 
chapel,  now  a  farm-house,  called  Gelli-wig,  or  "  the  hazel  grove," 
the  name  of  an  adjacent  tract  :  this  chapel  might  have  had  a  relation 
to  the  cross,  as  well  as  being  a  place  for  performance  of  divine  service 
for  the  Abbot  of  Basingwerk,  who  had  a  house  at  no  great  distance. 
The  township  of  Tre'r  Abbot  was  exempt  from  the  payment  of  tithes 
by  a  modus  originally  granted  by  the  Abbot  of  Basingwerk,   but 
which,  by  negligence,  is  now  totally  lost.     The  church  stands  in  the 
township  of  Tre  Llan,  and  consists  of  a  nave  with   a  good  plain 
tower-steeple,  it  has  besides  a  side  aisle,  built  by  Blithyn  Drow,  of 
the  house  of  Mostyn,  to  whom  that  part  belongs. 

Returning  from  this  direction,  at  the  distance  of  about  eleven  miles 
from  Newmarket,  we  pass  through 

HOLYWELL,  OTHERWISE  TRE-FFYNNON, 

otherwise  Ffynnon  Gwen-Vrewi,  a  handsome  well-built  town,  con- 
sisting principally  of  one  long  street  running  from  east  to  west.  It  is 
chiefly  noticed  for  its  celebrated  spring,  called  "  Saint  Winifred's 
Well,"  which  breaks  out  with  great  rapidity  from  under  a  hill,  dis- 
charging 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  203 

charging  twenty-two  tons  of  water  in  a  minute.  It  rises  in  a  long 
bason,  twelve  feet  by  seven,  a  stone  wall  with  pillars  supporting  the 
roof,  forming  a  walk  all  round  to  the  chapel.  The  roof  over  this  wall 
is  exqusitely  carved  in  stone,  with  the  legend  of  Saint  Winifred,  and 
seven  sculptures  alluding  to  the  house  of  Stanley,  who  erected  it  prior 
to  the  year  1495 ;  and  the  beautiful  Gothic  chapel  was  built  over  it 
in  the  time  of  Henry  the  Seventh  by  the  Countess  of  Richmond.  The 
roof  is  likewise  hung  round  with  crutches  and  hand-barrows,  said  to 
be  left  by  persons  who  have  received  a  perfect  cure  by  the  use  of  the 
water.  On  the  hill  above  stands  the  church,  dedicated  to  Saint 
"Winifred,  who  was  the  daughter  of  one  Thewith,  a  petty  prince  in 
those  parts,  and  of  Wenlo  his  wife,  sister  to  Saint  Beuno,  who  was  one 
of  the  most  distinguished  saints  of  Wales.  Winifred  was  instructed 
in  the  Christian  religion  by  her  uncle  Saint  Beuno :  but,  according  to 
the  legend,  being  remarkably  beautiful,  Caradoc,  the  son  of  king 
Allen,  fell  desperately  in  love  with  her,  and  finding  her  one  day  alone, 
he  solicited  her  to  comply  with  his  wishes.  Astonished  at  his  request, 
she  fled  out  of  the  house  to  the  church  built  by  her  uncle  Beuno,  but 
before  she  got  down  the  hill,  the  prince  overtook  her,  and,  in  the 
violence  of  disappointed  passion,  with  his  sword  struck  oft*  her  head, 
which  falling  to  the  ground,  caused  this  stream  of  water  to  gush  from 
the  place  where  the  head  rested :  the  moss  around  diffused  a  fragrant 
smell,  and  her  blood  spotted  the  stones,  which,  like  the  flowers  of 
Adonis,  annually  commemorate  the  fact  by  assuming  colours  unknown 
to  them  at  other  periods.  As  soon  as  Saint  Beuno  recovered  from  his 
surprise,  at  seing  this  stream  and  the  bleeding  head,  he  immediately 
took  hold  of  it,  and  ran  up  the  hill,  sending  the  murderer  to  the  devil 
by  his  curses,  while  by  his  power  he  raised  the  murdered  maid,  and 
replaced  her  head.  After  this  she  took  the  veil,  and  maintained  a 
company  of  virgins,  besides  being  assured  by  her  uncle  Beuno  to  have 
two  immortal  privileges,  namely — 

1st.  That  the  blood  should  never  be  washed  out  of  the  stones. 
2d.  That  her  merit  should  be  prevalent  all  over  the  world. 

Seven  years  after  this  she  removed  to  Gwytherin,  in  Denbighshire, 
where  she  was  buried  ;  four  rude  upright  stones  are  now  shewn  there 
as  St.  Winifred's  tomb.  In  the  reign  of  King  Stephen  her  body  was 
removed  to  the  Abbey  of  Saint  Peter  and  Saint  Paul  in  Shrewsbury. 
This  fine  spring  is  now  as  much  esteemed  by  the  manufacturer,  as 
it  was  formerly  for  its  miraculous  powers,  and  is,  in  its  short  course 
to  the  Dee,  made  subservient  to  the  purposes  of  manufacture,  by 
turning  water  mills  for  cotton  works,  forges,  smelting  works,  and 
other  machinery.  During  the  reign  of  pilgrimage  nothing  but  a  corn 
mill,  the  property  of  the  monks,  was  worked  on  the  stream.  It  is 
said  that  the  well  alluded  to  never  freezes,  or  scarcely  varies  in  the 
quantity  of  water  in  drought  or  after  the  greatest  rains.  Above  the 

church 


204  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 

church  is  a  hill  called  Bryn  y  Castell,  narrow  and  very  steep  at  the 
side,  projecting  at  the  end  over  the  little  valley.  On  this  hill  might 
have  stood  the  castle  of  Tre-ffynnon,  which  was  built  by  Randal  Earl 
of  Chester  in  the  year  1210,  but  there  are  not  at  present  any  vestiges 
left.  An  eminence  called  Bryn  Dychwelwch  is  traditionally  said  to 
have  been  the  place  from  which  Henry  the  Second  gave  his  order  for 
retreat  when  he  was  engaged  with  the  Welsh,  in  1157,  with  his  whole 
army  at  Coleshill,  in  the  same  difficulties  he  had  just  experienced  in 
the  depth  of  Coed  lolo. 

About  one  mile  east  of  Holywell  is  Basingwerke  Abbey,  or  Maes 
Glas  (Green  Field).  It  is  beautifully  situated  in  a  meadow  between 
two  hills,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  mouth  of  Holywell  river.  The 
ruins  stand  on  a  gentle  eminence,  commanding  a  fine  view  of  the 
Chester  channel,  and  surrounded  with  rich  pastures,  besides  a  happy 
disposition  of  ancient  groves  of  trees  on  every  side,  and  a  profusion  of 
sycamores :  but  in  its  dilapidated  walls  there  is  evidently  a  mixture  of 
architecture,  for  the  greater  part  of  that  now  standing  appears  to  be 
as  old  as  the  original  foundation.  The  doors  and  some  of  the  lower 
arches  are  semicircular,  simple  and  unornamented  ;  the  windows  long, 
pointed,  and  narrow.  The  south  wall  of  the  cross  aisle,  with  a  door- 
way and  one  pointed  arch,  are  all  that  remain  of  the  church,  which 
stood  on  the  east  side  of  the  abbey  ;  but  the  foundations  shew  several 
specimens  of  mixed  architecture,  or  what  is  generally  termed  Saxon 
and  Gothic.  The  abbey  was  founded,  according  to  the  opinion  of 
Bishop  Tanner,  in  1113,  by  Randal  the  second  Earl  of  Chester; 
according  to  Fleetwood  and  others,  by  Henry  the  Second ;  but  Mr. 
Pennant  believes  it  to  have  been  of  much  higher  antiquity,  and  to 
derive  its  origin  from  one  of  the  Welsh  princes.  Its  inhabitants  were 
of  the  Cistercian  order,  and  Randal  was  no  doubt  a  supporter  of  it. 
Within  these  few  years  a  great  part  of  the  refectory  and  dormitory 
were  to  be  seen,  likewise  a  shell  of  a  chapel  belonging  to  the  Knights 
Templars,  with  several  lancet  windows  to  the  west,  the  whole  of 
which  are  now  nearly  destroyed,  and  what  remains  is  converted  into 
a  barn.  The  abbey  was  valued  at  £150.  7s.  Od.  and  its  abbot  had 
been  honoured  by  being  summoned  to  parliament  five  times  by 
Edward  the  First.  A  part  of  this  abbey  was  inhabited  about  one 
hundred  years  past,  but  pulled  down  by  the  order  of  Lady  Mostyn,  to 
build  a  house  near  the  ruins.  Here  is  still  to  be  seen  an  old  brick 
barn,  strengthened  with  timber,  said  to  have  been  the  monks'  grainery, 
and  where  is  kept  an  epitaph  on  George  the  son  of  Lord  Petre,  who 
died  in  1647.  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  monks  of  this  abbey 
have  the  honour  of  being  the  first  inventors  of  the  fable  of  Saint 
Winifred,  which  brought  great  riches  to  the  monastery,  as  indulg- 
encies  were  granted  by  the  Roman  Pontiffs  in  1240  to  all  who  would 
make  a  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Well.  Two  of  the  abbots  were 
Thomas  ap  Davydd  Pennant,  and  Nicholas  his  son  :  the  father  is 

celebrated 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  205 

celebrated  for  his  munificence  and  hospitality  by  two  Welsh  bards, 
Guttain  Owain  and  Tudor  Aled,  who  flourished  about  the  year  1480. 
The  castle  was  of  importance  in  the  wars  between  the  English  and 
the  Welsh.  The  land  to  the  sea  is  steeply  sloped ;  the  west  side  was 
protected  by  a  deep  gully,  formed  by  the  river ;  and  the  south  by  a 
vast  ditch,  called  Wat's  dyke.  Vestiges  of  the  fortress  appear  in  the 
foundation  of  a  wall  on  the  edge  of  the  ditch,  and  on  the  road-side 
near  the  turnpike-gate,  opposite  to  the  ruins  of  the  abbey.  Lord 
Lyttelton  says  that  the  founder  was  an  Earl  of  Chester.  In  1 165  the 
gallant  prince  Owain  Gwynedd  laid  siege  to  it,  took  and  levelled  it  to 
the  ground ;  after  which  the  name  no  more  occurs  as  a  fortress. 

SAINT   ASAPH,    OR   LLAN   ELWY, 

is  a  small  town  or  city,  situate  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Elwy,  and 
the  cathedral  is  erected  on  its  summit ;  the  river  Clwyd  runs  on  the 
eastern  side,  and  the  Elwy  on  its  western  :  the  township  in  which  it 
stands  is  called  Bryn-Paulin,  and  one  part  of  it  Bron-yr-Wylva,  "  the 
eminence  of  the  Watch  Tower."  Mr.  Pennant  conjectures  it  might 
have  been  an  encampment  of  Paulinos,  when  on  his  way  to  and  from 
Mona.  According  to  Bishop  Tanner,  Kentigern,  bishop  of  Glasgow, 
being  driven  out  of  Scotland,  founded  an  episcopal  see  and  monastery 
here,  about  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century,  and  became  the  first 
bishop.  Upon  his  return  into  Scotland,  he  made  Asaph,  (being 
grandson  of  Pabo  Post  Prydain,)  an  eminently  holy  and  good  man,  his 
successor,  and  from  him  both  the  church  and  place  has  been  called 
Saint  Asaph  ;  but  from  the  death  of  Saint  Asaph,  A.  D.  596,  there 
is  no  account  of  the  monastery,  and  little  or  no  account  of  any  bishops, 
till  the  year  1143;  and  though  there  has  been  a  regular  and  constant 
succession  from  that  time,  yet,  by  reason  of  the  wars  between  the 
English  and  Welsh  and  Owain  Glyndwr's  rebellion,  the  cathedral 
church,  with  the  bishop's  and  canons'  houses  were  more  than  once 
destroyed,  and  for  many  years  in  ruins.  Upon  one  of  these  devasta- 
tions, or  the  fears  of  it,  Bishop  Anian  the  Second  endeavoured,  in 
1278,  to  remove  the  see  to  Ruddlan,  five  miles  to  the  north-west, 
and  King  Edward  the  First  granted  his  licence  for  it  in  the  year 
1284,  and  promised  both  ground  for  the  church  and  the  necessary 
offices,  and  one  thousand  marks  towards  the  buildings ;  but  this  did 
not  take  effect.  The  see  was  formerly  a  very  wealthy  see,  but  its 
revenues  were  greatly  lessened  by  the  profusion  of  Bishop  Parfew, 
who  (in  1536)  alienated  much  of  the  lands  belonging  to  it.  It  was 
valued  (26th  Henry  VIII.)  at  £202.  10s.  6d.  in  the  whole,  and  at 
£187.  lls  6d.  clear,  which  is  its  present  value  in  the  king's  books, 
but  it  is  computed  to  be  worth  £2000  per  annum.  The  most  remark- 
able edifice  is  the  present  cathedral,  built  chiefly  since  1441,  being 
in  length  182  feet,  and  in  breadth  50 ;  the  western  tower  is  93  feet 
high,  but  on  the  whole  it  appears  a  simple  inelegant  building,  con- 


taining 


206  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

taining  little  worth  enquiry  except  three  monuments,  for  Bishops 
Owen,  who  died  in  1512,  Griffith  in  1666,  and  Barrow  in  1680. 
The  Dean  and  Chapter,  out  of  a  fund  vested  in  them  for  that  purpose, 
rebuilt  the  choir,  the  eastern  window  of  which  is  copied  from  Tintern 
Abbey.  The  members  of  this  chapter  are  the  dean,  archdeacon  (who 
is  also  bishop),  six  prebendaries,  chancellor,  and  seven  canons,  an 
organist,  four  lay  clerks  or  singing  men,  four  choristers,  and  other 
officers.  It  is  perhaps  peculiar  to  Saint  Asaph,  that  the  cathedral  is 
not  used  for  a  parish  church,  like  all  the  rest  of  the  Welsh  cathedrals ; 
but  the  parish  church  stands  a  little  distance  from  it,  within  the  town, 
and  two  aisles  called  Eglwys  Asaph  and  Eglwys  Kentigern,  from  the 
saints  of  those  names,  frequently  mentioned  in  the  Welsh  calendar. 
In  the  parish  church  is  a  tomb  ornamented  with  foliage,  and  bearing 
a  shield  with  a  lion  rampant ;  inscribed  around  it  are  these  words- — 
"  Hie  jacet  Ranulfus  de  Smalwode,"  and  beneath  the  shield  passes  a 
sword,  held  by  a  hand  :  it  is  said  to  have  been  brought  from  Rudd- 
lan.  The  old  palace,  which  was  not  very  magnificent,  was  rebuilt 
by  Bishop  David  ab  Owen  in  1503,  after  it  had  lain  in  ruins  for  one 
hundred  years.  This  building  being  out  of  repair  and  very  incon- 
venient, Bishop  Bagot  built  a  handsome  and  comfortable  palace  about 
the  year  1795. 

Three  miles  to  the  south-east  of  Saint  Asaph  we  pass  on  our  right 

CAERWYS, 

or  Caer-ar-wys,  L  e.  "  The  Fort  above  the  Waters ;"  although  others 
say  the  name  of  this  place  is  derived  from  Caer  "  a  city,"  and  Gwys 
"  a  summons,"  and  that  it  appears  to  have  been  a  place  of  judicature, 
and  particularly  a  Roman  station.  It  now  consists  of  four  spacious 
streets,  crossing  each  other  at  right  angles ;  and  the  parish  church  is 
dedicated  to  St.  Michael.  Roman  coins  have  been  frequently  found 
here,  and  many  tumuli  are  round  it  and  in  the  neighbourhood.  In  a 
wood  near  this  town  is  a  well  called  Saint  Michael's,  close  to  a  very 
romantic  rock,  on  which  a  Roman  catholic  chapel  is  supposed  to  have 
been  once  situated,  and  concerning  which  some  superstitious  ideas  are 
still  entertained  :  as  persons  go  early  on  Easter  morning  to  drink  the 
rock  water  mixed  with  sugar.  Caerwys  is  also  celebrated  as  the 
place  of  Eisteddfod,  or  British  Olympics,  where  the  sessions  of  bards 
and  minstrels  were  held  for  many  centuries.  It  was  chosen  for  this 
purpose  on  account  of  its  having  been  the  princely  residence  of 
Llywelyn  ap  Gruffydd.  In  this  contest  none  but  bards  of  merit  and 
skilful  minstrels  were  permitted  to  exhibit  before  the  appointed 
judges,  whose  approbation  could  decide  on  their  abilities,  and  confer 
suitable  degrees  and  rewards,  with  permission  to  exercise  their  talents 
before  the  princes,  nobility,  and  gentry  of  the  principality ;  without 
which  no  one  was  admitted  to  that  distinction.  The  judges  were 
appointed  by  a  commission  from  the  prince,  and  after  the  conquest  of 

Wales 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  207 

Wales  by  Edward  the  First,  the  English  kings  sanctioned  their 
Eisteddfod  as  an  institution  likely  to  soften  the  manners  of  a  fierce 
and  warlike  people.  Previous  to  this  we  find  Gruffydd  ap  Cynan, 
contemporary  with  King  John,  enacted  that  no  person  should  follow 
the  profession  of  a  bard  or  minstrel  who  was  not  regularly  admitted 
by  the  Eisteddfod,  which  was  held  once  in  three  years;  neither  were 
they  allowed  to  degrade  the  profession  by  following  any  other  occu- 
pation. In  1568  a  commission  was  granted  by  Queen  Elizabeth  for 
holding  an  Eisteddfod  at  Caerwys,  which  is  still  in  the  possession  of 
Sir  Thomas  Mostyn,  together  with  a  silver  harp,  containing  strings 
equal  to  the  number  of  the  muses,  and  such  as  was  generally  bestowed 
on  the  first  of  the  faculty  in  ancient  times.  Another  Eisteddfod 
was  held  prior  to  this  period,  in  the  15th  year  of  Henry  the  Eighth, 
in  which  Richard  ap  Ho  well  ap  Ivan  Vychan,  of  Mostyn,  Sir 
William  Gruffydd,  of  Penrhyn,  and  Sir  Robert  Salisbury  presided, 
assisted  by  Gruffydd  ap  Evan  ap  Llewelyn  Vychan  and  Tyder  (or 
Tudor)  Aled,  two  bards.  The  last  meeting  at  Caerwys  was  in 
consequence  of  a  notice  published  by  the  Gentlemen  of  the  Gwyneddi- 
gion  or  North  Wales  Society  (instituted  for  the  encouragement  of 
Welsh  Literature)  in  London,  which  fixed  the  Congress  or  Eistedd^- 
fod  to  commence  on  Tuesday,  the  29th  May,  1798,  and,  according  to 
ancient  custom,  was  proclaimed  twelve  months  and  a  day  prior  to  the 
day  appointed.  On  this  occasion  the  town-hall  was  neatly  prepared 
for  the  reception  of  a  numerous  and  respectable  company.  The 
subjects  were  fixed  upon  by  the  Gwyneddigion  Society,  which,  as 
might  be  expected,  when  originating  from  that  respectable  body, 
produced  numerous  candidates,  whose  productions  were  animated 
and  of  considerable  merit.  The  number  of  bards  that  attended  this 
Eisteddfod  amounted  to  twenty ^  vocal  performers  eighteen,  and 
harpers  twelve,  all  of  whom  acquitted  themselves  so  extremely  well, 
that  several  connoisseurs  in  music  who  were  present  the  three  days 
it  continued  declared  that  they  never  recollected  a  contest  of  this 
nature  better  maintained  or  afford  more  rational  amusement. 

At  the  distance  of  about  eight  miles  from  Caerwys  we  pass  through 
the  village  of  Northop;  six  miles  beyond  which  we  arrive  at 
Hawarden,  called  by  the  Welsh  Penarddhalawg,  a  large  well-paved 
town,  with  the  ruins  of  an  old  castle  at  the  east  end,  called  in  Welsh 
Pen-y-Llwch,  or  (vulgarly)  Pennard  y-las,  commanding  an  extensive 
prospect  towards  the  Dee.  It  was  built  soon  after  the  Norman 
conquest,  and  has  been  very  strong,  being  situated  on  a  high  hill  in 
Sir  William  Glynn's  park,  and  surrounded  by  a  double  ditch  now 
filled  with  trees,  and  having  a  wall  on  the  innermost  side.  On  the 
summit  is  a  semi-circular  tower,  commanding  an  extensive  prospect, 
but  only  a  small  part  of  the  outer  wall  remains.  Henry  the  Sixth 
granted  the  castle  to  Sir  Thomas  Stanley,  in  whose  family  it  continued 

during 
j  i 


208  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

during  the  civil  wars;  but  after  the  execution  of  Thomas  Stanley, 
Earl  of  Derby,  it  was  purchased  by  Sergeant  Glynn,  of  the  family  of 
Glynn-Llivon,  whose  descendants  are  its  present  possessors.  It  was 
surrendered  to  the  King's  troops  in  1643,  but  retaken  after  the  battle 
of  Chester  in  1645.  On  some  disturbances  arising  between  the 
Parliamentary  soldiers  in  1647,  it  was  dismantled;  and  was  entirely 
spoiled  by  Sir  William  Glynn  in  1680.  At  present  a  little  more 
than  the  walls  and  the  keep  remain,  particularly  the  latter,  which  is 
more  elevated  and  perfect  than  the  other  parts  of  the  building,  and 
has  had  within  these  few  years  a  room  elegantly  fitted  up  in  the 
modern  style,  with  some  painted  statues,  the  whole  of  which  do  but 
ill  accord  with  the  shattered  ruins  around  them.  West  of  the  church, 
by  the  road  side,  is  a  mount  called  Truman's  Hill,  with  a  cavity  on 
its  summit  like  a  camp. 

About  one  mile  to  the  north-east  of  Hawarden  is  Eulo  (or  lolo) 
Castle,  situate  on  the  road  side,  two  miles  from  Northop :  it  is  a 
small  double  fortress,  with  a  square  area  and  two  round  towers.  In 
the  adjoining  field  and  wood,  called  Coed-Eulo,  Henry  the  Second 
received  a  severe  repulse,  after  he  attempted  to  cut  off  the  retreat  of 
Owen  Gwynedd,  who  was  retiring  to  a  place  near  Saint  Asaph,  now 
called  Cil-Owen,  or  Owen's  Retreat.  This  small  place  is  chiefly 
noted  for  its  manufacture  of  earthenware,  which  is  carried  on  to  a 
very  great  extent. 

Bangor-Iscoed  is  situate  in  a  detached  part  of  the  county,  separated 
by  the  interposition  of  Denbighshire,  and  is  two  miles  from  Overton, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Dee,  which  flows  under  a  handsome  stone  bridge 
of  five  arches.  Bangor  is  chiefly  celebrated  as  having  been  the  site 
of  one  of  the  most  famous  monasteries  in  the  kingdom,  founded,  as  it 
is  supposed,  by  Lucius,  son  of  Coel,  the  first  Christian  King  in 
Britain,  established  for  the  increase  of  learning  and  preservation  of 
the  Christian  faith  in  this  realm  about  the  year  180.  It  was  originally 
founded  for  an  university,  but  afterwards  converted  into  a  monastery 
by  Cynwyl  about  the  year  530,  who  was  made  the  first  abbot.  This 
monastery  was  remarkable  for  its  valuable  library,  and,  from  its 
great  age  and  number  of  learned  men,  was  truly  acknowledged  (says 
Speed)  to  be  the  mother  of  all  others  in  the  world.  Nennius,  who 
wrote  the  History  of  Britain,  extant  at  this  day,  was  one  of  the 
abbots;  and  when  Augustine  the  monk  was  commissioned  by 
Gregory  the  First,  about  596,  to  convert  the  English  Saxons  to 
Christianity,  the  monastery  of  Bangor  was  reported  to  be  in  a  very 
flourishing  state,  containing  no  less  than  two  thousand  four  hundred 
monks,  one  hundred  of  which  in  their  turns  passed  one  hour  in 
devotion,  so  that  the  whole  twenty-four  hours  of  every  day  were 
employed  in  sacred  .duties.  After  the  battle  of  Chester,  fought  by 
the  victorious  Etheldred,  King  of  Northumbria,  a  great  number  of 
this  religious  society  were  slain,  which  proved  most  fatal  to  this 

establishment, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  209 

establishment,  as  the  monastery  appears  to  have  gone  into  gradual 
decay  after  this  event;  for  William  of  Malmesbury,  who  lived  soon 
after  the  Norman  conquest,  reports,  that  in  his  time  there  remained 
only  a  few  relics  of  its  ancient  greatness;  but  there  was  then  an 
immense  heap  of  rubbish,  the  like  of  which  was  no  where  to  be 
found.  In  Leland's  time  the  site  appears  to  have  been  ploughed 
ground ;  and  nearly  a  mile  in  compass  the  plough  often  turned  up 
bones  of  the  monks,  and  in  digging  pieces  of  their  clothes  were  found 
in  sepulchres.  He  also  says  that  Roman  coins  were  discovered  here 
in  his  time,  and  old  foundations  of  squared  stones  were  then  visible  in 
several  places.  This  place  is  supposed  to  be  the  site  of  Bovium,  a 
famous  Roman  station ;  but  it  is  said  there  are  at  present  not  the 
least  remains  of  a  monastery,  city,  or  Roman  station.  The  church  of 
Bangor  (dedicated  to  Saint  Dinoeth)  is  a  handsome  structure  of  the 
time  of  King  Henry  the  Seventh.  In  Pennant's  Tour  are  repre- 
sentations of  four  stone  coffin  lids  dug  up  here  in  his  time.  In  this 
parish  is  a  handsome  bridge  over  the  Dee,  consisting  of  five  arches, 
built  in  1658. 

Bodfair,  or  JBodvair,  or  Bodvary,  or  Bodfary,  hath  its  church  dedi- 
cated to  Saint  Stephen.  It  is  situate  near  the  junction  of  the  Chwiler 
with  the  Clvvyd.  The  Varis  of  Richard  of  Cirencester  is  supposed  to 
have  been  near  this  place.  The  country  about  Maes-Maenan  is 
singularly  fine ;  and  here  Llewelyn  ap  Gruffydd  is  said  to  have 
resided,  in  a  house  whose  foundations  till  within  a  few  years  were  to 
be  seen  in  an  adjacent  meadow. 

Cwm,  "  a  hollow,"  or  "  dingle." — Ffynon  Asaph,  or  Saint  Asaph's 
Well,  a  fountain  inclosed  with  stone,  in  a  polygonal  form,  is  some- 
times resorted  to  for  the  cure  of  rheumatic  and  nervous  complaints; 
the  water  is  remarkably  cold,  and  sufficiently  powerful  to  turn  a  mill 
in  the  driest  season,  and  does  actually  turn  one  within  a  few  yards 
of  its  source.  On  Moel-Hiraddug,  a  hill  of  a  conical  form,  are 
the  remains  of  a  British  fortress,  and  which  is  also  remarkable  for 
having  on  its  summit  a  bed  of  bright  and  beautiful  but  brittle  red 
spar.  Cwm  church  is  embosomed  by  hills,  and  fronts  the  Vale  of 
Clwyd.  On  a  very  ancient  stone  in  the  churchyard  is  this  incrip- 
tion — "  Hie  jacet  Tangwistl  uxor  Llewelyn  ap  Inir." 

Halkin,  properly  called  Helygen,  i.  e.  ee  The  Willow,"  hath  its 
church  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary.  At  the  Conquest,  according  to 
Domesday,  this  place  was  called  Alchone,  from  which  probably  the 
word  Halkin  is  derived.  The  first  place  of  any  note  which  is  in  this 
parish  is  a  small  hamlet  called  Y-Pentre,  or  "  The  Village,"  and  is 
generally  distinguished  from  Llan,  the  church,  or  Llandre,  the 
assemblage  of  houses  near  it.  This  took  its  rise  in  the  last  century, 
and  was  much  increased  by  the  concourse  of  miners  on  the  discovery 
of  a  rich  vein  in  the  adjacent  fields.  Near  it  is  Halkin  mountain,  a 

vast 
i  i  2 


210  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

vast  tract  of  land,  which  runs  into  three  other  parishes.  '  Mr.  Pennant 
seems  to  be  of  opinion  that  a  saint  in  the  British  calendar,  called 
Lugan,  gave  name  to  this  place,  but  no  such  name  can  be  discovered 
in  the  catalogue  called  Buchedd  y  Saint.  On  the  summit  of  a  hill  is 
a  strong  British  fortress,  called  Moel-y-Gaer,  which  is  surrounded 
with  a  great  fosse  and  dyke  of  a  circular  form. — In  this  parish,  above 
the  village,  is  the  most  elegant  castellated  mansion  of  Lord  Grosvenor, 
Lord  Lieutenant  of  the  County. 

Hanmer  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Chad  or  Saint  Chedde, 
who  were  not  one  but  two  persons,  both  Saxons,  and  brothers,  who 
lived  in  the  year  660.  Chedde,  the  elder,  was  bishop  of  London, 
and  a  very  active  promoter  of  Christianity  among  the  East  Saxons ; 
Chad,  the  younger  brother,  who  was  considerably  the  longer  liver, 
was  bishop  of  Lichfield,  remarkable  for  converting  Wolfhere,  king 
of  Mercia :  the  story  of  whose  cruelty  in  killing  his  sons,  and  the 
particulars  of  his  conversion,  were,  before  the  civil  wars,  painted  in 
Peterborough  church  windows,  where  he  built  a  monastery.  Davydd 
ap  Edmund,  a  poet,  who  obtained  the  chair  at  the  Caermarthen 
Eisteddfod  about  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century,  was  a  native  of 
this  parish  ;  many  of  his  compositions  are  preserved,  which  discover 
considerable  genius  and  fancy.  This  parish  is  extremely  beautiful 
and  varied,  and  comprises  a  lake  of  50  acres,  to  which  the  place  is 
supposed  to  owe  its  name  :  in  the  church  are  several  monuments  to 
the  memory  of  the  Hanmer  family  ;  in  this  parish  is  Bettisfield,  the 
seat  of  Sir  John  Hanmer,  Bart.  ;  also  Gredington,  the  seat  of 
Lord  Ken  yon. 

Kilcen  or  Cilcein  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary,  which 
is  remarkable  for  its  carved  roof,  and  is  said  to  have  been  brought 
from  the  church  at  Basingwerk  abbey,  on  the  dissolution,  and  thus  to 
have  fulfilled  a  prophecy  of  Robin  Ddu,  or  Robert  the  Black,  a  bard, 
who,  when  he  saw  it  put  up  by  the  Monks,  observed  that  "  it  would 
be  very  well  for  a  church  beneath  Moel  Vamma."  In  this  parish  is 
the  noted  Ffynnon  Leinw,  or  flowing  well,  mentioned  by  Camden  for 
its  flux  and  reflux  ;  but  it  appears  from  Mr.  Pennant  that  this 
singularity  has  ceased  for  some  time. — Kilcen  Hall,  near  this  well, 
was  at  one  time  the  seat  of  a  branch  of  the  Mostyn  family  ;  it  after- 
wards became  the  property  of  Mr.  Edwards,  of  Pentre,  in  Mont- 
gomeryshire, in  right  of  his  wife  Charlotte  Mostyn,  heiress  of  the 
place. 

Llan  Asaph  or  Llanasa  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Asaph 
and  Saint  Kentigern :  it  is  situate  upon  the  Irish  sea,  and  has  a  light- 
house at  the  point  of  Air,  near  the  entrance  of  the  Dee.  Laurence 
Child,  Bishop  of  Saint  Asaph  in  1385,  procured  the  impropriation  of 
this  church  to  supply  his  cathedral  with  lights,  and  to  repair  the  ruins 
occasioned  by  the  wars.  In  the  hamlet  of  Gwyspyr  are  the  ruins  of  a 
small  chapel.  There  is  a  tradition,  that  the  extent  of  Gronant  Moor 

was 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  211 

was  so  great,  that  the  people  on  the  Welsh  side  could  hold  conversa- 
tion over  the  channel  with  those  of  Cheshire,  previous  to  its  being 
reduced  to  its  present  scanty  limits  by  the  encroachments  of  the  sea. 
The  parish  was  possessed  by  the  See  of  Saint  Asaph,  by  virtue  of  a 
grant  made  by  Edward  the  BlackPrince,  son  of  Edward  the  Third,  to 
Llewelyn  ap  Madog,  elected  Bishop  of  Saint  Asaph  in  1357.  The 
inundation  of  the  sea  happened  before  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Fifth  ; 
previous  to  which  time  the  Bishop  paid  annually  into  the  Exchequer 
of  Chester,  as  an  acknowledgment,  twenty  marks ;  but  Henry  in  1414, 
and  Henry  the  Sixth  in  1445,  and  1451,  in  consideration  of  the  mis- 
fortune, released  the  See  from  that  rent.  If  this  account  did  not 
remain  an  incontestible  proof  of  the  ravages  of  the  ocean  on  this  part 
of  the  country,  there  exists  natural  ones,  that  woulcl  give  reasonable 
grounds  for  suspicion.  The  Hyle  sands,  which  run  from  twelve  to 
fourteen  miles  parallel  with  the  narrow  hundred  of  Wirral,  in 
Cheshire,  and  are  divided  from  Wales  by  a  narrow  channel,  were 
once,  in  all  probability,  part  of  the  firm  land  of  England.  A  few 
miles  to  the  west  of  Gronant  Moor,  under  the  parish  of  Abergele,  in 
Denbighshire,  are  to  be  seen  at  low  water,  very  remote  from  the  shore, 
and  bedded  in  the  sand,  immense  numbers  of  oak  trees  ;  and  in  the 
churchyard  wall  of  Abergele,  is  an  epitaph  with  date,  in  Welsh, 
signifying  that  the  person  who  was  interred  there  lived  three  miles  to 
the  north  of  that  spot,  a  tract  now  entirely  possessed  by  the  sea.  A 
little  beyond  Gronant  is  the  old  seat  of  Nant,  formerly  occupied  by 
the  Conways,  a  branch  of  the  Conwaysof  Bryn-Euryn,  hear  Llandrillo 
in  Rhos,  descended  from  Gruflfydd  Goch  (the  red),  Lord  of  Rhos 
and  Rhuvoniog.  The  following  gentlemen's  seats  are  in  this  parish  : 
— Talacre,  a  newly  erected  mansion  belonging  to  Sir  Edward  Mostyn, 
Bart,  built  near  the  site  of  an  old  house  in  the  Elizabethan  style,  the 
paternal  seat  of  this  branch  of  the  Mostyn  family ;  the  stone  of  which 
it  is  formed  was  found  upon  the  spot,  and  is  allowed  to  be  as  beautiful 
as  any  in  the  kingdom.  The  interior  of  this  house,  when  in  an 
unfinished  state,  was  accidentally  burnt  down  on  the  morning  of 
Wednesday,  the  12th  of  September,  1827  ;  it  is  supposed  that  the 
fire  originated  in  some  of  the  rooms  where  the  carpenters  and 
plasterers  were  employed  the  day  preceding.  Golden  Grove,  the 
old  seat  of  the  ancient  family  of  Morgan  ;  of  this  family  was  Captain 
Morgan,  who  fell  upon  Tegau  mountain  in  the  cause  of  Charles  the 
First,  and  lies  there  buried  to  the  north  of  Llynn  Helyg.  Gyrn,  the 
newly-erected  mansion  of  John  Douglas,  Esq.  :  here  is  a  most  mag- 
nificent room,  purposely  built  for  a  very  valuable  collection  of 
paintings  by  the  most  eminent  masters  of  the  celebrated  schools  in 
Europe. 

Nannerch  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary.  In  the  church 
is  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  Charlotte  Theophila  Mostyn,  wife  of 
Richard  Mostyn,  Esq.  a  former  owner  of  Penbedw,  and  daughter  of 

and 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

and  co-heiress  (with  her  sister  Margaretta  Maria,  who  married  Sir 
John  Conway,  of  Bodtruddan,)  to  John  Digby,  son  of  the  famous 
Sir  Kenelm  Digby,  by  which  means  several  curious  MSS.  of  that 
gentleman's  collection  were  brought  into  North  Wales.  In  the 
chancel  window  were  formerly  these  words, — "  Orate  pro  bono  statu, 
Howell  ap  John  ap  Dd  ap  Ithel,"  who  is  thought  to  have  been 
founder  of  the  church.  Penbedw  is  situate  in  a  manor  of  the  same 
name,  granted  July  17th,  1544,  by  Henry  the  Eighth,  and  witnessed 
by  Queen  Catherine  Parr,  to  Pyers  ap  Howel  otherwise  Peter 
Mostyn,  of  Wespre,  in  consideration  of  the  payment  of  £7,300  in 
hand  paid.  The  grant  recites  that  "  it  had  been  parcel  of  the  posses- 
sions of  the  Earl  of  Kent,  in  the  commot  of  Dogvylyn,  in  the  county 
of  Denbigh,"  The  name  of  this  parish  is  derived  from  Nan,  for 
Nant,  "a  dingle;"  and  erch,  "  gloomy." 

OVERTON, 

or  Wrtin  Vadog  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary.  The 
inhabitants  of  Knolton  and  Overton  Foreign,  paying  scot  and  lot 
in  the  parish  of  Overton,  have  a  right  to  vote  for  a  member  of  parlia- 
ment for  the  town  of  Flint.  There  are  no  remains  of  the  castle, 
which  stood  in  a  field  still  called  Castle  Field  :  tradition'  says  that  this 
place  was  at  one  time  the  residence  of  Madog  ap  Meredydd,  Prince 
of  Powys  and  Lord  of  Overton;  on  which  account  it  was  called 
Overton  Madock.  The  church  is  a  handsome  building,  and  the 
churchyard  is  reckoned  one  of  the  wonders  of  Wales,  on  account  of 
the  number  of  yew  trees  growing  in  it.  A  certain  spot  near  Sodyllt, 
not  far  from  this  place,  divides  England  and  Wales ;  the  provinces  of 
Canterbury  and  York  ;  the  dioceses  of  Lichfield  and  Coventry, 
Chester,  and  Saint  Asaph  ;  and  the  counties  of  Salop,  Flint,  and 
Denbigh;  the  hundreds  of  Oswestry,  Maelor,  and  Bromfield  ;  the 
parishes  of  Ellesmere,  Overton,  and  Erbistock ;  and  the  townships  of 
Dudleston,  Knolton,  and  Erbistock. 

Threap  Wood.— This  tract  for  many  years  had  the  ill  fortune  to  be 
extra-parochial,  but  in  the  year  1811  a  chapel  was  built  upon  the 
common  and  endowed :  it  is  in  the  counties  of  Chester  and  Flint ; 
this  parish  is  surrounded  by  the  parishes  of  Malpas,  Hanmer,  and 
Worthenbury,  but  it  belonged  to  neither  till,  by  the  militia  acts,  it 
was  decreed  to  be  in  the  last,  for  the  purpose  of  the  militia  only  ;  by 
the  mutiny  acts,  however,  it  is  annexed  to  the  parish  of  Malpas.  The 
Wich-brook  rises  in  part  of  the  parish  of  Malpas,  but  in  the  county 
of  Flint,  near  the  Wiches,  where  there  are  brine  springs  and  salt 
works. 

Tremeirchion  (the  town  of  Meirchion),  or  Dinas  Meirchion  (the 
fort  of  Meirchion),  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  the  Holy  Trinity. — 
In  the  church,  under  a  handsome  gothic  arch,  lies  in  priestly  vestments, 
well  executed,  a  representation  of  the  figure  of  David  Ddu  (or  "the 

black"), 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  213 

black"),  of  Hiraddug,  underneath  is  inscribed — "  Hie  jacet  David  ab 
Roderic  ab  Madoc." — He  was  vicar  of  this  place,  and  dignitary  of 
Saint  Asaph,  a  prophet  and  a  poet,  he  flourished  between  1310  and 
1360 ;  a  poetical  translation  of  the  office  of  the  virgin,  written  by  him, 
is  printed  in  the  Welsh  Archaiology ;  he  translated  the  psalms  of 
David  into  Welsh  metre,  and  had  a  great  concern  in  regulating  the 
Welsh  prosody :  here  is  also  in  the  church  a  cross-legged  figure  of  Sir 
Robert  Pounderling,  who,  it  would  seem,  had  obtained  the  merit  of 
pilgrimage  to  the  holy  sepulchre.  The  church  is  built  on  the 
declivity  of  the  Clwydian  hills,  and  its  situation  is  esteemed  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  spots  on  earth,  for  the  extent,  variety,  and  grandeur 
of  the  prospects  it  affords.  In  a  building  adjoining  the  churchyard 
may  be  seen  the  carved  capital  of  an  old  cross,  noted  in  the  days  of 
popery  for  its  miracles,  and  celebrated  in  a  Welsh  poem  by  a  bard  of 
the  name  of  Gruffydd  ap  levan  ap  Llewelyn  Vychan,  who  flourished 
about  1500. 

Treuddyn,  Treddin,  or  Treithin,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint 
Mary. — Near  this  place  is  a  large  stone  pillar,  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished by  the  name  of  Maen-hir,  and  supposed  to  mark  the  grave 
of  some  celebrated  warrior,  who  fell  in  battle,  it  is  called  Carreg  y 
Llech ;  it  is  about  five  feet  high,  seven  broad,  and  eighteen  inches 
thick,  placed  erect  on  a  tumulus  coarsely  paved. 

The  following  eminent  bards  and  learned  and  celebrated  men  were 
natives  or  inhabitants  of  this  county  : ---Robert  Ddu,  a  bard ;  Edwin, 
Prince  of  Tegeingl ;  Ednowain  Bendew,  Lord  of  Tegeingl,  1079  ; 
lolo  Goch,  bard,  1410;  Davydd  ap  Edmund,  bard,  1450;  Madog 
ap  Gruflfydd  Maelor,  founder  of  Valle  Crucis  abbey  ;  Henry  Perry, 
who  enlarged  and  published  William  Salisbury's  Rhetoric  ;  Sir 
John  Glynn,  Chief  Justice  ;  Sir  John  Trevor  and  Sir  Thomas  Han- 
mer,  Speakers  of  the  House  of  Commons  ;  Lloyd  Lord  Kenyon, 
Lord  Chief  Justice  ^  of  the  King's  Bench;  Thomas  Pennant,  of 
Downing,  Esq.  historian  and  naturalist ;  John  Humffreys  Parry,  Esq. 
editor  of  the  Cambro-Briton  and  the  Cambrian  Plutarch. 


MERIONETHSHIRE, 


214  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 


MERIONETHSHIRE, 

.IN  Welsh  Meirion,  or  Meirionydd,  or  Sir  Veirionydh,  and  by 
Giraldus  Terra  Filiorum  Conani.  The  face  of  this  county  is  varied 
throughout  with  a  most  romantic  mixture  of  all  the  peculiar  scenery 
belonging  to  a  wild  and  mountainous  region,  but  less  dreary  than 
Caernarvonshire,  being  much  bolder  and  clothed  with  wood,  yet  not 
less  fertile  in  objects  which  impress  the  mind  with  astonishment. 
The  air  of  Merionethshire  is  very  sharp  in  winter,  on  account  of  its 
high  and  barren  mountains.  Some  of  the  lakes  abound  with  excellent 
char,  and  singular  crooked-back  trouts.  Beneath  the  lofty  Berwyn 
Hills,  spreads  a  fine  vale,  with  the  infant  Dee,  although  it  only 
receives  the  name  on  leaving  Bala  lake,  yet  some  trace  its  head  higher, 
even  to  the  lofty  Aran,  which  Spenser  makes  the  residence  of  Timon, 
the  foster-father  to  prince  Arthur— 

"  His  dwelling  is  full  low  in  valley  green, 
Under  the  foot  of  Aran's  mossy  hoar, 
From  whence  the  river  Dee,  as  silver  clean, 
His  tumbling  billows  roll  with  gentle  roar." 

South  of  this  spot  begins  an  alpine  region  of  narrow  and  deep  vallies, 
between  high,  verdant,  and  precipitous  hills,  with  moors  affording 
peat,  almost  the  only  fuel  of  the  country,  while  the  Dyfi,  a  consider- 
able river,  rolls  in  the  bottom;  and  at  last  forms  the  southern 
boundary  of  Merionethshire. 

CORWEN 

hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Julian,  who  lived  about  the  be- 
ginning of  the  sixth  century.  It  is  a  small  town,  built  on  a  rock  at 
the  foot  of  the  Berwyn  hills,  and  approached  by  crossing  a  handsome 
bridge  over  the  Dee.  This  place  is  become  a  great  resort  for  anglers, 
who  merely  frequent  it  for  amusement,  being  well  stocked  with  trout, 
grayling,  and  many  species  offish,  particularly  salmon,  which  is  much 
esteemed  by  the  epicure.  Corwen  is  also  remarkable  for  being  the 
rendezvous  of  the  Welsh  forces  under  Owen  Gwynedd,  and  where  he 
stopped  the  invasion  of  Henry  the  Second  in  1161.  The  place  of 
encampment  may  be  easily  distinguished  by  a  mount  of  earth.  The 
church  is  built  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  south  of  the  village  of  Cynwyd. 
On  the  south  side  of  the  church  is  cut  a  very  rude  cross,  which  is 
shown  to  strangers  as  a  representation  of  the  sword  of  Owen  Glyndwr. 
Near  the  parish  church  stands  a  pointed  rude  stone,  called  Carreg-y- 
big  yn-y-fach-newlyd,  which  is  said  to  have  directed  the  founder 
where  to  erect  the  church;  and  in  the  churchyard  is  another,  the 
shaft  of  which  is  inserted  in  a  flat  stone,  and  that  supported  by  four 

or 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  215 

or  five  rude  stones,  as  if  the  whole  had  been  formed  in  imitation  and 
veneration  of  the  sacred  cromlechs  of  ancient  times.  In  the  church 
is  the  tomb  of  one  of  its  first  vicars.  There  are  also  two  hospitals  in 
the  parish,  one  of  them  being  for  six  widows  of  clergymen,  who  died 
possessed  of  cure  of  souls  in  the  county  of  Merioneth,  and  is  endowed 
by  lands  amounting  to  £60  per  annum;  the  other  for  eight  old 
women  of  the  parish.  It  is  almost  unncessary  to  observe,  that  the 
lands  about  Corwen  are  in  a  high  degree  fertile,  and  finely  variegated 
with  four  deep  and  narrow  vales  on  each  side  verging  towards  it  as 
the  central  part  of  a  star,  while  the  naked  and  intervening  hills  gra- 
dually expand  themselves  before  our  eyes  till  terminated  by  the 
horizon. 

The  little  village  of  Cynwyd  was  formerly  noted  for  the  courts  kept 
there  by  the  great  men  of  the  neighbourhood,  to  settle  the  boundaries 
of  their  several  claims  on  the  wastes  and  commons,  and  to  take  cogni- 
zance of  the  encroachments;  but  they  have  been  long  discontinued, 
and  the  records  destroyed. 

About  one  mile  north  of  Corwen  is  Caer  Drewyn,  an  ancient 
British  post,  on  a  steep  hill,  which  commands  a  fine  view  of  the  vales 
of  Glyn  Dyvrdwy*  and  Edeirnion.  The  post  is  circular,  about  half 
a  mile  in  circumference,  and  defended  by  a  single  wall  mostly  in 
ruins ;  yet  in  some  places  the  facing  remains,  and  in  the  thickness  of 
the  walls  are  evident  marks  of  stately  apartments.  It  had  apparently 
two  entrances  near  the  north-east,  with  an  oblong  square  added  to  the 
main  structure,  where  the  ground  is  flat,  besides  being  strengthened 
with  a  great  ditch  and  wall.  Within  this  are  the  foundations  of  rude 
stone  buildings,  one  of  which  is  circular,  and  several  yards  in  diameter  : 
the  ditch  is  carried  much  farther  than  the  wall,  and  seems  an  un- 
finished addition.  It  is  conjectured  that  Owen  Gwynedd  occupied 
this  post  when  Henry  the  Second  lay  encamped  on  the  Berwyn  Hills, 
and  it  was  afterwards  used  by  Owen  Glyndwr. 

Pont-y-Glyn,  or  the  bridge  of  the  precipice,  is  six  miles  from 
Corwen,  on  the  road  to  Llanrwst.  This  bridge  stands  at  the  head  of 
a  woody  glen  with  prominent  rocks,  almost  obscured  by  the  surround- 
ing foliage.  It  consists  of  a  single  arch,  thrown  over  the  rugged  bed 
of  a  precipitous  river,  where,  among  immense  masses  of  rock,  the 
stream  foams  most  furiously.  The  cataract  is  not  very  high,  but 
situate  immediately  under  the  bridge,  where  its  white  foam,  dashing 
among  dark  opposing  rocks,  with  pendant  foliage  on  each  side,  forms 
a  scene  highly  picturesque  and  elegant ;  the  bridge  stands  upon  two 
nearly  perpendicular  rocks  of  about  sixty  feet  high  from  the  bed 

below, 

*  This  vale  is  much  celebrated  as  the  residence  of  Owen  Glyndwr,  whose  memory  is 
still  highly  revered  in  its  neighbourhood,  as  being  the  scene  of  his  great  exploits  and 
hospitality.  He  is  in  history  styled  Glyndwr,  from  Glyndyvrdwy  or  Glyndwrdwy,  his 
small  patrimony  or  possessions  in  the  vale  of  Glyndwrdwy,  now  commonly  called  Llan- 
gollen.  Some  remains  of  one  of  his  mansions  are  still  visible  at  a  place  called  Sychnant, 
about  three  miles  from  Corwen, 


216  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

below,  and,  if  viewed  from  the  centre  of  the  arch,  appears  grand 
and  tremendous.  To  the  south  of  Corwen  are  the  Berwyn  mountains, 
a  long  chain  of  hills  commonly  so  called :  this  ridge  occupies  the 
eastern  side  of  Merionethshire,  and  branches  into  Denbighshire  and 
Montgomeryshire.  Its  northern  boundary  is  the  Dee,  its  southern 
the  Tanad,  being  in  length  from  north  to  south  sixteen  miles,  in 
breadth  from  five  to  ten.  Cader  Berwyn  and  Cader  Fronwen  are  the 
most  elevated  points.  This  district  is  but  thinly  inhabited,  but  the 
air  is  very  salubrious  and  congenial  to  longevity,  which  accords  well 
with  the  aphorisms  of  Churchyard  in  1587  : 

**  The  mountayne  men  live  longer  many  a  yeare 
Than  those  in  vale,  in  playne,  or  marrish  soyle  j 
A  lustie  hart,  a  clean  complexion  clere 
They  have,  on  hill  that  for  hard  living  toyle. 
With  ewe  and  lamb,  with  goats  and  kids  they  play, 
In  greatest  toyles,  to  rub  out  wcarie  day  ; 
And  when  to  house  and  home  good  fellowes  draw 
The  lads  can  laugh  at  turning  of  a  strawe." 

The  mountains  are  chiefly  composed  of  primitive  schistus,  or  such 
as  does  not  contain  iron  pyrites,  or  any  impression  of  organized  bodies, 
the  position  of  the  strata  being  generally  perpendicular  to  the  plane 
of  the  horizon  :  the  only  metal  found  in  these  mountains  are  lead  and 
calamine,  whose  matrix  is  coarse  quartz  schistus.  There  are  no  lakes 
in  the  whole  extent  of  these  mountains,  nor  stream  of  any  conse- 
quence, except  the  Ceiriog,  which  flows  by  Chirk.  The  soil  is  peat, 
with  some  bogs  of  a  grey  clay,  formed  probably  from  the  decom- 
position of  the  rock,  but  the  drier  parts  are  covered  with  heath.  The 
bogs  or  turbaries  supply  the  inhabitants  with  fuel,  which  would  other- 
wise be  extremely  scarce  here  and  in  its  vicinity.  Of  quadrupeds  the 
fox  is  the  chief,  and  commits  frequent  depredations,  while  an  exten- 
sive, and  almost  unoccupied,  territory  affords  him  a  secure  retreat. 
Many  rare  mountainous  plants  are  also  found  here,  whose  fruits  are 
grateful  food  for  grouse. 

Towards  the  western  extremity  of  these  mountains  is  Llandervel, 
having  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Dervel,  surnamed  the  Strong,  or 
Dervel  Gadarn,  who  lived  about  the  close  of  the  sixth  century.  This 
village  was  formerly  remarkable  for  the  wooden  image  of  Saint  Dervel 
Gadarn,  concerning  which  the  Welsh  had  a  prophecy,  that  it  would 
set  a  whole  forest  on  fire :  to  complete  which  it  is  said  to  have  been 
taken  to  London  in  the  year  1538,  and  used  as  part  of  the  fuel  which 
consumed  Forest,  the  friar,  in  Smithfield,  for  denying  the  Pope's 
supremacy. 

Returning  from  this  digression  we  proceed  in  a  south-westerly 
direction,  and  at  the  distance  of  about  nine  miles,  pass  through  Llan- 
for  or  Llanfawr  y  Mhenllyn,  which  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint 
Deiniol,  who  lived  in  the  early  part  of  the  sixth  century.  This  place 
was  formerly  of  considerable  importance,  and  is  remarkable  as  the 

supposed 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 


217 


supposed  place  of  interment  of  Llywarch  Hen,  a  Cumbrian  prince, 
and  a  most  celebrated  bard  and  warrior,  in  the  seventh  century,  who, 
after  a  long  life  of  misfortune,  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  150.  Dr. 
Davies  mentions  an  inscription,  in  his  time  to  be  seen  on  the  wall, 
under  which  he  was  interred.  Near  this  place  is  a  circle  of  stones, 
called  Pabell  Llywarch  Hen,  or  "  Llywarch  the  Aged's  tent,"  where 
tradition  says  he  had  a  house,  wherein  he  spent  the  latter  part  of  his 
life  :  his  valour  in  opposing  the  encroachments  of  the  Saxons  and 
Irish  is  well  known  in  British  history,  wherein  we  are  informed  he 
lost  his  patrimonial  possessions  and  twenty-four  of  his  valiant  sons, 
who  fell  nobly  in  the  field  of  battle.  After  this  irreparable  misfortune 
and  distress,  some  historians  say  he  retired  to  a  hut  near  Machynlleth, 
to  sooth  with  his  harp  the  sorrows  of  old  age,  which  were  numerous 
and  distressing,  as  he  pathetically  describes  in  his  elegies  on  that 
subject.  His  works,  Heroic  Elegies,  &c.  were  published  by  that 
great  patron  of  Welsh  literature,  Mr.  Owen  Jones,  of  Thames-street, 
London,  a  native  of  Llanfihangel  Glynn  Myfyr,  who  also  published 
the  Welsh  Archaiology.  Rhiwlas,  the  ancient  seat  of  the  family  of 
Price,  is  pleasantly  situate  on  an  eminence  at  some  distance  from  the 
church,  upon  the  banks  of  the  river  Trowerin.  Rhiwedog,  in  this 
parish,  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  family  seats  in  North  Wales,  and  is 
generally  supposed  to  have  been  the  residence  of  Rhirid,  surnamed 
"  The  Wolf"  (Rhirid  Flaidd).  He  derived  this  cognomen  from  his 
maternal  ancestor,  Blaidd  Rhudd,  or  "  The  ruddy  Wolf,"  of  Gest, 
near  Penmorva,  in  Caernarvonshire.  Rhirid  lived  about  the  year 
1200.  Cynddelw  Brydydd  Mawr,  a  celebrated  bard  of  that  age, 
addressed  some  beautiful  verses  to  him,  on  receiving  from  his  hands 
a  present  of  an  elegant  sword.  Cynddelw  was  bard  to  Madog  ap 
Meredydd,  Prince  of  Powys.  A  portion  of  the  verses  have  been  thus 
translated : — 

A  noble  wolf  doth  me  befriend, 
To  me  his  ready  aid  he'll  lend  : 
Not  the  wild  wolf  that  prowls  for  prey, 
And  drives  the  harmless  flocks  away  ; 
No  !  hut  a  wolf  in  human  form 
Whom  every  virtue  doth  adorn ; 
Ririd  the  brave,  great  Penllyn's  lord, 
Disdains  all  useful  pelf  to  hoard ; 
He  said,  as  late  I  quaffed  his  wine, 
This  silver  mounted  sword  be  thine  ; 
His  shining  sword  shall  grace  my  side, 
His  noble  gift  shall  be  my  pride. 

About  the  year  1450,  Rhiwedog  was  the  property  of  Eineon  ap  Ithel, 
Esquire  to  John  of  Gaunt,  Duke  of  Lancaster,  as  we  are  informed  in 
the  history  of  the  Gwydir  family;  and  as  the  Nannau,  Glynn-Llivon, 
and  many  other  familes,  were  allied  to  the  House  of  Rhiwedog  by 
marriage  and  otherwise,  this  will  account  for  many  of  the  Welsh 
espousing  the  Lancastrian  cause.  The  heads  of  this  family  for  many 
generations  continued  to  be  liberal  supporters  of  the  Welsh  bards. 

Llanvair 


218  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 


.  e.  Saint  Mary's  Church)  juxta  Harlech.  —  The  church 
is  very  plain  and  simple,  as  most  of  the  country  churches  in  Wales 
are,  and  there  are  very  few  houses  in  the  village.  Here  Archbishop 
Baldwin  and  Giraldus  Cambrensis  slept  one  night  on  their  journey 
from  Towyn  to  Nevin,  when  preaching  the  Crusades  in  1188. 
At  the  distance  of  one  mile  from  Llanvair  we  pass  through 

BALA, 

a  market  town  in,  Llan-y-Cil  parish,  consi'sting  chiefly  of  one  wide 
street,  situate  at  the  bottom  of  a  large  pool,  called  Llyn-Tegid,  or 
"  The  Fair  Lake."  This  place  carries  on  a  considerable  trade  in 
woollen  yarn  and  stockings,  and  is  the  residence  of  many  genteel 
families;  it  is  also  the  places  where  the  County  Assizes  are  held 
alternately  with  Dolgellau.  The  Montgomeryshire  Parliamentary 
forces  invaded  this  county  August  21,  1645,  and  lay  a  week  at  Bala, 
until  they  were  driven  out  by  Sir  John  Owen  and  the  North  Wales 
men.  Close  to  the  town,  to  the  south-east,  is  an  artificial  mount, 
probably  Roman,  called  Tommen-y-Bala,  the  Bala  Barrow  or  Tu- 
mulus, one  of  the  chain  efforts  in  this  county;  among  which  is 
Tommen-y-Castell,  on  a  mountain  in  the  road  to  Ruthin,  and  another 
on  the  opposite  side  of  Bala  Lake,  perhaps  Bala  Castle,  founded  by 
Llewelyn  ap  lorwerth  in  1202,  now  cut  through  by  the  road,  as  well 
as  Caer-Crwyni,  a  small  camp  near  the  Vale  of  Edeirnion.  A  little 
to  the  south-west  of  the  town  is  Bala  Lake,  or  Pimble  Mere,  by  far 
the  largest  lake  in  all  Wales.  This  fine  expanse  of  water  is  nearly 
4  miles  long,  400  yards  broad,  and  46  yards  deep,  with  three  yards  of 
mud.  The  water  rises  sometimes  nine  feet,  and  overflows  the  Vale  of 
Edeirnion,  consequently  it  has  greatly  extended  its  boundaries  to  the 
north-east  shore.  It  is  well-stocked  with  fish,  particularly  perch, 
pike,  roach,  trout,  eels,  and  shoals  of  that  alpine  fish  called  gwyniad, 
so  named  from  the  whiteness  of  its  scales,  and  called  by  some  the 
fresh  water  whiting,  which  spawn  in  December,  and  are  taken  in 
great  numbers  in  spring;  they  are  common  to  most  of  the  alpine 
parts  of  Europe.  It  is  a  gregarious  fish  of  an  insipid  taste,  and  dies 
soon  after  it  is  taken,  therefore  it  is  dressed  directly;  the  largest 
weigh  about  four  pounds,  and  they  are  taken  in  nets,  by  reason  of 
their  keeping  close  to  the  bottom  of  the  lake.  The  water,  like  that 
of  most  other  rocky  lakes,  is  so  pure  that  the  most  delicate  chemical 
tests  detect  scarcely  any  perceptible  quantity  of  foreign  mixture; 
sometimes,  in  severe  winters,  it  has  happened  that  the  lake  has  been 
completely  frozen  over,  and  when  covered  with  snow  has  been 
mistaken  by  strangers  for  a  vale  or  plain.  The  shores  of  the  pool 
are  extremely  diversified,  and  from  every  point  of  view  present  an 
agreeable  and  striking  prospect  of  corn  fields  and  cultivated  meadows, 
bounded  with  rich  verdure,  accompanied  by  water,  which  discharges 
itself  from  the  lake,  forming  the  river  Dee,  which  takes  its  course  by 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  219 

a  rocky  hill  of  considerable  elevation  and  covered  with  an  old  wood, 
until  it  terminates  in  the  lofty  summit  of  Aran-ben-Llyn,  almost 
shrouded  in  clouds;  while  rising  high  in  the  distant  horizon  is  seen 
the  terrible  head  of  the  majestic  Cader  Idris.  From  the  north- 
eastern corner  of  the  lake  (as  before  noticed)  issues  the  river  Dee,  the 
etymology  of  which  has  been  often  a  subject  of  great  controversy, 
some  deriving  it  from  Ddhu  "  divine,"  others  from  Dim,  meaning 
"  black"  or  "  dark,"  and  a  third  affirms  that  the  appellation  arose 
from  the  two  sources  of  the  river,  the  word  du  meaning  "  two;" 
but  where  all  have  an  equal  claim  it  is  difficult  to  decide.  The  lake 
and  fishery  formerly  belonged  to  Basingwerk  Abbey,  but  it  is  at 
present  the  sole  property  of  Sir  Watkin  Williams  Wynn,  Bart.  ^ 

Proceeding  along  the  western  shore  of  the  lake,  and  at  the  distance 
of  about  seventeen  miles,  we  pass  through 

DOLGELLAU, 

a  respectable  market  town,  and  the  place  where  the  assizes  for  the 
summer  are  held  :  it  is  seated  in  a  wide  and  fertile  vale,  between  the 
rivers  Aran  and  Mawddach,  and  surrounded  on  all  sides  with  high 
mountains,  some  of  which  are  well  wooded  :  the  streets  are  irregular, 
and  the  houses  in  general  ill  built :  among  the  buildings  the  town  hall 
is  the  most  respectable.  The  church,  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary,  has  a 
respectable  external  appearance ;  within  is  an  antique  monument  of  an 
armed  knight,  with  a  dog  at  his  feet,  and  a  lion  on  his  shield,  on  it  is 
inscribed, — "  Hie  jacet  Meuric  filius  Ynyr  Vychan  ;"  it  is  to  the 
memory  of  an  ancestor  of  the  Nannau  family.  This  town  appears  to 
have  been  known  to  the  Romans,  although  there  are  at  present  no 
remains  to  justify  the  assertion,  except  some  Roman  coins  found  at  a 
well  in  its  vicinity,  called  Ffynnon-Vawr,  bearing  this  inscription — 
"  IMP.  CAESAR  TRAI  AN."  which  is  evidently  Roman,  and  gives  in 
some  degree  a  sanction  to  the  hypothesis.  From  hence  the  celebrated 
Owen  Glyndwr,  in  1404,  sent  his  chancellor  (Griffith  Yonge)  and  his 
relation  (John  Hanmer),  to  the  court  of  France  with  letters  of 
credence,  to  seek  to  strengthen  his  cause  ;  and  he  succeeded  in  some 
degree,  as  a  body  of  troops  landed  at  Milford,  marched  up  the 
country,  and  took  Caermarthen.  The  appointment  of  the  ambassadors 
is  dated  Dolgellau,  and  couched  in  princely  style.  Part  of  the  house 
in  which  he  and  his  ministers  met  is  still  standing,  and  known  by  the 
name  of  Plas  yn  Dref. — At  a  place  called  Pen  Ystrad,  i.  e.  the  head  of 
the  street,  on  the  road  leading  from  Dolgellau  to  Trawsfynnydd,  I  saw, 
says  Sir  Richard  Hoare,  undoubted  and  perfect  remains  of  the  cause- 
way pointing  to  the  station  of  Heriri  Mons,  at  Tommen  y  Mur. 

About  one  mile  to  the  east  of  Dolgellau,  on  the  right  of  our  road,  is 
Llanilltyd,  having  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Illtyd. — It  is  a 
flourishing  village,  containing  several  good  houses,  beautifully  situated 
on  the  river  Mawddach,  which  serves  as  a  port  to  Dolgellau,  and 

where 


220  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

where  many  vessels  are  built ;  but  large  vessels  are  unable  to  get  out 
of  the  shallow  passage  frojn  Cardigan  to  Barmouth  harbour,  except 
they  take  advantage  of  the  equinoctial  tides.  The  banks  on  each  side 
run  alternately  in  steep  promontories,  and  are  wooded  to  the  water's 
edge  so  as  to  completely  hide  the  termination  of  the  river,  and  cause  it 
to  resemble  a  broad  and  beautiful  lake,  while  on  the  south  side,  behind 
the  banks,  rise  abruptly  vast  and  craggy  cliffs,  which  surround  and 
almost  conceal  the  summit  of  the  celebrated  Cader  Idris.  About  one 
mile  on  the  north  is  Cymmer  abbey,  called  in  Welsh  Y-Vana,  or 
Vanner,  it  is  situated  in  a  verdant  bottom,  near  the  banks  of  the 
Mawddach.  The  ruins  of  this  ancient  abbey  are  specimens  of  its 
former  grandeur,  but  by  whom  erected  is  uncertain  :  it  was  of  the 
Cistertian  order,  and  founded,  probably,  in  the  year  1198,  by 
Meredith  ap  Gruffydd,  a  descendant  of  Owen  Gwynedd :  though, 
according  to  Mr.  Vaughan,  of  Hengwrt,  it  was  dedicated  to  Saint 
Mary,  and  was  founded  by  some  monks,  who  sojourned  here  from 
Abbey  Cwmhir,  Radnorshire,  to  which  it  appears  to  have  been  a 
colony.  In  the  Notitia  Monastica  of  Bishop  Tanner  it  is  men- 
tioned as  founded  by  Llewylyn,  the  son  of  Gervase  or  lorwerth, 
about  1200  ;  at  any  rate  he  seems  to  have  been  a  benefactor,  and,  as 
Prince  of  North  Wales,  to  have  confirmed  the  donations  of  others  in 
1209,  as  well  as  his  own :  but  there  does  not  appear  any  reason  what- 
ever to  think  him  founder,  nor  is  the  time  of  the  foundation  clear.  It 
seems  to  have  been  in  a  flourishing  condition  in  1231 ;  for  Henry  the 
Third,  in  marching  against  Llewelyn  ap  lorwerth,  would  have  burnt 
it,  had  not  the  abbot  ransomed  it  by  paying  three  hundred  marks,  and 
some  other  recompence  for  the  injury  done  to  the  king  by  his  late 
treachery.  In  the  year  1291,  according  to  an  ancient  record  in  the 
Augmentation  Office,  the  abbey  had  in  yearly  revenues  arising  from 
granges,  pastures,  and  other  temporal  possessions  £11.  14s.  1  Id.  and 
previous  to  its  dissolution,  in  pursuance  of  the  statute  27th  Hen.  VIII. 
the  commissioners  reported  it  to  be  worth,  in  spiritualities  and 
temporalities,  £51 .  13s.  4d.  Of  the  old  fabric  there  are  considerable 
remains,  but  in  length  very  disproportionate  for  the  width,  being 
between  thirty  and  forty  yards  long,  and  not  above  eight  broad  :  the 
east  end  is  the  most  perfect,  covered  with  ivy,  through  which  are  seen 
three  small  lancet  windows  :  against  the  south  wall  are  a  few  small 
gothic  pillars  and  arches,  with  an  aperture  in  the  wall,  where  was 
probably  kept  the  holy  water :  in  this  part  of  the  building  was  a 
semicircular  door,  opposite  to  two  small  arches,  and  near  them  a 
mutilated  stone  representing  the  head  of  a  human  figure.  These 
remains  are  part  of  the  church,  with  the  refectory,  and  abbot's 
lodgings,  adjoining  the  farm-house.  The  other  parts  are  much 
shattered,  and  in  many  places  badly  patched  with  modern  work  to 
render  it  useful  to  the  farmer  on  whose  ground  it  stands  ;  the  site  and 
ruins  remained  in  the  Crown  for  many  years,  and  were  not  granted 

away 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  221 

away  till  Queen  Elizabeth  bestowed  it  on  Robert  Earl  of  Leicester, 
about  the  twentieth  year  of  her  reign. — Near  this  abbey  stood  Cymmer 
castle,  built  by  Uchtryd  ap  Edwyn,  but  the  spot  at  present  is  not 
precisely  known ;  it  w'as  demolished  in  1116  by  Eineon  ap  Gruffydd, 
and  the  property  divided. 

About  two  miles  from  Cymmer  Abbey  is  Dol-y-Melynllyn,  where 
the  river  Gamlan  falls  from  various  rocks  till  it  reaches  a  lofty 
precipice  among  trees,  called  Rhaiadr-ddu,  or  the  Black  Cataract. 
It  is  a  double  fall,  about  60  feet  high,  where  the  water  foams  with  a 
thundering  noise  down  some  black  rocks,  giving  to  the  scene  a 
singular  appearance,  which  is  increased  by  being  covered  in  many 
places  with  a  pure  white  lichen;  the  torrent  falls  into  a  small  deep 
basin,  from  whence  it  dashes  itself  along  its  rugged  channel.  About 
one  mile  from  this  is  another  cataract,  called  Rhaiadr-y-Mawddach, 
situate  in  the  river  of  that  name,  where  the  water  forces  itself  down  a 
rock  of  60  feet  high,  in  which  the  stream  is  three  times  broken  in  its 
fall  to  the  basin :  the  rocks  and  trees  form  an  amphitheatre  round  it, 
but  the  upper  part  of  the  rock  is  too  much  hidden  by  intervening 
obstructions.  Near  the  latter  is  Pistill-y-lain,  which  is  by  far  the 
highest  and  most  magnificent  of  the  three;  it  consists  of  a  narrow 
stream  rushing  down  a  vast  rock  at  least  150  feet  high,  whose 
horizontal  strata  run  in  irregular  steps  through  its  whole  breadth, 
forming  a  mural  front,  but  the  regularity  in  a  great  measure  spoils  its 
picturesque  beauty :  the  immense  fragments  of  broken  rocks,  scattered 
around  in  every  direction  at  the  foot  of  the  fall,  communicate  a 
pleasing  effect,  which  is  farther  heightened  by  the  agreeable  tints  of 
oak  and  beech  foliage,  and  as  a  whole  possesses  much  local  beauty 
and  romantic  scenery. 

A  few  miles  from  this  place  is  Nannau,  an  ancient  seat  of  the 
Nannau  family,  now  of  the  family  of  Vaughan:  it  was  formerly  the 
residence  of  Hywel  Sele,  an  inveterate  enemy  of  Owen  Glyndwr. 
The  estate  is  covered  with  fine  timber,  which  clothes  all  the  sides  of 
the  dingles  for  many  miles:  the  park  is  remarkable  for  its  small 
but  very  excellent  venison.  In  this  parish  is  a  spring,  called  Ffynnon 
y  Capel,  which  makes  it  probable  that  there  was  formerly  a  chapel 
near  it.  The  learned  Philip  Yorke,  Esq.  in  his  "  Royal  Tribes  of 
Wales"  says  of  the  family  of  Nannau  :  "  From  Cadwgan,  the  second 
son  of  the  founder  of  the  tribe  [Bleddyn  ap  Cynfyn],  descend  the 
Nanneys  of  Nannau;  the  elder  daughter  and  heiress  of  the  last  of  the 
male  line,  Hugh  Nanney,  married  William  Vaughan,  Esq.  of  Corsy- 
gedol,  but  no  issue  remaining  from  this  match,  the  estate  hath 
devolved  to  Sir  Robert  Williames  Vaughan,  the  grandson  of  the 
twin-sister  of  his  great-aunt,  Mrs.  Vaughan.  Sir  Robert  has 
improved  the  place  (in  itself  distinguished)  by  a  good  family  mansion, 
which  is  said  to  have  one  of  the  highest  situations  of  a  gentleman's 
house  in  Great  Britain." 

Returning 


222  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Returning  on  our  road  from  Dolgellau,  we  proceed  in  a  south- 
easterly direction,  and  on  our  right  pass  Cader-Idris,  or  Cadair- 
Idris,  a  lofty  mountain,  so  called  from  a  tradition  of  its  having  been 
a  fortress  belonging  to  Idris,  who  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  prince 
in  these  parts  in  ancient  times.  It  is  also  said  that  Idris  was  a  giant, 
a  great  poet,  astronomer,  and  philosopher,  and  that  the  summit  of 
Cader  Idris  was  his  favourite  seat  and  observatory :  he  was  a 
personage  ranked,  according  to  Mr.  Owen,  with  Gwdion  ap  Don  and 
Gwyn  ap  Nudd,  under  the  appellation  of  the  three  sublime  astro- 
nomers of  Great  Britain,  whose  profound  knowledge  of  the  stars,  their 
nature,  and  aspects,  enabled  them  to  explain  events.  The  time  when 
he  flourished  cannot  be  determined,  it  being  before  the  era  of  history. 
This  mountain  extends  above  2900  feet  high,  and  is  above  a  mile  in 
length,  and  very  rocky  towards  the  summit,  which  is  covered  with 
huge  fragments  of  discoloured  rocks,  very  rugged,  and  cemented  by 
a  semi-vitrified  matter  of  volcanic  appearance.  On  this  mountain  are 
several  pools,  particularly  Llyn-Curry  and  Llyn-y-Cae,  with  a  lake 
on  the  top,  and  near  it  the  supposed  chair  of  Arthur,  a  natural  cavity 
in  the  rock;  along  one  side,  where  the  hill  recedes,  is  a  stupendous 
precipice,  forming  a  kind  of  theatre;  and  on  the  opposite  side  is 
Craig-Cay,  a  great  rock,  with  a  lake  below  lodged  in  a  deep  hollow. 
Descending  from  the  Cader  to  Cyfrarvy,  the  whole  space  for  a 
considerable  way  is  covered  with  loose  stones  like  a  stream  of  lava, 
many  of  them  columnar,  but  not  jointed,  lying  very  disorderly  in  all 
directions,  and  are  of  a  great  thickness.  Pen-y-Gader  is  about  950 
yards  above  the  green  near  Dolgellau  ;  and  the  other  mountain,  called 
2\ran  Benllyn,  is  740  yards  above  Llyn-Tegid.  Beneath  Tyrrau- 
Mawr,  one  of  the  points  of  Cader-Idris,  and  on  the  right,  are  some 
remains  of  circles  of  upright  stones,  with  many  earns,  and  several 
Maeni-hirion,  or  rude  upright  columns.  At  a  small  distance 
beyond  these,  near  the  river  Krogennan,  are  the  remains  of  Llys- 
Bradwen,  or  the  palace  of  Ednowain,  chief  of  one  of  the  fifteen 
tribes  of  North  Wales  about  the  reign  of  GrufFydd  ap  Cynan, 
measuring  nearly  thirty  yards  square,  and  having  an  entrance  seven 
feet  wide,  with  a  large  upright  stone  on  each  side  as  a  door  case  : 
the  walls  are  rude  and  uncemented.  The  peak  of  Cader  Idris  is 
the  beginning  of  a  chain  of  primitive  mountains,  extending  in  a  north- 
east direction  towards  the  Arans  and  Arenigs  :  it  is  likewise  much 
loftier  and  more  craggy  than  the  slate  and  secondary  mountains  which 
surround  it,  and  consists  of  siliceous  porphyry,  quartz,  and  felspar, 
enclosed  in  a  green  paste,  with  siliceous  schistose  porphyry,  inter- 
sected with  veins  of  quartz  and  argillaceous  porphyry  in  a  mass,  and 
a  dark  grey  paste.  Several  rocks  contain  the  component  parts  of 
granite  and  porphyry,  with  a  great  portion  of  white  greasy-looking 
quartz.  The  views  from  this  mountain  are  very  extensive  and 
beautiful,  particularly  Bala  Pool  and  its  adjoining  mountains;  while 

towards 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  223 

towards  the  south  is  seen  the  county  of  Montgomery,  and  Plinlim- 
mon ;  on  the  west  Cardigan  bay,  and  from  St.  David's  quite  round  to 
Caernarvonshire. 

At  the  distance  of  nine  miles  beyond  Dolgellau  we  arrive  at  Dinas 
Mawddwy,  the  principal  town  in  the  lordship  of  that  name:  its  church 
is  dedicated  to  Saint  Tydecho.  Notwithstanding  its  dignified  name 
Dinas,  "  City,"  the  place  consists  of  only  one  street,  with  nothing  to 
recommend  it  to  notice  except  the  church,  which  is  a  handsome  build- 
ing, but  the  houses  scarcely  rank  above  the  common  cottages  of  the 
country.— After  the  wars  of  the  houses  of  York  and  Lancaster,  multi- 
tudes of  felons  and  outlaws  inhabited  this  part  of  the  country,  and 
.  established  themselves  in  the  lordship.  For  a  length  of  time  after 
those  unhappy  days,  this  race  of  profligates  continued  to  rob,  burn, 
and  murder,  in  defiance  of  the  civil  power,  and  to  steal  and  drive 
whole  herds  of  cattle  in  mid-day,  from  one  county  to  another,  with 
the  utmost  impunity.  To  put  a  stop  to  these  ravages  a  commission 
was  granted  to  John  Wynn  ap  Meredydd,  of  Gwydir,  and  to  Lewis 
Owen,  Esq.  one  of  the  Welsh  Exchequer  Barons  and  Vice-Chamber- 
lain of  North  Wales  (who  lived  at  Llwyn),  for  the  purposes  of 
punishing  all  offenders  against  the  government,  and  settling  the  peace 
of  the  country.  In  pursuance  of  their  orders  they  raised  a  body  of 
stout  men,  and,  on  Christmas-eve,  seized  about  eighty  outlaws  and 
felons,  on  whom  they  held  a  gaol  delivery,  and  punished  them 
according  to  their  deserts  :  among  them  were  two  young  men,  whose 
mother  earnestly  applied  to  Lewis  Owen  for  the  pardon  of  one  of 
them.  This  request,  however,  he  refused,  when  the  mother,  baring 
her  neck  with  desperate  fury,  exclaimed — "These  yellow  breasts 
have  given  suck  to  those  who  shall  wash  their  hands  in  your  blood." 
Revenge  was  determined  upon  by  these  surviving  villains  ;  they 
watched  their  opportunity,  when  Baron  Owen  was  passing  from 
Montgomeryshire  Great  Sessions,  to  way-lay  him  in  the  thick  woods 
of  Dugoed  Mawddwy,  at  a  place  now  called,  from  the  deed,  Llidiarty 
Barwn  (the  gate  of  the  baron),  where  they  had  cut  down  several  large 
trees  to  cross  the  road  and  impede  the  passage;  they  discharged 
against  him  a  shower  of  arrows,  one  of  which  penetrated  his  cheek : 
they  then  attacked  him  with  bills  and  javelins,  and  left  him  slain, 
with  about  thirty  wounds  on  his  body.  His  son-in-law  John  Lloyd, 
Esq.  defended  him  to  the  last,  but  his  cowardly  attendants  fled  on  the 
first  onset :  this  atrocious  crime  was  committed  in  1 555 ;  and,  in 
consequence  of  it,  vigorous  measures  were  adopted  for  the  public 
safety,  and  the  whole  of  the  banditti  were  extirpated ;  many  were 
taken,  tried  and  executed,  and  the  rest  fled  from  the  country.  The 
traditions  of  the  country  respecting  this  body  of  ruffians  are  extremely 
strong ;  and  it  is  said  they  were  so  much  feared,  that  travellers  did 
not  dare  to  go  along  the  common  road,  but  passed  over  the  summits 

of 

Kk 


224  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 

of  the  mountains  to  avoid  their  haunts ;  and  that  the  inhabitants 
placed  scythes  in  the  chimneys  to  prevent  these  marauders  from 
coming  down  to  surprise  them  in  the  night.  Some  of  these  scythes 
were  to  be  seen  in  the  chimneys  at  a  recent  period.  This  gang  was 
distinguished  by  the  titles  of  Gwylliaid  y  Dugoed  (i.  e.  the  night- 
prowlers  of  Dugoed),  and  the  Gwylliaid  Cochion  Mawddwy  (the 
red  headed  Banditti  of  Mawddwy)  :  on  the  road  from  Dinas  to 
Dolgellau  are  situated  some  deserted  lead  mines,  where  there  is  some 
blueish  ochre,  which  the  shepherds  wet  and  pound  in  a  mortar,  then 
form  into  balls  and  use  it  in  marking  their  sheep.  An  old  proverb  of 
the  three  things  which  Mawddwy  wishes  to  send  out  of  the  country, 
shows  their  long  knowledge  of  it : — 

In  Mawddwy  black,  three  things  remain, 
False  men,  blue  earth,  and  ceaseless  rain : 
Of  these  they'd  gladly  riddance  gain. 

The  lordship  of  Mawddwy  was  first  granted  to  William  fourth  son 
of  Gruffydd  ap  Gwenwynwyn,  Prince  of  Powys  ;  his  grand-daughter 
and  sole  heiress  married  Sir  Hugh  de  Burghe,  son  of  the  well  known 
Hugh  Burghe,  Justiciary  of  England.  His  son  Sir  John  left  four 
daughters,  who  married  into  the  houses  of  Newport,  Leighton, 
Lingen,  and  Mytton.  Eleanor  the  fourth  daughter,  bestowed  her 
hand  and  this  seigniory  on  Thomas  Mytton,  Esq.  of  Halston,  in  the 
county  of  Salop,  in  which  family  it  still  (1830)  remains. 

Ffestiniog  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Michael ;  it  is  a  small 
village  situate  at  the  head  of  Cwm  Maentwrog,  and  was  much  noticed 
and  brought  before  public  observation  by  Lord  Lyttelton  in  1756; 
indeed  every  person  will  admit  that  few  vales  afford  such  lovely 
prospects  as  this,  being  bounded  by  high  mountains,  shaded  with 
lofty  oaks,  and  richly  cultivated,  with  the  placid  river  Dwyrhyd  in  the 
centre,  and  the  sea  at  a  distance,  which  terminates  the  view.  Con- 
tiguous to  the  public-house  in  this  village  are  two  remarkable  water- 
falls, called  Cynvel :  one  about  three  hundred  yards  above  the  house, 
and  the  other  below  a  rustic  bridge  thrown  over  the  river,  to  which 
the  path  leads.  The  upper  fall  consists  of  three  steep  rocks,  over 
which  the  water  foams  into  a  deep  black  basin,  overshadowed  by  the 
adjoining  rocks ;  the  other  is  formed  by  a  broad  sheet  of  water, 
precipitated  down  a  rock  forty  feet  high,  and  darkened  by  a  numerous 
foliage  around  it,  almost  to  the  edge  of  the  stream.  Between  the 
cataract  and  the  bridge  is  a  tall  columnar  rock,  called  "  the  pulpit  of 
Hugh  Llwyd,"  situate  in  the  bed  of  the  river :  this  man  was  a  bard 
and  a  reputed  magician,  who  lived  in  the  time  of  Charles  the  First, 
and  the  tradition  is  that  he  used  to  retire  to  this  rock  when  he  was 
seized  with  the  awen,  and  also  to  deliver  his  nocturnal  incantations. 
He  entered  into  the  army  and  was  abroad  many  years,  and  returned 
home  in  his  old  age,  but  no  one  knew  him  :  he  found  his  sister-in-law, 
her  husband  and  children,  sitting  one  tine  summer's  evening  on  a 

stone 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 


225 


stone  seat  which  he  himself  had  placed  there.  He  addressed  them  in 
English,  and  asked  would  they  lodge  him  that  night ;  and  though  they 
did  not  understand  the  language,  they  conjectured  what  he  wanted, 
and  desired  him  to  come  in  and  partake  of  their  fare,  milk  and  flum- 
mery :  he  complied  with  their  request,  and  when  they  had  finished 
their  meal  he  addressed  them  in  some  extempore  lines,  of  which  the 
following  is  a  translation : — 

For  wines  delicious  is  mighty  France  renown'd, 
.And  various  dainties  are  in  London  found  : 
With  butter  Holland  half  the  world  supplies, 
But  Cambria's  flummery  more  than  all  1  prize. 

About  two  miles  from  hence  is  a  fine  spring,  which  has  often  been 
found  efficacious  in  rheumatic  and  ricketty  complaints :  it  is  situate 
between  the  rivers  Dwyrhyd  and  Cynfael,  and  gives  name  to  a  vale 
which  is  much  celebrated  for  its  picturesque  beauty.  Not  far  from 
thence  is  a  very  fine  Roman  camp,  most  judiciously  placed  in  a 
situation  over  an  extensive  view  of  the  country,  partly  level,  partly 
inclining  from  it,  and  commanding  a  number  of  passes  to  the  lesser 
posts  of  this  mountainous  tract ;  it  is  called  Tommen  y  Mvir,  i.  e. 
"  the  mountain  within  the  wall,"  and  coins  and  urns  and  other 
antiquities  are  frequently  discovered  in  it  :  Sarn  Helen,  or  the  way  of 
Helen,  who  was  the  wife  of  the  Emperor  Maximus,  runs  into  it  at 
one  end,  and  is  continued  to  Rhyd  yr  Helen  within  this  parish. 

About  four  miles  to  the  west  of  Ffestiniog  is  Pont-Aberglaslyn,  a 
bridge  which  unites  the  counties  of  Merioneth  and  Caernarvon.  It 
consists  of  one  wide  stone  arch,  across  the  united  torrents  of  the 
Colwyn  and  Glas-Llyn,  and  connects  two  perpendicular  precipices 
with  its  semicircular  arch,  which  is  in  diameter  30  feet,  the  crown  about 
40  feet  above  the  water,  with  an  impending  cliff  at  least  80  feet  high 
projecting  from  every  part,  forming  a  broken  front  of  a  most  capricious 
form,  and  which  shadows  a  roaring  cataract  among  huge  ruins  that 
have  fallen  from  the  mountains;  just  above  it  the  whole  river  falls 
down  a  craggy  break  of  about  12  feet  high,  forming  what  is  called 
the  Salmon  Leap :  the  scenery  around  is  very  grand,  and  soon 
attracts  our  admiration,  with  the  road  winding  along  a  narrow  stony 
vale,  between  dark  perpendicular  cliffs  on  each  hand,  so  as  only  to 
leave  room  to  pass  at  the  bottom,  which  leads  to  an  impetuous  stream 
rolling  close  by  its  side.  The  salmon  leap  measures  from  the  bed  of 
the  river  about  thirteen  feet ;  but  after  much  rain  only  eight  or  nine. 
This  cataract  is  but  a  few  miles  from  the  sea,  and  has  long  been 
remarkable  for  the  great  number  of  salmon  which  come  up  the  river 
in  the  beginning  of  October,  in  order  to  deposit  their  spawn  on  the 
sandy  shallows  contiguous.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  see,  in  the  course 
of  an  hour,  twenty  or  thirty  attempting  to  pass  the  cataract ,  but  they 
seldom  succeed  on  account  of  a  net  which  the  renter  of  the  fishery 
places  here  to  prevent  them.  In  the  reign  of  Henry  the  Fourth  this 

was 
K  k  2 


226  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

was  a  royal  weir,  arid  is  supposed  to  have  belonged  to  some  of  the 
Welsh  princes  before  that  period.  Round  the  base  of  a  neighbouring 
mountain  is  a  copper  mine  belonging  to  Sir  W.  W.  Wynn,  from  which 
issues  a  stream  of  water,  strongly  impregnated  with  the  sulphate  of 
copper  and  iron,  which  must  injure  the  fishery  considerably,  parti- 
cularly in  dry  seasons. 

Returning  on  our  road  at  the  distance  of  about  eleven  miles,  after 
passing  through  the  villages  of  Maentwrog  and  Llan-Tecwyn,  we 
arrive  at  Harlech,  in  the  parish  of  Llan-Danwg.  It  derives  its 
name  Ar-lech  from  its  situation  on  the  rock  ;  or,  according  to  others, 
from  Hardd-lech,  "  the  beautiful  rock."  Its  castle  is  inaccessible  on 
the  side  next  the  sea ;  and,  prior  to  the  invention  of  gunpowder,  it 
must  have  been  impregnable.  On  the  land  side  the  castle  is  protected 
by  a  deep  foss.  This  fortress  was  anciently  called  Twr-Bronwen, 
from  the  daughter  of  Llyr,  of  Harlech,  wife  of  Matholwch,  and  sister 
of  Bran  ap  Llyr,  King  of  Britain.  In  after  times  it  obtained  the 
name  of  Caer  Collwyn,  "  Collwyn's  castle,"  from  Collwyn  ap  Tangno, 
head  of  one  of  the  fifteen  tribes  of  North  Wales,  and  Lord  of 
Eivionedd,  Ardudwy,  and  part  of  Lleyn.  His  grandchildren  flourish- 
ed in  the  reign  of  Gruffvdd  ap  Cynan.  He  resided  sometimes  in  a 
square  tower  in  the  ancient  fortress,  the  remains  of  which  are  very 
apparent.  The  castle  consists  of  a  square  building,  each  side  measur- 
ing about  seventy  yards,  having  at  each  corner  a  round  tower,  from 
each  of  which  issued  formerly  a  circular  turret,  most  of  them  now 
destroyed.  The  entrance  is  between  two  great  towers,  like  Caer- 
narvon, but  the  chief  apartments  appear  to  have  been  over  the 
gateway,  in  a  building  which  projected  into  a  court,  and  at  each 
corner  of  the  building  a  round  tower  :  these  fortifications,  fosses,  and 
situation  on  the  verge  of  a  perpendicular  rock,  rendered  it  almost 
invulnerable.  The  Welsh  histories  generally  attribute  the  foundation 
of  this  castle  to  Maelgwyn  Gwynedd,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  about 
the  year  530,  and  state  that  Edward  the  First  founded  the  present 
edifice  on  the  ruins  of  the  former,  some  part  of  which  is  now  distin- 
guishable from  the  more  modern  work.  In  1404,  Owen  Glyndwr 
seized  the  castle  from  Henry  the  Fourth,  but  it  was  again  retaken  in 
1408,  and  sheltered  Margaret  of  Anjou,  as,  subsequently  to  the  battle 
of  Northampton  in  146!),  she  fled  to  Coventry,  and  from  thence 
retired  to  this  fortress.  After  a  short  stay  here  she  went  to  Scotland, 
and,  collecting  her  friends  in  the  North  of  England,  marched  to 
Wakefield,  where  she  gained  a  complete  victory  over  the  Duke  of 
York  and  the  Earl  of  Salisbury.  In  1468,  after  a  short  siege,  it  was 
taken  by  the  Earl  of  Pembroke,  of  whom  Sir  John  Wynne,  in  his 
"  History  of  the  Gwydir  Family"  quotes  some  British  lines,  ex- 
pressive of  the  ravages  and  oppressions  committed  by  him  in  the 
counties  of  Merioneth  and  Denbigh.  Among  the  many  tempestuous 
scenes  Harlech  castle  has  experienced,  the  last  occurred  in  1647, 

when 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  227 

when  William  Owen,  who  was  governor,  with  a  garrison  of  only 
twenty-eight  men,  surrendered  it  to  Oliver  Cromwell's  forces  under 
General  Mytton,  but  not  until  every  castle  in  Wales  had  deserted  the 
royal  cause.  It  is  also  said  to  have  been  the  last  in  England  which 
held  out  for  the  House  of  Lancaster.  Of  the  castle  nothing  of 
importance  occurred  since ;  and  the  town,  which  Edward  the  First 
formed  into  a  borough,  gradually  degenerated  in  importance.  In 
1692  an  ancient  golden  torques  was  dug  up  in  a  garden  near  the 
castle,  which  is  described  as  a  wreathed  bar,  or  three  or  four  rods 
twisted  together,  and  about  four  feet  long,  but  bent  in  the  form  of  a 
hatband  with  hooks  at  each  end,  neither  sharp  nor  twisted,  but  plain 
and  cut  even,  of  a  circular  form,  about  an  inch  in  circumference,  and 
weighing  eight  ounces.  This  valuable  relic  of  antiquity  was  in  the 
possession  of  the  Mostyn  family.  Several  Roman  coins  have  been 
likewise  found  in  and  near  the  town,  which  proves  its  origin  to  have 
been  of  great  antiquity.  There  is  a  celebrated  Welsh  tune  called 
"  Gorhoffedd  Gwyr  Harlech,"  or  the  March  of  the  Men  of  Harlech, 
published  in  the  first  volume  of  Mr.  Edward  Jones's  "  Musical  and 
Poetical  Reliques  of  the  Welsh  Bards"  This  neighbourhood,  in 
1694,  was  annoyed  by  a  very  singular  phenomenon,  in  appearance  like 
a  prodigious  fire  or  kindled  exhalation  proceeding  from  the  sea,  which 
set  fire  to  sixteen  stacks  of  hay  and  two  barns.  In  this  destructive 
manner  it  lasted  about  twelve  days,  ravaging  the  country  about 
Harlech,  and  poisoning  the  grass  with  its  stench.  The  flame,  which 
was  peculiarly  destructive  in  the  night,  had  a  weak  blue  appearance, 
easily  extinguished  without  injuring  the  people,  who  frequently 
ventured  to  it,  and  often  in  it,  to  save  their  effects :  yet  it  was  of  that 
infectious  nature,  that  it  absolutely  killed  the  cattle  which  fed  on  the 
grass;  and  was  not  only  during  the  time  it  lasted  conspicuous  to  the 
eyes,  but  for  three  years  afterwards  it  caused  a  great  mortality  among 
cattle,  horses,  and  sheep.  In  the  year  1694  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jones,  of 
Llandanwg,  transmitted  to  the  London  Philosophical  Society  an 
account  of  this  singular  phenomenon,  accompanied  by  a  catalogue  of 
its  ravages.  It  was  distinguished  by  the  different  names  of  Ignis 
Fatuus,  Ignis  Lambens,  Scintilla  frolans,  fyc.  It  continued  for 
some  months,  but  appeared  only  occasionally,  once  or  twice  a  week : 
it  seemed  to  begin  at  Morva  Bychan,  on  the  Caernarvonshire  side, 
and  then  to  cross  over  to  Morva  Harlech,  or  Harlech  Marsh.  Mr. 
Humphrey  Llwyd  attributes  this  strange  phenomenon  to  locusts  that 
arrived  here  about  two  months  before,  which,  being  drowned  in  the 
sea,  or  dying  of  extreme  cold  on  land,  are  supposed  to  have  occasioned 
this  infection.  This  hypothesis  is  founded  on  the  number  of  locusts 
found  dead  near  the  sea  shore.  It  appeared  chiefly  in  stormy  nights, 
and  sometimes  in  calm  evenings ;  but  any  great  noise,  such  as  sounding 
of  horns,  firing  of  guns,  &c.  repelled  it,  and  often  extinguished  the 
same ;  which  means,  it  is  said,  saved  much  hay  and  corn  from  its 
baneful  effects. 

About 


228  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

About  two  miles  from  Harlech  is  a  remarkable  monument,  called 
Koeten  Arthur :  it  is  a  large  stone  table,  somewhat  of  an  oval  form, 
but  rude  and  ill-shaped,  as  are  the  rest  of  these  monuments,  about  10 
feet  long,  and  7  feet  where  it  is  broadest,  2  feet  thick  at  one  end,  but 
not  above  an  inch  at  the  other ;  it  is  placed  on  rude  stone  pillars, 
each  half  a  yard  broad,  whereof  two  that  support  the  thick  end  are 
between  seven  and  eight  feet  high,  but  a  third  (at  the  other  end)  is 
about  three  feet  only. 

About  8  miles  from  Harlech  we  pass  on  our  left  Corsygedol,  an 
ancient  seat  of  the  family  of  Vaughan :  near  this  seat,  on  Craig-y- 
Dinas,  is  a  hill  surrounded  with  a  vast  heap  of  stones  contiguous  to 
the  ruins  of  a  wall,  which  in  many  places  retain  a  regular  and  even 
facing,  with  an  oblique  entrance,  faced  with  stones  at  the  sides.  One 
mile  further  is  Llyn-Bodlin,  a  small  lake;  and  in  the  same  neigh- 
bourhood Llyn-cwm-Howel,  noted  for  a  race  of  trout  with  flat  heads 
like  toads,  first  noticed  by  Giraldus  Cambrensis.  On  a  plain  beyond 
Llyn-Irddin  are  two  circles  of  stones,  forming  a  hill,  with  upright 
columns  five  yards  from  each  other,  and  contiguous  are  smaller  ones 
of  a  similar  form.  Half  a  mile  from  these,  on' the  side  of  a  bill,  are 
two  oblong  carneddau,  composed  of  loose  stones,  with  large  stones  in 
the  centre,  fifty  feet  long  and  twelve  high.  At  the  east  end  is  a 
great  cromlech,  composed  of  two  sloping  stones,  one  placed  over  the 
edge  of  the  other,  on  five  flat  stones  placed  upright,  the  highest 
measuring  7  feet  10  inches  and  the  lowest  not  less  than  4  feet  10. 
Adjoining  to  these  are  many  more,  particularly  Maen-Hirion,  and 
other  cromlechs. 

At  the  distance  of  4  miles  from  Corsygedol,  and  12  from  Jlarlech, 
we  arriye  a£ 

BARMOUTH, 

in  the  parish  of  Llan-Aber,  a  small  town  at  the  bottom  of  a  steep  hill 
near  the  sea,  and  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Mawddach,  where  the 
tide  at  high  water  forms  a  bay  of  about  one  mile  over,  but  the 
entrance  is  hazardous  on  account  of  the  sand  banks.  From  its 
situation  near  the  bottom  of  some  high  mountains,  the  houses  are 
placed  on  the  steep  side,  one  above  another,  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
give  the  upper  an  opportunity  of  seeing  down  t)ie  chimnies  .of  their 
adjacent  neighbours,  and  is  considered  very  much  to  resemble 
Gibraltar.  The  town  derives  its  name  of  Barmouth  frojn  the  river 
lW[a.vi  or  JVtawddach,  i.  e.  Abermaw.  Within  these  few  years  there 
were  the  remains  of  an  ancient  tower,  in  which  Henry  Earl  of 
Richmond  used  to  conceal  Himself  when  he  came  over  to  consult  his 
friends  about  tjie  proposed  revolution,  and  it  is  celebrated  in  a  poem 
of  those  times,  comparing  in  point  of  strength  this  place  with 
Reinallt's  Tower,  near  Mold.  This  town  is  the  port  of  Merioneth- 
shire, where  the  principal  manufactures  are  flannels  and  hosiery, 
which  the  inhabitants  export  to  a  large  amount.  This  town  has 

greatly 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  229 

greatly  improved  under  the  patronage  of  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese, 
Sir  Robert  Williames  Vaughan,  Bart,  and  other  gentlemen. 

The  ride  from  Barmouth  to  Dolgellau,  which  is  along  the  banks  of 
the  river  Maw,  is  greatly  admired,  on  account  of  the  grandeur  of  the 
views  and  prospects.  On  the  south  side  of  the  river  is  a  fine  range  of 
mountains,  overtopped  by  the  gigantic  Cader  Idris.  There  are 
several  vessels  belonging  to  the  port  of  Barmouth,  most  of  them  built 
there,  and  they  are  generally  considered  to  be  the  best  of  any  built  in 
North  Wales. " 

At  the  distance  of  about  12  miles  to  the  south  of  Barmouth  is 

TOWYN, 

or  Tywyn,  a  neat  village,  situate  on  a  riyerof  that  name,  and  greatly 
improved  by  its  proprietor,  Mr.  Corbet,  of  Ynysymaengwyn.      Of 
public  edifices  the  church  is  most  remarkable,  with  several  handsome 
monuments.     In  the  churchyard  were   two  rude  pillars,  one  called 
Saint  Cad  van's  Stone,  shaped  like  a  wredge,  and  about  7  feet  high, 
with  a  cross  and  inscription  :    a  gentleman  of  eccentric  taste  (with 
the  Vicar's  consent)  caused  them  to  be  removed,  some  years  ago,  to 
decorate  his  grotto  in  the  neighbourhood;    but  upon  some  remon- 
strance being  made  upon  the  impropriety  of  such  an  act,  they  were 
restored.      Cadvan  had,  at  the  north-east  end  of  the  churchyard,  a 
free  chapel,  of  which  the  green  site  only  now  remains.     Saint  Cadvan, 
who  lived,  as  some  say,  about  the  year  250  (and  who  was  considered 
as  the  tutelar  saint  of  warriors),  is  supposed  to  have  been  buried 
inside  of  this  church ;  and  probably  the  stone  or  monumeut  above- 
mentioned  is  the  only  fragment  of  his  .tomb.     Gwenddydd,  one  of  the 
daughters  of  Brychan  Brycheiniog,  married  to   Cadell,  Prince  of 
Powys,  was  buried  here  about  the  end  of  the  fifth  century.      The 
well  of  Saint  Cadvan  is  not  far  distant:  it  is  celebrated  for  the  cure  of 
various  diseases,  such  as  rheumatism,   scurvy,   scrofula,  erysipelas, 
wens,  warts,  &c.  and  the  number  of  people  that  have  resorted  to  it  is 
astonishing.     The  agricultural  improvement  in  this  part  is  entirely 
owing  to  the  great  spirit  and  exertions  of  Mr.  Corbet,  of  Ynysymaen- 
gwyn.      In  the  month  of  August,  1645,  the  king's  forces  burnt  that 
mansion,  lest  the  parliamentary  forces  shoujd  find  any  harbour  there. 
The  late  proprietor  of  this  .beautiful  mansion,  by  his  spirited  exer- 
tions, was  the  means  of  making  an  excellent  new  road  to  Aberdovey, 
in  the  parish  of  Pennal,  from  the  town  of  Machynlleth,  along  the 
Dovey   side;    aod  he  also  erected  several  lodging-houses  at  that 
pleasant  village.      Several  good  houses  have  also  been  buijt  by  the 
present  proprietor,  and,  as  an  encouragement  to  families  to  reside 
here,  building  leases  are  offered  by  him  at  a  very  cheap  rate,  so  that 
Aberdovey  is  rapidly  rising  into  eminence,  and  bicjs  fair,  in  a  few 
years,   to^  rival  the  other  celebrated  bathing-places   on   the  Welsh 
coast.     The  beach  of  Aberdovey  is  excellent,  being  hard  smooth 

sand, 


230  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

sand,  and  the  distance  to  the  machines  but  short.  The  ride  along 
the  sands  from  Towyn  to  Aberdovey,  being  about  four  miles,  is 
delightful,  particularly  at  low  water. 

The  following  short  extracts  from  Iceland's  Itinerary  may  be 
properly  introduced  here :— "  Mr.  Rowland  Griffith  told  me  that 
there  were  two  commots  between  Aberdovey  and  Towyn,  Merioneth, 
that  where,  in  times  past,  plentifull  of  corn  and  grass,  but  lying  low, 
almost  as  level  ground,  the  sea,  full  many  a  year  since,  hath  clean 
devoured  them  up,  and  now  it  is  totally  a  sandy  warth  (strand)."  In 
another  place  he  says,  "  Where  now  the  wild  sea  is  at  the  mouth  of 
Dovey,  and  farther  into  the  sea,  where  once  two  commots  of  good, 
plentifull,  but  low  ground,  called  Cantre'r  Gwaelod  (the  Low  Land 
Hundred),  now  clean  eaten  away, '  inundated  and  destroyed.'  There 
is  a  poem,  still  extant,  commemorating  this  fatal  event,  which  is 
represented  to  have  occurred  owing  to  the  carelessness  of  the  persons 
who  had  the  care  of  the  embankments  and  flood-gates."  Gwyddno 
Goronhir  is  said  to  have  been  the  prince  or  chieftain  of  this  low  land 
canton :  and  lines,  of  which  the  following  are  a  translation,  are  still 
traditionally  repeated  among  the  inhabitants: — 

Old  Gwyddno's  sighs  and  laments  vain, 
When  sunk  his  land  beneath  the  main. 

levan  Dyfy,  a  celebrated  bard,  who  flourished  about  the  year  1490, 
was  a  native  of  Aberdovey.  It  appears  that  the  family  of  Ynysy- 
maengwyn  were  distinguished  for  their  patronage  of  the  bards  in 
ancient  times.  Each  of  the  following  bards,  viz.  Hugh  Arwystli, 
John  Philip,  Owain  Gwynedd,  and  William  Cynval,  composed  an 
ode  to  Hu»h  ap  Evan,  of  that  house,  and  his  five  sons,  John, 
Meredith,  Richard,  Humphrey,  and  David,  of  whose  hospitality, 
kindness,  and  generosity  they  speak  most  highly.  These  bards 
flourished  from  1560  to  1590:  the  poems  are  in  many  hands,  but 
not  printed.  According  to  some  Welsh  lines,  written  by  the  bards, 
Richard  and  John  Philip  (two  brothers),  of  Hendre-Fechan,  in  this 
county,  a  Spanish  vessel  entered  Aberdovey  river  in  the  year  1597, 
with  an  intention,  as  it  is  supposed,  of  landing  a  few  desperadoes,  in 
order  to  plunder  the  inhabitants.  The  bards  express  a  wish  that  the 
same  fate  may  attend  this  ship  as  befel  the  Spanish  Armada  in  1588 ; 
and  this  seems  to  have  been  the  result,  for  the  marauders  were  soon 
after  driven  out  to  sea  again,  without  being  able  to  effect  a  landing. 

Craig  y  Deryn  (Craig  Aderyn)  is  a  most  picturesque  and  lofty 
rock,  about  4  miles  up  the  vale  of  Dysynni.  It  is  so  called,  "  The 
Birds'  Rock,"  from  the  numerous  birds  which  nightly  retire  among 
its  crevices ;  the  noise  they  make  at  the  close  of  day  is  most  hideously 
dissonant ;  and  as  the  scenery  around  is  wild  and  romantic,  the  ideas 
engendered  by  such  a  clamour  in  the  gloom  of  evening,  and  in  so 
dismal  and  desolate  a  spot,  are  not  the  most  soothing  or  agreeable. 
Towards  twilight  some  large  aquatic  fowls,  from  the  neighbouring 

marsh, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  231 

marsh,  may  be  seen  majestically  et  winding  their  way"  to  this  their 
place  of  nocturnal  rest. 

Several  parts  of  this  county  were  governed  by  different  chieftains, 
who  held  their  tenures  in  capile,  either  of  the  princes  of  Powys  or 
Gwynedd,  and  afterwards  of  the  kings  of  England.     Thus  Gruffydd 
ap  Gwenwynwyn,    Prince  of   Powys,    bestowed    the    lordship    of 
Mawddwy  on  his.son  William,  better  known  among  the  Welsh  by  the 
appellation  of  William  Coch  Mawddwy,  or  William  the    Red  of 
Mawddwy.      Ednywain  ap  Bradwen,  the  head  of  one  of  the  fifteen 
tribes  of  North  Wales,  was  Lord  of  part  of  Estum-Anner  about  the 
time  of  Gruffydd  ap  Cynan,  Prince  of  North  Wales :    Collwyn  ap 
Tangno  was  Lord  of  part  if  not  the  whole  of  Ardudwy :    Rhirid 
Vlaiold  was  Lord  of  Penllyn   about,  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth 
century:    and  it  appears  from  Welsh  history    that  Meredydd  and 
Gruffydd,  the  sons  of  Cynan  ap  Owain  Gwynedd,  were  called  Lords 
of  Merionedd,  and  founded  Cymmer  Abbey ;  but  their  right  to  this 
distinction  seems  to  have  been  disputed  by  the  sons  of  Cadwgan  ap 
Bleddyn,  Prince  of  Powys,    as    they   destroyed    Castell   Cymmer 
(otherwise  Castell  Meibion  Uchtryd  ap  Edwin),  which  belonged  to 
former  princes,  about  the  year  1113.      The  celebrated  Owain  Glyn- 
dwr  was  Lord  of  Glyndyfrdwy  and  Edeirnion,  which  he  held  under 
Richard  the  Second,  to  whom  he  was  greatly  attached,  and  whose 
unfortunate  fate  he  deeply  lamented.      With  a  view,  no  doubt,  to 
resent  that  monarch's  miserable  end,  and  at  the  same  time  to  avenge 
his  own  wrongs,  he  took  a  decided  part  against  the  Lancastrian 
interest,  notwithstanding  several  of  the  principal  men  in  North  Wales, 
and  some  of  his  own  relations,  were  firm  supporters  of  that  party; 
among  whom  may  be  mentioned  in  particular,  Eineon  ap  Ithel,  of 
Rhiwedog,  in  this  county,  and  Scutifer  to  John  of  Gaunt,  Duke  of 
Lancaster;   Evan  ap  Meredydd,  of  Gessail  Gyfarch,  in  Eivionydd; 
Meredydd  ap  Hwlkin  Llwyd,  Esq.  of  Glyn  Llivon,  in  Caernarvon- 
shire;   and  Hywel  Sele,  of  Nannau,  in  Merionethshire.     Hywel's 
grandson  was  married  to  a  daughter  of  Eineon  ap  Ithel,  of  Rhiwedog. 
Hywel  Sele  was  a  relation  of  Owen   Glyndwj",  who  was  greatly 
irritated  because  he  sided  with  the  Lancastrians;    and   in  one  of 
Glyndwr's  excursions,  when  his  army  was  encamped  near  Dolgellau, 
he  paid  his  cousin  Hywel  Sele  a  visit,  the  particulars  of  which  we 
shall  here  give,  in  the  words  of  an  ancient  and  respectable  writer, 
Robert  Vaughan,  of  Hengwrt,  as  they  are  preserved  in  an  old  MS. : — 
fs  Yet  such  as  favoured  the  House  of  Lancaster,  or  had  served  John 
of  Gaunt,  and  Henry  his  son,  the  King  of  England,  much  disliked 
Owen's  government,  and  spoke  so  partial  of  him,  that  it  was  well 
perceived  that  they  wanted  but  an  opportunity  to  be  rather  his 
enemies  than  his  friends  and  subjects.     Among  whom  Howel  Sele,  of 
Nanney,  in  Merionethshire,  was  one,  a  very  remarkable  and  powerful 
gentleman,  lineally  descended  from  Cadwgan  ap  Bleddyn,  Prince  of 

Powys, 


232  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Powys,  and  elder  brother  to  Meredydd  ap  Bleddyn,  Owen's  ancestor; 
and  therefore  may  think  no  less  than  that  himself  had  as  good  a  right 
to  Po\vysland  as  any  body  else.  And  Owen  suspecting  no  less,  and 
having  certain  intelligence  that  the  king  intended  an  expedition  into 
Wales  very  shortly,  thought  it  policy  to  secure  Howel  Sele,  lest 
being  at  liberty  he  should  join  the  king  against  him ;  and  therefore 
came  very  betimes  one  morning,  and  took  Howel  Sele  when  he  was 
scarce  out  of  bed,  then  he  burnt  his  house  and  took  him  along  with 
him  till  he  came  to  Cymer  Abbey,  where  Owen  Glyndwr  intended  to 
dine  with  the  abbot  of  that  house;  and  after  dinner,  whilst  the  abbot 
interceded  for  Howel  Sele's  liberty,  Owen  said  s  I  hear,  cousin,  that 
you  are  a  good  bowman,'  and  calling  for  a  bow  and  quiver  of  arrows, 
wished  him  to  shoot  at  a  mark,  or,  as  some  say,  at  a  stag,  which  was 
grazing  hard  by.  He  turned  his  hand  and  shot  Owen  in  the  breast ; 
but  having  armour  upon  him,  under  his  coat,  his  life  was  saved; 
nevertheless  he  was  sore  bruised.  Then  Howel  was  bound  with 
ropes,  and  in  the  mean  time  his  friends  had  raised  all  the  country, 
and  were  assembled  to  the  hill-tops  and  elsewhere,  to  see  what  had 
become  of  him.  On  the  other  side  of  the  river  which  ran  by  the 
monastery  he  had  a  brother-in-law,  called  Griffri  ap  Gwyn,  of  Gan- 
llwyd,  in  Ardudwy,  who  had  married  a  sister  to  Howel,  by  the 
mother  (or  his  daughter,  as  some  say).  This  man  brought  with  him, 
of  his  sons,  friends,  and  kinsmen,  above  a  hundred  tall  men,  to  the 
bridge  of  Llan-Elltyd,  and  brote  down  one  or  two  bays  thereof, 
whereby  Owen  had  no  safe  passage  that  way ;  then  he  turned  back 
along  the  river  side  to  a  ford  called  Rhyd-Cadwallon.  In  the  mean 
time,  the  people  that  were  on  the  hills  came  down  and  passed  the 
river,  and  joined  themselves  with  Griffri  ap  Gwyn  and  his  men,  and 
they  guarded  the  ford  stoutly,  but  at  last  Owen  and  his  men,  being 
three  to  one,  found  other  fords  and  won  the  passage;  then  both 
parties  fell  to  hardy  blows,  and  fought  till  most  part  of  the  country- 
people  were  slain ;  but  some  escaped  to  the  rocks  and  mountains,  and 
Owen's  men  followed  them  to  the  top  of  the  mountain,  and  there 
killed  many,  and  their  graves  are  to  be  seen  to  this  day.  There  was 
found  slain  on  the  place  (which  whereof  is  yet  called  Maesmawr), 
besides  many  others,  sixty  cousin-germans  or  kindred  of  Griffri  ap 
Gwyn.  After  this,  Owen  took  Howel  Sele  with  him,  but  what 
became  of  him  is  not  certainly  known."  Rhys  Cain,  the  bard,  told 
the  above-said  Mr.  Robert  Vaugh an,  of  Hengwrt,  that  the  common 
tradition  was  that  Howel  was  killed,  and  his  body  let  down  into  a 
hollow  oak ;  and  that  some  said  it  had  been  taken  out  again  and 
buried,  but  no  one  knew  where.  This  event  is  differently  related  in 
an  interesting  account  of  the  celebrated  Nannau  Oak,  in  the  6th 
number  of  the  Cambro-JBriton,  which  we  here  introduce; — 

"  CEUBREN  YR  ELLYLL;    OR,  THE  HOBGOBLIN'S  HOLLOW  TREE. 

"  In  the  park  at  Nannau,  in  Merionethshire,  the  seat  of  Sir  Robert 

Williames 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  233 

Williames  Vaughan,  Baronet,  there  stood  within  these  few  last  years 
a  hollow,  large,  and  blasted  oak,  whose  blanched  and  withered  leaves 
presented  in  spring  a  striking  contrast  to  the  verdure  of  the  surround- 
ing woods.  It  was  a  noted  tree,  and  the  peasant  as  he  passed  in  the 
gloom  of  the  evening  would  quicken  his  pace,  and,  perhaps,  murmur 
a  prayer  for  the  preservation  of  his  person  from  the  crafts  and  assaults 
of  the  evil  one. 

E'en  to  this  day  the  peasant  still, 

With  cautious  fear,  treads  o'er  the  ground  j 

In  each  wild  bush  a  spectre  sees, 

And  trembles  at  each  rising  sound. 

A  long  succession  of  ages  had  rolled  on  since  the  event  transpired, 
which  conferred  on  this  tree  an  influence  so  appalling.  During  the 
wars  of  Glyndwr,  in  the  former  part  of  the  fifteenth  century,  a  cousin 
of  that  hero  resided  at  Nannau  :  his  name  was  Howel  Sele.  It 
appears  that  Howel  had  refused  to  espouse  his  kinsman's  and  his 
country's  cause,  thereby  rendering  himself  particularly  obnoxious  to 
the  choleric  Glyndwr  ;  and  an  enmity  was  then  engendered  between 
the  two  chieftains,  which  was  fostered  on  both  sides  with  savage  and 
revengeful  malignity.  During  a  cessation  of  arms,  Owen,  so  intimates 
tradition,  sought  amusement  and  exercise  in  the  pleasure  of  the  chase, 
and  he  determined,  like  Percy  of  old,  to  <(  force  the  red  deer  from  the 
forest  brake"  in  the  domains  of  bis  unbending  kinsman :  thither  he 
repaired,  therefore,  with  a  bosom  friend,  named  Madog,  and  a  small 
hunting  train ;  as  was  to  be  expected,  he'.encountered  Howel  alone,  but 
armed,  who  demanded  with  what  right  he,  a  rebel  to  his  king,  thus 
intruded  upon  his  solitude  ?  Reply  succeeded  reply,  till  they  resolved 
to  try  the  question  by  force  of  arms ;  they  consequently  fought,  and 
Howel  fell  a  victim  to  the  superior  prowess  of  his  kinsman.  Near  the 
place  where  they  contended  was  a  large  oak,  the  trunk  of  which  was 
hollow  ;  into  this  cavity  the  body  of  the  brave  but  headstrong  Lord 
of  Nannau  was  cast,  and  Owen  and  his  train  hastened  home  to  Glyn- 
dyfrdwy.  The  disappearance  of  their  lord  caused  the  greatest  alarm 
and  consternation  at  the  castle  :  all  possible  search  was  made,  but 
without  effect,  and  his  sorrowing  lady  secluded  herself  from  the 
world  in  the  solitude  of  her  lonely  and  now  gloomy  residence.  Year 
succeeded  year,  and  still  no  tidings  were  received  of  the  absent  Howel. 
At  length,  one  tempestuous  evening  in  November,  an  armed  horse- 
man was  descried  urging  his  flagging  steed  up  the  hill  which  leads 
to  Nannau  from  the  neighbouring  town  of  Dolgellau  ;  he  passed 
quickly  on  his  way,  and,  arriving  at  the  castle,  demanded  an  audience 
of  its  sad  and  solitary  mistress.  It  was  Madog,  who,  his  friend 
Glyndwr  being  dead,  had  hastened  to  clear  up  the  mystery  in  which 
the  disappearance  of  Howel  Sele  was  involved.  He  told  his  tale, 
and  led  the  astonished  and  trembling  domestics  to  the  sepulchre, 
which  enclosed  the  bones  of  their  lord :  it  was  opened,  and  the- 

skeleton 


234  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

skeleton  of  Howel  was  discovered,  grasping  with  his  right  hand  the 
sword  he  was  accustomed  usually  to  wear ;  his  remains  were  interred 
in  the  neighbouring  monastery  of  Cymmer,  with  all  the  pomp  and 
ceremony  of  Catholic  superstition,  and  masses  were  performed  for 
the  repose  of  his  incensed  and  troubled  spirit.  The  oak  in  which 
Howel's  body  was  deposited  is  the  same  which  I  have  alluded  to  in 
the  opening  of  the  sketch  ;  and  it  was  standing  about  seven  or  eight 
years  ago.  A  violent  storm,  however,  cast  to  the  earth  this  venerable 
"  monarch  of  the  forest,"  and  the  worthy  baronet,  in  whose  domains 
it  was  situated,  caused  its  wood  to  be  manufactured  into  a  variety  of 
utensils,  and  the  same  to  be  distributed  among  his  friends.  A  short 
time  before  it  was  blown  down  an  eminent  amateur  artist  made  a  sketch 
of  it.  from  which  engravings  have  since  been  taken,  and  there  is 
scarcely  a  house  in  Dolgellau  but  what  contains  one,  at  least,  of  these 
engravings,  framed  in  the  very  wood,  which  is  of  a  beautifully  dark 
colour,  approaching  to  ebony,  of  the  Ceubren  yr  Ellyll,  At  Nannau 
there  are  several  relics  of  this  majestic  tree ;  among  others,  I  must 
not  omit  to  mention,  is  a  frame,  containing  an  engraved  full-length 
portrait  of  the  memorable  Pitt,-— the  frame  is  unadorned  by  the 
gilder,  but  it  presents  an  appearance,  to  use  the  phrase  of  a  celebrated 
Welsh  writer,  of  magnificent  simplicity.  Under  the  portrait's  the 
following  motto,  particularly  happy  in  its  allusion  to  the  "  pilot  who 
weathered  the  storm :"<— - 

Y  Gwyr 
Fal  y  dderwen 
A  wynebodd 
Y  dymestl. 

From  an  account  by  Sir  Richard  Colt  Hoare,  inserted  in  a  subsequent 
number  of  the  Cambro- Briton,  it  appears  that  the  description  given 
by  the  above  writer  of  the  downfall  of  this  celebrated  oak  is  in- 
correct.—" During  a  visit,"  says  the  worthy  baronet,  "  to  Sir  Robert 
Vaughan,  in  the  summer  of  the  year  1813,  this  aged  tree,  mentioned 
by  Mr.  Pennant,  attracted  my  notice  :  and,  on  the  morning  of  the  13th 
of  July,  I  made  a  drawing  of  it,  in  one  of  the  most  sultry  days  T  ever 
felt ;  the  succeeding  night  was  equally  hot,  and  on  the  same  night 
this  venerable  oak  fell  to  the  ground." 

As  a  proof  of  the  ignorance  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  part  of 
Wales  in  the  dark  days  of  popery,  and  of  the  vindictive  spirit  which 
is  fostered  instead  of  being  checked  by  that  religion,  it  may  be 
mentioned  that  the  parson  of  the  parish  of  Llanvrothen  was  murdered 
at  a  place  called  Ogo'r  Llechwin,  by  some  wretches  who  were  em- 
ployed for  that  purpose,  because  he  had  fostered  a  child  of  the  leader 
of  one  party,  in  opposition  to  the  wishes  of  another  clan,  who  were  at 
enmity  with  them.  When  a  murder  of  this  kind  was  committed,  the 
perpetrators  had  only  to  fly  to  some  sanctuary,  or  betake  themselves 
for  protection  to  the  principals  of  a  clan  at  enmity  with  that  which 
they  had  offended. 

This 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  235 

This  district  had  the  honour  of  producing  three  celebrated  bards  : 
viz. — Rhys  G6ch  o  Eryri,  who  lived  on  his  own  property  at  Havod- 
Garregog;  Rhys  Nanmor;  and  David  Nanmor.  The  tfiree 
flourished  at  the  same  time,  from  1410  to  1460  ;  and  some  of  their 
compositions  are  yet  extant. 

The  parish  of  Trawsfynydd,  the  "  cross  mountain,"  hath  its  church 
dedicated  to  Madryn,  a  female  saint,  who  lived  in  the  sixth  century. 
Mr.  Pennant,  after  emerging  from  the  thick  woods  and  deep  dingles 
near  the  waterfalls  of  Pistill  Cain  and  Rhaidr  Mawddach,  observes — 
"  After  quitting  these  romantic  depths,  I  reached  a  long  extent  of 
woodless  tract,  the  vast  parish  of  Trawsfynydd,  walled  in  on  all  sides 
by  lofty  rugged  mountains  of  various  forms."  This  view  impresses 
the  traveller  with  an  idea  of  dreariness,  barrenness,  solitude,  and 
discomfort.  On  a  flat  stone  at  a  farm-house,  called  Llech-Idris,  the 
property  of  Sir  W.  W.  Wynn,  Bart,  is  the  following  inscription  in 
Roman  letters : — *'  Porus  hie  in  tumulo  jacet  Homo  Pianus  fuit :" 
the  place  is  called  Bedd  Porus,  or  Porus's  grave.  In  a  field,  not  far 
from  it,  is  a  great  upright  stone,  called  Llech-Idris,  or  Idris's  pillar, 
which  is  supposed  to  be  one  of  those  denominated  Meini  Gwyr,  that 
generally  mark  a  warrior's  grave.  Part  of  the  Roman  road,  called 
Sarn  Helen,  is  here  visible  :  it  is  regularly  paved,  and  is  eight  yards 
wide ;  and  there  are  tumuli  near  it,  at  various  distances :  in  one  of 
these  were  found  five  urns,  and  several  fragments  of  bricks  had  been 
placed  round  them,  to  prevent  them  being  crushed.  Castell  Prysor 
("  the  castle  in  the  cold  Brush -wood,"  prysg  oer),  is  a  small  fort, 
placed  in  a  pass  between  the  hills,  nearly  on  the  road  from  Traws- 
i'ynydd  to  Caergai  and  Bala  :  it  is  supposed  to  be  Roman,  notwith- 
standing it  is  built  with  stones  without  any  mortar ;  for  several  coins 
and  urns  have  been  discovered  near  it :  between  it  and  Ffestiniog  is  a 
small  lake,  called  Llwyn-Rathlyn,  noted  for  its  peculiarly-formed 
perch,  the  lower  part  of  the  back-bone,  near  the  tail,  being  strangely 
distorted.  Henry  Wynn,  sixth  son  of  Sir  John  Wynn,  of  Gwydir, 
married  Catherine,  daughter  and  heiress  of  Ellis  Lloyd,  Esq.  of 
Rhiwgoch,  in  this  parish  ;  and  his  son  John,  afterwards  Sir  John 
Wynn,  Bart,  married  Jane,  daughter  of  Eyton  Evans  and  heiress  of 
Wynnstay,  and  thus  eventually  became  the  founder  of  that  family. 
Humphrey  Lloyd  was  born  at  Bodufuddion,  in  this  parish,  about  the 
year  1600,  and  was  made  Prebendary  of  York  by  Archbishop 
Williams.  He  was  interred  at  Bangor,  in  Bishop  Rowlands's  grave, 
January  18th,  1688,  aged  78. 

To  the  parish  church  of  Llanfachreth  Sir  Robert  Williames 
Vaughan,  Bart,  built  an  addition,  in  the  year  (1820)  when  our 
late  beloved  sovereign  King  George  the  Third  died,  and  erected 
two  tablets  to  his  memory  within  the  same  building.  Rice  Jones,  a 
noted  Welsh  bard,  was  a  native  of  this  parish,  he  published  a  book 
.called  Gorchestion  y  Beirdd,  and  died  at  Blaenau,  in  1801.  Owain 

Gwynedd, 


236  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Gwynedd,  son  of  Sir  Evan,  of  Garno,  was  a  celebrated  bard  in  his 
time  :  he  composed  an  eulogistic  ode  addressed  to  John  Owen,  Esq. 
son  of  Lewis  Owen,  Esq.  Vice-Chamberlain,  and  Baron  of  the 
Exchequer  of  North  Wales,  who  lived  at  Llwyn,  near  Dolgellau. 
Owain  Gwynedd  was  curate  of  Dolgellau  about  the  year  1560.  Sir 
Owain  ap  Gwilym,  curate  of  Tal  y  Llyn,  in  this  county,  wrote  an 
elegy  on  the  tragical  death  of  the  said  Baron  Owen.  William  Lleyn, 
curate  of  Oswestry,  another  celebrated  bard,  composed  an  ode  in 
praise  of  Gruffydd  Nannau,  Esq.  the  first  who  assumed  that  name, 
which  continued  to  distinguish  the  family  till  the  death  of  Colonel 
Nanney,  of  Nannau. 

Llangelynin    parish   is    frequently  called    Celynin. — The  parish 
church  is  near  the  sea-shore,  and  very  inconveniently  situate  for  the 
attendance  of  the  inhabitants,  there  being  but  one  or  two  cottages 
near  it ;  and  Llwyngwril,  the  principal  village,  is  at  the  distance  of 
nearly  two  miles  to  the  north.     The  ruins  of  Caer  Bradwen  and  Llys 
Bradwen  before  noticed  are  in  the  township  of  Is-Cregenau,  which  is 
in  this  parish.      Llywelyn  ap  Tewdwr  ap   Gwyn  ap  Peredur  ap 
Ednowain  ap  Bradwen  lived  in  the  time  of  Edward  the  First,  and  did 
him  homage  with  the  lords  and  gentry  of  Wales.     Aron,  the  grand- 
child of  Llywelyn  ap  Tewdwr,  by  his  son  Ednyved,  had  two  sons 
more    eminent   than  the  rest  of  his   children,    viz.    Ednyved  and 
Gruffydd :  of  this  last  descended  William  David  Lloyd,  of  Peniarth, 
Esq.      Ednyved  ap  Aron   is   reported  to  have  entertained  Owain 
Glyndwr  when  he  was  in  distress,   and  when  his  affairs  were  in  a 
declining  state ;  and  tradition  states  that  Owain  concealed  himself  in 
a  cave  by  the  sea-side  in  this  parish,  and  which  is  still  known  by  the 
name  of  Ogof  Owain,   "  Owen's  Cave:"  from  Ednyved  descended 
Morgan   ap  Gruffydd  ap  Eineon,   a  stout  courageous  man,  who, 
according  to  the  account  given  by  some  of  his  descendants,  met  King 
Henry  the  Eighth,  by  chance,  late  at  night  in  the  streets  of  London, 
his  Majesty  being  in  disguise,  and  wishing  to  see  whether  order  was 
kept  in  the  city  ;  as  neither  of  them  would  give  way,  they  drew  their 
swords  and  fought  obstinately  for  some  time,  until  Morgan's  com- 
panion, perceiving  some  of  the  king's  guards  approaching,  ordered 
him  to  desist,  and  informed  him  that  he  expected  his  antagonist  to  be 
the  monarch ;  upon  this  Morgan  begged  for  mercy,   and  the  King 
allowed  him  to  depart,  merely  observing  that  he  was  a  lusty  fellow  : 
ever  after,  it  is  added,  he  was  called  "  lusty  Morgan."     Ednowain 
ap  Bradwen  bore  for  his  arms, — Gules,  three  snakes  entwined  in  a 
triangular  knot  Argent.     He  was  Lord  of  the  Hundred  of  Talybont, 
excepting  the  Township  of  Nannau,  in  Llanfachreth,  and  the  Prince's 
Demesnes ;  he  was  also  Lord  of  the  greater  part  of  the  Hundred  of 
Estumanner. — One  Mary  Thomas,  of  TyddynBach,  in  this  parish,  is 
mentioned  by  Mr.  Pennant  as  having  fasted  a  very  great  length  of 
time.    Another  singular  character,  a  native  of  this  parish,  is  mentioned 

by 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  237 

by  Mr.  Pennant,  viz.  Arise  Evans,  a  pretended  conjuror  and  astrologer: 
he  is  noticed  with  admiration  and  respect  by  his  great  pupil,  William 
Lilly,  and  his  person  minutely  described. 

Half  a  mile  above  Caer-Onn  is  a  level  place  on  the  top  of  a  hill 
called  Gwastad  Merioneth,  and  near  it  a  small  field  called  Pumtheg, 
either  from  the  number  of  fifteen  large  stones  or  pillars,  and  druidical 
altars,  or  because  fifteen  different  lakes  may  be  seen  from  thence,  as  it 
commands  a  very  extensive  and  beautiful  prospect.  At  Llanfendigaid, 
"  The  Church  of  the  Blessed,"  in  this  parish,  there  was,  some  years 
ago,  a  small  chapel,  the  only  remaining  part  of  an  old  church ;  a 
beautifully-carved  screen  was  removed  about  fifty  years  ago  to  a  house 
called  Maes-y-Pandy,  in  the  parish  of  Tal-y-Llyn,  and  part  of  it  made 
use  of  as  a  bed-tester. — Just  below  Llangelynin  church,  running  out 
into  the  sea,  are  the  remains  of  an  old  wall  or  embankment  called 
Sarn-y-Bwch,  which  is  supposed  to  have  had  a  communication  with 
Sarn  Badrig.  Others  are  of  opinion  that  Sarn-y-Bwch  extended 
from  the  mouth  of  the  river  Dysynni  to  Saint  David's  Head,  and  Sarn 
Badrig  from  the  Antro  to  Bardsey ;  these  two,  together  with  Sarn 
Gynfelyn,  near  Aberystwith,  are  generally  supposed  to  have  been 
some  of  the  embankments  of  Cantref-y-Gwaelod,  or  the  Lowland 
Hundred.  A  remarkable  battle  was  fought  at  a  place  called  Castell, 
near  Rhos  Lefain,  now  a  farm-house;  and  at  Bron-y-Clydwr,  in  this 
parish,  was  formerly  a  dissenting  chapel,  with  a  cemetery  near  it.  At 
Tal-y-Bont,  on  the  banks  of  the  Dysynni,  is  a  large  tumulus  called 
Tommen  Eithin ;  and  another  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  in  the 
parish  of  Towyn.  They  were,  probably,  the  foundations  of  two 
timber  castelets  erected  here  to  protect  the  ford  across  the  river. 
Near  the  sea-coast  was  an  old  mill  called  Felin  Freuan,  so  called  from 
a  quern  or  small  hand-mill  formerly  used  in  Wales.  Near  the  Ogof 
Owain,  or  Ogof  Llanfendigaid,  was  discovered,  many  years  ago,  a 
stone  with  an  inscription,  by  the  assistance  of  which  was  discovered 
Ffynon  Gadvan,  or  St.  Cadvan's  Well,  near  Towyn,  Merioneth.  The 
ancient  family  of  Llanfendigaid,  who  were  a  branch  of  the  Nanneys, 
were  celebrated  by  the  Bards  in  the  time  of  Henry  the  Eighth  and 
Queen  Elizabeth,  for  their  munificence  and  hospitality :  by  Hugh  ap 
John  ap  Hywel  in  particular,  to  whom  the  bard,  William  Lleyn, 
curate  of  Oswestry,  addressed  an  encomiastic  ode,  and!  afterwards 
wrote  an  elegy  on  his  death,  which  happened  in  1574. — Near  Pwli 
Orthog,  in  this  parish,  is  a  small  neat  new  chapel  which  is  served  by 
the  curate  of  Llangelynin. 

Pennal,  i.e.  Penael,  "  the  Summit  of  the  Brow,"  hath  its  church 
dedicated  to  Saint  Peter.  The  old  church ,  which  was  partly  built  with 
the  ruins  of  the  Roman  fortress  of  Cefn  Caer,  was  taken  down  about 
the  year  1769,  and  a  new  church  erected  with  the  materials;  but 
being  wholly  covered  with  stucco,  the  Roman  bricks  are  concealed 
from  visw.  Mr.  Robert  Vaughan,  of  Hengwrt,  in  his  sketch  of  the 

history 


238  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

history  of  this  county,  affirms,  that  he  saw  a  silver  coin  of  Domitian, 
that  was  dug  up  at  Cefn  Caer.  It  is  probable  that  a  Roman  road, 
leading  from  Conovium  (Caer  Rhun,  near  Conway)  to  Lucarum, 
near  Swansea,  in  Glamorganshire,  passed  by  Dolgellau,  and  to  the 
west  of  Cader-Idris  to  Pennal ;  from  thence  to  Llanbadarn-Fawr, 
near  Aberystwyth,  where  Roman  remains  have  been  discovered,  and 
through  the  parish  of  Llanfihangel  y  Creuddin,  where  there  are 
evident  traces  of  a  Roman  road ;  thence  to  Llanio  (Lovantium),  six 
miles  east  of  Lampeter,  where  several  Roman  inscriptions  were 
discovered;  thence  over  the  hill  to  Talley,  Llandilo-Vawr,  and 
Slwchwr  (Leucarrum).  Near  the  river  side  is  a  tumulus,  or  an 
artificial  hillock,  called  Tommen-Las,  on  the  summit  of  which,  no 
doubt,  there  was  a  timber  fort  or  castle  to  guard  the  ford.  At  a 
place  called  Y-Maes-y-Mhenal,  otherwise  Wttra  Bennal,  a  battle  was 
fought  between  Thomas  ap  Gruffydd  ap  Nicholas,  of  Dynevor,  for 
the  House  of  Lancaster,  and  Henry  ap  Gwilym,  of  Court  Henry,  one 
of  the  Earl  of  Pembroke's  captains,  for  the  House  of  York,  in  which 
Thomas  Gruffydd  gained  the  field.  Here  also  the  same  Thomas  ap 
Gruffydd  ap  Nicholas  fought  a  most  bloody  combat  or  duel  with 
David  Gough,  a  near  kinsman  of  Matthew  Gough,  a  famous  warrior 
in  the  times  of  Henry  the  Fifth  and  Henry  the  Sixth,  wherein  the 
celebrated  David  Gough  fell  by  the  sword  of  Thomas  ap  Gruffydd 
ap  Nicholas.  The  celebrated  bard,  Llewelyn  Goch  ap  Meurig  Hen, 
of  Nannau,  who  flourished  about  the  year  1400,  composed  a  beautiful 
pathetic  elegy  on  the  death  of  Lleucu  Lhvyd  (Lucy  Lloyd),  a 
celebrated  beauty  of  this  parish. 

Upon  the  south  bank  of  the  river  Lliw,  in  the  parish  of  Llanuwch- 
llyn,  in  the  hundred  of  Penllyn,  on  a  high  craggy  rock,  are  the 
decayed  towers,  wall,  and  ruins  of  a  castle,  called  Castell  Carn 
Dochen,  the  mortar  of  which  is  mixed  with  cockleshells,  brought  by 
land-carriage  fourteen  miles:  and  nearly  opposite  to  it  is  another 
ancient  fortress,  called  Caer-Gai,  built  in  the  time  of  the  Romans,  as 
it  is  generally  supposed,  from  a  number  of  Roman  coins  having  been 
discovered  here :  one  or  two  were  found  not  many  years  ago  of  the 
Emperor  Domitian:  here  also  was  dug  up  a  Roman  monumental 
stone.  This  place  was  called  Cai-hir  ap  Gynyr,  so  named  from  King 
Arthur's  foster-brother,  who  is  said  to  have  resided  here.  Camden 
says  it  was  built  by  one  Caius  a  Roman ;  but  this  appears  to  be  mere 
conjecture.  It  is  evident  that  Spenser,  who  was  deeply  read  in  all 
the  romance  of  his  days,  had  heard  the  tradition  of  Caer-gai,  and  its 
old  inhabitant  Cai-hir,  "  Cai,  the  tall,"  the  foster-brother  of  King 
Arthur,  and  his  companion  in  romance,  to  whom  he  chuses  to  give  the 
more  classical  name  of  Timon,  for  so  Prince  Arthur  is  made  to  name 
his  foster-father  (foster-brother  according  to  the  Welsh  M.S.)  : — 

Unto  old  Timon,  he  me  brought  by  live 
Old  Timon,  who  in  youthful  years  had  been, 

In 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  239 

In  warlike  feats  the  expertest  man  alive, 

And  is  the  wisest  now  on  earth  I  ween  : 

His  dwelling  is  low,  in  valley  green, 

Under  the  foot  of  Rauran*  mossie  hore, 

From  whence  the  river  Dee,  as  silver  clean, 

His  tumbling  billows  rolls,  with  gentle  rore ; 

There  all  his  days  he  trained  me  up  in  virtuous  lore. 

Fairy  Queen,  Book  I.  Canto  IX. 

In  Llanuwchllyn  church  is  the  figure  of  an  armed  man,  with  a 
conical  helmet,  and  mail  muflfer  round  his  chin  and  neck ;  on  his 
breast  is  a  wolf's  head,  on  the  lower  part  of  his  body  another,  and  in 
the  intervening  space  three  roses :  the  first  are  the  arms  of  Ririd 
Flaidd,  the  others  of  Cunedda  Wledig,  a  Cambrian  prince,  whose 
sons,  after  their  father  had  been  defeated  by  the  Saxons  in  the  sixth 
century,  retired  and  possessed  themselves  of  these  parts  of  Wales. 
Meirion,  one  of  his  grandsons,  is  said  to  have  given  the  name  of 
Merioneth  to  this  county.  On  the  20th  of  June,  1781,  a  great  quan- 
tity of  rain  fell  in  this  parish,  and  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Cwm 
Clynlwyd,  and  in  Cwm  Twrch,  was  destroyed  by  the  bursting  of  a 
thunder  cloud,  which  caused  the  river  to  overflow  its  banks  in  so 
dreadful  a  manner  as  to  sweep  away  every  impediment ;  cattle  and 
sheep  were  drowned,  and  meadows  and  corn  fields  covered  with 
gravel  and  slime ;  five  bridges  were  swept  away,  and  several  houses 
at  Pandy  village  were  completely  destroyed. 

Llanaelhaiarn. — In  Ecton's  Browne  Willis's  Thesaurus  Rerum 
Ecclesiasticarum,  a  rectory  of  this  name  is  mentioned  as  being  in  the 
deanry  of  Penllyn  and  Edeirnion,  and  dedicated  to  Saint  Elhaiarne, 
who  lived  in  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century;  and  in  an  old  M.  S. 
the  following  memorandum  is  made  respecting  it : — "  This  Rect. 
Aelhayarn.  There  was  formerly  a  chapel,  called  Capel  Aelhayarn  ; 
the  place  still  known  by  that  name  is  in  the  parish  of  Gwyddelwern." 

Gwyddelwern,  "  The  Alder  Grove,"  hath  its  church  dedicated  to 
Saint  Beuno.  Near  it  is  a  place  called  Saith  Marchog,  from  the 
circumstance  of  Owain  Glyndwr  having  there  surprized  Reginald  de 
Grey,  and  seven  knights  in  his  train.  A  family  took  a  name  similar 
to  this,  Saeth-Marchog,  or  the  shot  or  arrow  of  a  knight,  and  bore  for 
arms  a  lion  rampant  argent  in  a  field  azure,  upon  a  canton  argent  an 
arrow's  head  gules.  Lowry,  the  heiress  of  this  family,  married 
Thomas  Myddelton,  of  Garthgynan.  In  this  neighbourhood  is  Caer 
Drewyn,  a  fortified  encampment,  being  one  of  a  chain  of  posts  begin- 
ning near  Diserth,  and  continuing  along  the  Clwydian  hills  to  the 
mountains  of  lal. 

Llan-Danwg  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Tanwg,  a  saint,  who  was 
one  of  those  who  accompanied  Cadfan  from  Armorica  in  the  beginning 
of  the  sixth  century.  In  this  parish  was  discovered,  in  the  last 
century,  a  very  curious  piece  of  antiquity,  viz.  a  golden  torques,  or 
wreathed  rod  or  chain  of  gold:  the  use  of  it,  according  to  Mr.  Pen- 

L  1  nant, 

*  Yr  Aran. 


240  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

nant,  was  that  of  a  baldric,  to  suspend  gracefully  the  quiver  of  men 
of  rank,  which  hung  behind  by  means  of  a  hook,  and  the  golden 
wreath  crossed  the  breast  and  passed  over  the  shoulder.  The  British 
chiefs,  and  warriors  generally,  wore  also  a  chain  of  gold  about  the 
neck  and  another  round  the  arm ;  and  the  celebrated  British  heroine 
Boadicea  wore  a  large  torques  of  this  description.  At  no  great 
distance  from  Harlech  are  several  Meini-Hirion,  or  columnar  stones, 
which  were  intended  probably  to  mark  the  spot  where  some  celebrated 
hero  or  heroes  fell  in  battle.  In  this  neighbourhood  also  are  several 
Cyttiawr  Gwyddelod,  or  the  foundations  and  ruins  of  the  rude  dwell- 
ings or  habitations  of  wood-rangers,  erected  for  the  purposes  of 
hunting.  The  church  is  most  inconveniently  situate  upon  a  small 
isthmus,  or  point  of  land,  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Artro,  "  the 
crooked  or  winding  stream." 

Llan-Aber,  "  the  church  at  the  mouth  of  the  river." — At  Hendref 
Fechan,  in  this  parish,  lived  four  celebrated  bards  of  the  name  of 
Philip,  viz.  William,  Richard,  John,  and  Thomas ;  they  flourished  in 
the  reigns  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  James  I.  and  Charles  I. 

Llanbedr  is  situate  on  the  river  Artro.  The  mouth  of  this  river 
is  by  some  writers  represented  as  the  place  where  Gwyddno  Goron- 
hir's  weir  was  situate,  and  where  the  far-famed  British  bard  Taliesin 
was  discovered  by  Elphin,  son  of  that  prince,  in  a  leather  bag 
attached  to  one  of  the  poles  of  the  weir.  The  prince  took  compassion 
on  the  infant,  and  had  him  properly  educated,  and  introduced  him 
into  his  father's  court.  Mr.  Pennant,  in  one  of  his  excursions,  visited 
a  venerable  old  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Evan  Llwyd,  whose  resi- 
dence was  near  the  beautiful  lake  of  Llyn  Cwm  Bychan,  and  whose 
ancestors  have  been  in  possession  of  that  property  since  the  year 
1100.  One  of  these,  Davydd  Llwyd,  a  celebrated  warrior,  was 
present  at  the  battle  of  Bosworth,  in  1485,  with  King  Henry  the 
Seventh,  A  Welsh  tune,  called  Ymadawaid  Dai  Llwyd,  or  "  David 
Llwyd's  Farewell,"  was  composed  at  the  time  of  his  departure. — 
Drws  Ardudwy,  a  fortified  pass  between  the  mountains,  is  in  this 
neighbourhood :  it  was  probably  occupied  by  the  sons  of  Cadwgan  in 
their  contests  with  Uchtryd  ap  Edwyn,  whom  they  at  last  expelled 
from  the  country. 

Llanddwywen,  or  Llanddwywau,  alias  Llan-Dewi  Is  y  Graig 
("  Saint  David's  below  the  Rock").— The  church  is  dedicated, 
according  to  Ecton,  to  Holy  Cross,  but,  as  asserted  by  Dr.  W.  O. 
Pughe  in  his  Cambrian  Biography,  to  a  British  saint  of  the  name  of 
Dwywan,  son  of  Hywel  ap  Emyr  Llydaw,  and  brother  of  Dervel 
Gadarn,  or  "  Dervel  the  Mighty,"  who  flourished  about  the  sixth 
century.  In  this  parish  are  three  small  lakes,  viz.  Llyn  Irddin,  Llyn 
Dulynn,  and  Llyn  Bodlynn;  the  latter  is  well  stocked  with  char, 
called  by  the  natives  of  the  country  Tor-Goch  ("  Red-bellies"). 
Llynn-Cwm-Howel  is  another  lake  in  this  neighbourhood,  noted  for 
a  species  of  trout,  "  which  I-have  seen,"  says  Mr.  Pennant,  "  with 

most 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  241 

most  deformed  heads,  thick,  flatted,  and  toad-shaped ;"  and  which 
probably  might  give  rise  to  the  fabled  accounts  of  the  monstrous 
species  recorded  by  Giraldus.  Near  Llyn  Irddin  are  several  druid- 
ical  antiquities  :  the  first  is  a  circle  about  56  feet  in  diameter,  formed 
of  piles  of  loose  stones,  with  upright  columns  placed  at  five  yards 
distance  from  each  other,  in  pairs,  so  as  nearly  to  divide  the  circle 
into  four  parts  :  about  thirty  yards  from  this  is  a  smaller  one,  with 
several  upright  stones,  but  placed  with  less  regularity.  Haifa  mile 
south  of  these,  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  are  two  carnedds  (or  large  heaps 
of  stones)  of  a  most  stupendous  size;  also  a  cromlech,  or  druidical 
altar  or  tombstone,  a  maen-hir  or  columnar  stone,  and  a  cistvaen  or 
stone  coffin.  The  largest  carnedd  is  50  feet  long,  and  12  high  in  the 
middle ;  the  columns  are  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  high.  North-west  of 
these  antiquities,  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  is  a  strong  post  called  Castell 
Dinas  Cortin,  entrenched  around,  with  an  advanced  work  on  one 
side.  This,  and  another  small  fort  called  Castell  Craig  y  Dinas 
("  the  Town-Rock  Castle,")  seem  to  have  been  formed  as  defences  to 
the  above-mentioned  antiquities,  as  well  as  to  two  other  great  car- 
nedds placed  on  small  eminences  near  to  each  other,  within  one  of 
which  are  the  remains  of  a  cistvaen.  The  druidical  circles  and 
cromlechs  might  have  been  here  long  prior  to  the  carneddi  and  the 
forts  ;  and  this  place  was  probably  the  scene  of  a  bloody  battle,  the 
carneddi  being  formed  over  the  bodies  of  the  slain,  the  most  distin- 
guished of  whom  were  probably  interred  in  these  stone  coffins.  At 
no  great  distance  is  another  eminence  called  Bryn  Corny n  lou,  which 
is,  as  translated  by  Mr.  Pennant,  "  the  Hill  of  the  Horns  of  Jove  ;" 
but  he  supposes  the  hill  to  have  been  originally  called  Bryn  Cerrwn- 
nos,  in  honour  of  a  deity  venerated  by  the  Gauls  and  Britons,  who 

E resided  over  the  amusements  of  the  chase.  This  appears  to  be  a 
ir-fetched  and  very  improbable  conjecture.  It  may  be  nothing  more 
than  Bryn  y  Cerniau,  or  Bryn  y  Gyrniau,  <f  the  Eminence  amongst 
the  Conical  Rocks ;"  Bryn  y  Carniau,  "  the  Eminence  amongst  the 
Stone  Heaps."  A  earn,  as  well  as  carnedd,  means  (e  a  large  heap  of 
stones."  Near  a  tenement  called  Bryn  y  Voel  there  is  a  cromlech, 
16  feet  4  inches  long,  7  feet  4  inches  broad,  and  20  inches  thick. — 
At  no  great  distance  from  this  village  is  a  house  called  Maes  y 
Garnedd,  the  birth-place  of  the  regicide  Colonel  Jones,  whose 
insolence  to  the  neighbouring  gentry  in  the  time  of  Oliver  Cromwell 
was,  till  within  these  few  years,  spoken  of  with  great  abhorrence. — 
The  road  from  Trawsfynydd  to  this  part  of  the  county,  called 
Ardudwy,  is  through  a  narrow  defile  or  rocky  pass,  where  the  tra- 
veller has  to  ascend  at  times  a  hazardous  flight  of  numerous  stone 
steps,  and  at  others  to  descend  along  the  slippery  rock,  while  his  path 
is  overhung  by  huge,  lofty,  impending  precipices.  The  horrors  of 
this  desolate  scene  cannot  easily  be  described.  The  narrowest  part 
of  the  pass  is  called  Drws  Ardudwy,  "  the  Door-way  to  Ardudwy." — 

In 
L  1  2 


242  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

In  this  parish  is  Cors-y-Gedol,  the  ancient  family  seat  of  the 
Vaughans,  and  now  the  property  of  the  Mostyn  family.  Mr.  Pen- 
nant, when  on  his  tour  through  this  part  of  North  Wales,  spent  some 
days  here  with  William  Vaughan,  Esq.  where  (as  he  observes)  he 
was  entertained  in  the  style  of  an  ancient  baron.  There  is  a  long 
avenue  of  trees  leading  from  the  highroad  to  the  house.  The  woods 
are  extensive,  but  affected  in  a  very  singular  manner  by  the  westerly 
winds  :  the  tops  are  shorn  quite  even,  and  the  boughs  so  interwoven 
as  to  resemble  a  close  and  almost  impenetrable  curtain.  There  were 
but  few  inns  in  North  Wales  fit  for  the  reception  of  a  gentleman  at 
the  commencement  of  the  last  century ;  and  the  usual  method,  when 
a  person  of  some  respectability  travelled,  was  to  obtain  letters  of 
introduction  to  the  resident  gentlemen  of  that  part  of  the  country 
which  he  intended  visiting.  Indeed,  at  that  time  there  was  so  little 
travelling,  that  it  was  considered  quite  a  pleasant  occurrence  when  a 
stranger  thus  recommended  visited  a  country  gentleman.  At  this 
mansion,  and  many  others  in  Wales,  it  was  the  usual  practice  to  place 
a  large  piece  of  cold  beef  on  the  table  in  the  great  hall  every  day, 
together  with  a  tankard  of  strong  ale,  and  every  stranger  was  welcome 
to  partake  of  this  good  cheer.  On  the  north-west  side  of  the  parish 
church  is  a  chapel  appropriated  for  the  burial  place  of  this  family  ; 
underneath  are  the  vaults  ;  and  along  the  walls  are  several  monuments, 
on  one  of  which  is  inscribed  the  pedigree  of  the  Vaughans,  who  were 
descended  from  Osborn  Fitzgerald  (a  branch  of  the  Desmond  Fitz- 
geralds),  called  by  the  Welsh  Osbwrn  Wyddel,  or  (t  Osbwrn  the 
Irishman."  He  came  into  Wales  in  the  time  of  Lly  welyn  the  Great, 
and  was  much  favoured  by  that  prince. — This  chapel  is  separated 
from  the  body  of  the  church  by  some  open  trellis  or  lattice- work. 

Llanfih angel  y  Pennant  (Saint  Michael's  at  the  head  of  the  dingle) 
is  situate  in  a  narrow  dingle,  at  the  foot  of  Cader  Idris,  on  the  banks 
of  a  small  rivulet  called  Llaethnant  otherwise  Cegidva.  On  the  top 
of  a  high  rock  there  formerly  stood  a  castle,  known  by  the  names  of 
Y  Beri,  Castell  Teberri,  or  Castell  y  Beri,  built  either  by  Gruffydd 
ap  Cynan,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  or  by  Hugh  Lupus,  Earl  of 
Chester,  when  Gruffydd  had  been  treacherously  betrayed  into  his 
hands  by  Meirion  Goch.  The  etymology  given  of  the  name  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Evans,  author  of  specimens  of  Welsh  poetry,  is  Castell  yr 
Aberau,  the  castle  at  the  conflux:  another  probable  derivation  is 
Castell  y  Beri,  the  castle  or  nest  of  kites  :  as  it  is  a  steep  rock,  to 
which  numbers  of  birds  of  prey  retire  at  night,  and  also  make  their 
nests  in  the  summer  season.  A  third  derivation  is  Castell  y  Bera, 
"  The  Pyramid  Castle,"  from  the  form  of  the  rock.  Thomas  of 
Walsingham  says,  that  after  the  death  of  the  last  prince  Lly  welyn, 
William  de  Valence,  Earl  of  Pembroke,  took  the  same  from  the  said 
prince's  garrison. 

Tal  y  Llyn  (the  head  of  the  Lake)  hath  its  church  dedicated  to 
Saint  Mary.     The  village  is  situate  in  a  narrow  vale  on  the  south  of 

Cader 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  243 

Cader  Idris,  and  at  the  west  end  of  a  lake  nearly  a  mile  in  length, 
called  Llyn  Meingul,  or  "  The  Narrow  Lake,"  which  abounds  with 
fine  trout.  Here  is  a  fine  large  spring,  called  Ffynnon  Cwm  Rhwyfor, 
which  is  considered  to  be  efficacious  in  the  cure  of  rheumatic  and 
other  disorders.  Dysynni  river  is  a  spring  near  a  place  called  Craig  y 
Cae,  not  far  from  the  summit  of  Cader  Idris.  It  appears  from  an  old 
inquisition,  that  the  lands  between  the  rivers  Dyfi  and  Dulas  were  in 
times  past  considered  as  part  of  the  commot  of  Estumanner,  in  which 
this  parish  is  situate ;  as  Eineon  ap  Seisyllt,  who  held  them  in  capite 
of  his  brother,  Prince  Llywelyn  Vawr  ap  Seisyllt,  upon  some  disagree- 
ment between  himself  and  Eineon,  fled  to  the  Prince  of  Powys,  and 
placed  himself  under  his  protection,  and  thus  this  district  became 
alienated  from  Gwynedd  to  Powys.— Sir  Owain  ap  Gwilym,  a  cele- 
brated bard,  was  curate  of  this  parish  about  the  year  1570.  William 
Lleyn  composed  an  elegy  on  his  death,  which  is  still  extant.  Owain 
Gwynedd,  curate  of  Dolgellau,  another  bard,  wrote  an  elegy  on  the 
death  of  the  same  gentleman,  and  Hugh  Arwystle,  another  bard, 
composed  an  elegy  on  a  similar  subject.  At  a  place  called  Llwyn  D61 
Ithel,  in  the  year  1684,  was  found,  about  three  yards  deep,  a  coffin 
made  of  deal,  seven  feet  long,  carved  and  gilt  at  both  ends.  Two 
skeletons,  supposed  to  be  of  different  sexes,  were  found  in  it,  placed 
with  the  head  of  one  parallel  to  the  feet  of  the  other;  the  bones  were 
moist  and  tough,  of  an  uncommon  size,  the  thigh  bones  being  twenty- 
seven  inches  long.  A  few  miles  from  Tal  y  Llyn  church'  the  vale 
contracts,  and  the  hills  are  a  shorter  distance  from  each*  other ;  the 
sides  of  the  mountains  are  broken  into  a  thousand  crags,  some  conical 
and  sharp-pointed, 'but  the  greater  part  overhanging  the  base  so  as  to 
have  the  appearance'  of  being  ready  to  overwhelm  the  passenger. 
One  of  these  precipices  is  called  Pen  y  Delyn,  "  the  Harp  Rock," 
from  a  resemblance  to  that  instrument.  Another  is  called  Llarri  y 
Lladron,  or  "  the  Thieves'  Leap,"  from  a  tradition  that  thieves  Were 
wont  to  be  brought  there  and  thrown  down.  It  is  not  improbable 
that  such  a  punishment  might  have  been  inflicted  in  the  barbarous 
days  of  heathenism.  The  late  Counsellor  Fenton,  author  of  the 
History  of  Pembrokeshire,  resided  for  some  time  at  Aberlliweni,  in 
this  parish. 

Llari-Gower,  or  Llangywair,  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint 
Gwawr,  mother  of  Llywarch  Hen.  The  village  is  situated  on  the 
south  side  of  Pimblemere,  or  Bala  lakd.  Near  this  place  is  a  stone 
called  Llech  Gower,  which  is  marked  with  the  sign  of  the  cross  ;  and 
also  a  well  called  Ffynnon  Gower.  Upon  the  east  bank  of  the  river 
Dee,  near  the  lake,  are  two  small  mounts,  one  of  which  bears  the 
name  of  Castell  Gronow  Befr  o  Benllyn,  "  the  Castle  of  Gronow  the 
Fair  of  Penllyn."  He  is  said  to  have  lived  in  the  time  of  Maelgwn 
Gwynedd,  about  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  century. — Edward  Lloyd, 
M.  A;  was  incumbent  of  this  parish  in  1683  ;  he  published  a  Welsh 
book  called  Meddyginiaeth,  &c.  Llanyccil, 


244  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Llanyccil,  or  Llanycil,  "  the  Church  in  the  Recess,"  hath  its 
church  dedicated  to  Saint  Beuno.  Glan  y  Llyn,  in  this  parish,  for- 
merly belonged  to  the  Vaughans,  but  is  now  the  property  of  Sir  W. 
W.  Wynn,  Bart,  who  resides  here  a  few  days  in  the  grousing  and 
fishing  season.  The  two  Arennigs  (Mawr  and  Bach,  fs  large  and 
small,")  are  in  this  parish,  and  an  old  castle  called  Castell  Carn 
Dochen,  before  mentioned^ — The  Roman  road  from  Eryri  Mons, 
Tommen  y  Mur,  and  Castell  Prysor,  to  Mediolanum,  must  have 
passed  by  Caer  Gai  and  this  castle,  and  very  likely  by  Bala  and 
Ffordd  Helen  or  Milltirgerrig,  to  Llanfyllin. 

Llandrillo  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Trillo,  one  of  the 
sons  of  Ithel  Hael,  who  accompanied  Cadfan  into  Wales  in  the 
beginning  of  the  sixth  century :  there  is  a  strong  spring  near  the 
village,  called  Ffynnon  Drillo.  Llandrillo  is  situated  in  the  match- 
less vale  of  Edeirnion  (as  Mr.  Pennant  terms  it),  near  the  torrent 
Ceidio,  and  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Dee,  at  the  mouth  of  a  great 
glen,  with  the  lofty  and  extensive  Berwyn  range  of  mountains  im- 
mediately to  the  south.  The  hundred  of  Edeirnion,  in  which  this 
parish  is  situated,  is  so  called,  as  supposed,  from  Edeyrn,  one  of  the 
sons  of  Cunedda  Wledig,  who  lived  in  the  fourth  century,  when  that 
prince,  with  his  children,  was  expelled  from  his  original  patrimony  in 
Cumberland  and  the  neighbouring  districts. 

Llangar  "  the  church  near  the  fortress"  hath  its  church  dedicated 
to  All  Saints.  In  a  field  called  Caer  Bont  is  a  circular  entrenchment, 
consisting  of  a  fosse  and  rampart,  with  two  entrances,  meant, 
perhaps,  as  a  guard  to  this  pass.  On  the  summit  of  a  hill,  called 
Y  Foel,  is  a  circle  of  stones,  ten  yards  in  diameter,  within  which  was 
a  circular  cell,  about  six  feet  in  diameter ;  and  at  the  distance  of 
about  one  hundred  yards,  facing  the  circle  of  stones,  are  the  remains 
of  a  great  carnedd,  surrounded  with  large  stones.  At  the  end  of  a 
dingle,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  church,  is  Rhaiader  Cynwyd,  or 
the  fall  of  Cynwyd :  the  water  of  the  river  Trystion  bursts  from  the 
sides  of  the  hill  through  deep  and  narrow  chasms,  from  rock  to  rock, 
which  are  overgrown  with  trees :  in  this  sequestered  spot  is  situated  a 
little  mill,  which  greatly  adds  to  the  picturesque  beauty  of  the  scene. 

Llansaintfraid  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Fraid,  called  by 
the  English  Saint  Bride,  who  lived  about  the  middle  of  the  seventh 
century.  The  village  is  pleasantly  situated  near  the  river  Dee,  on  the 
north  bank  of  that  river  :  it  contains  a  small  room,  called  the  prison- 
house  of  Ovvain  Glyndwr,  where  it  is  said  Owain  confined  his 
captives.  Rhagarth,  where  Owain  Glyndwr  is  supposed  to  have 
had  a  palace,  is  in  this  parish,  and  has  been  for  many  years  the  seat 
of  the  ancient  family  of  Lloyd. 

Rhtig  is  the  name  of  a  lordship,  township,  chapel,  and  gentleman's 
seat :  it  is  situated  about  a  mile  west  of  Cor  wen.  Colonel  William 
Salisbury,  Governor  of  Denbigh  Castle  in  the  civil  wars  of  the 

sixteenth 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  245 

sixteenth  century,  founded  and  endowed  the  present  chapel  at  Rhug. 
Here  Gruffydd  ap  Cynan,  King  of  Wales,  was  betrayed  into  the 
hands  of  his  enemies,  Hugh  Lupus,  Earl  of  Chester,  and  Hugh 
Belesme,  Earl  of  Shrewsbury,  by  the  treason  and  treachery  of  one  of 
his  subjects,  Meirion  Goch  (Meirion  the  red).  He  was  conveyed  to 
Chester  castle,  where  he  endured  twelve  years  imprisonment,  but  was 
at  length  released  by  the  bravery  of  a  young  man  of  this  vicinity  of 
the  name  of  Cynrig  Hir,  who  went  to  Chester  under  pretence  of 
purchasing  necessaries,  and  then  took  an  opportunity,  while  the 
keepers  were  feasting,  to  carry  away  his  prince,  loaded  with  irons,  on 
his  back,  to  a  place  of  safety.  In  aftertimes  this  house  and  demesne 
became  the  property  of  Owain  Brogyntyn,  natural  son  of  Madog  ap 
Meredydd,  a  Prince  of  Powys.  Such  was  the  merit  of  Brogyntyn, 
that  he  shared  his  father's  inheritance  equally  with  his  legitimate 
brethren.  By  the  marriage  of  Margaret  Wenn,  daughter  and  heiress 
of  levan  ap  Hywel,  a  descendant  of  Brogyntyn,  with  Pyers  Salus- 
bury,  of  Bachymbyd,  were  derived  the  Salusburies,  of  Rug,  a  name 
existing  in  the  male  line  till  the  last  century.  On  the  attainder  of 
Owain  Glyndwr,  Henry  IV.  sold  this  lordship  to  Robert  Salisbury, 
of  Rug.  In  the  garden  at  Rug  is  a  mount  or  tumulus,  on  the 
summit  of  which,  in  ancient  times,  was  a  castelet,  most  probably  of 
timber,  as  many  were  so  formed  before  the  invention  of  gunpowder. 

Llanymawddwy,  <(  the  church  of  Mawddwy,  or  overflowing  water." 
— The  church  here  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Tydecho^  who  lived  at  the 
close  of  the  fifth  and  beginning  of  the  sixth  century.  The  village  is 
situated  two  miles  north  of  Dinas  Mawddwy,  near  the  source  of  the 
river  Dovey,  in  the  long  and  narrow  vale  of  Mawddwy :  this  glen  or 
ravine  is  so  contracted  as  scarcely  to  admit  a  meadow  at  the  bottom  of 
it ;  its  boundaries  are  vast  hills,  very  verdant  and  fine  sheep  walks. 
In  one  place  the  mountains  open  and  exhibit  the  rugged  and  wild 
summit  of  Aran  Mawddwy,  which  majestically  soars  above.  The 
inclosures  are  divided  by  excellent  quickset  hedges,  and  run  far  up 
the  sides  of  the  hills,  in  places  so  steep  that  a  person  unaccustomed  to 
mountain  land  would  hardly  be  able  to  stand  erect  on  them.  Num- 
bers of  little  groves  are  interspersed,  and  the  hills  above  them  are 
covered  with  fine  turf  to  the  summit,  where  the  bog  and  heath 
commence,  which  afford  shelter  to  multitudes  of  red  and  a  few  black 
grouse :  but  the  importance  of  this  turf  to  those  parts  is  infinitely 
greater,  as  it  is  the  fuel  used  by  all  the  inhabitants.  The  turbaries 
are  placed  very  remotely  from  their  dwellings,  and  the  turf  or  peat  is 
procured  with  great  difficulty.  The  roads  from  the  brows  of  the 
mountains,  in  general,  are  too  steep  for  a  horse :  the  men,  therefore, 
carry  up  on  their  backs  a  light  sledge,  fill  it  with  a  very  considerable 
load,  and  drag  it,  by  means  of  a  rope  placed  over  their  breast,  to  the 
brink  of  the  slope ;  then  go  before  and  draw  it  down  gently,  still 
preceding  arid  guiding  its  motions,  which  at  times  have  been  so  violent 

as 


246  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

as  to  overturn  and  draw  along  with  it  the  person  who  guided  it,  at  the 
hazard  of  his  life,  and  not  without  considerable  bodily  injury.  When 
the  turbaries  lie  at  a  great  distance  from  the  brow  of  the  hill,  the 
natives  are  obliged  to  bring  a  horse  by  a  circuitous  path  to 
them  to  assist  in  dragging  the  turf  to  the  brink  of  the  slope.  The 
source  of  the  river  Dovey  is  at  the  foot  of  a  rude  rock,  called  Craig 
Llyn  Dyfi,  under  Aran  Mawddwy. 

We  cannot  conclude  without  observing  that  the  county  of  Merioneth 
has  for  several  centuries  been  celebrated  for  the  beauty  of  its  women. 
A  very  popular  song  has  been  composed  by  a  Welsh  bard  on  this  sub- 
ject, each  stanza  of  which  ends  with  ({  Morwynion  Glan  Merionydd," 
i.  e.  the  beautiful  Mervinian  maids — 

"  Where  greater  beauty  can  you  find  ? 
Each  villager  has  charms  : 

In  thce  Mervinia  dwell  the  fair, 
Who  rule  all  hearts,  or  cause  despair. 

And  yet  how  far  the  maids  excel 
Who  in  Mervinia's  rallies  dwell! 

"  But  what  Bala  is  famous  for,"  says  Lord  Lyttelton,  when  he  wrote 
to  Archibald  Bowyer, ' '  is  the  beauty  of  its  women,  and  indeed  I  saw 
there  one  of  the  prettiest  girls  I  ever  beheld :  but  such  is  my  virtue, 
that  I  have  kissed  none  since  I  came  into  Wales,  except  an  old  maiden 
lady,  a  sister  of  Mr.  Brynker,  at  whose  house  I  now  lodge,  and  who 
is  the  ugliest  woman  of  her  quality  in  Great  Britain ;  but  I  know  a 
duchess  or  two  I  should  be  still  more  afraid  of  kissing  than  her." 

Names   of   learned  men,  bards,  &c.    natives    of  the  county  of 

Merioneth  : — Rev.  Edmund  Prys,  A.  M.  Archdeacon  of  Merioneth, 

1626;   Robert  Vaughan,  of  Hengwrt,   antiquary,   1660;  Rowland 

Vaughan,  Esq.  of  Caer  Gai,  1680;   Rh£s  Goch  o  Eryri  (Havod 

Garregog),  bard,  1420;  Rhys  Nanmor,  of  Nanmor,  bard,  flourished 

1460;     Davydd   Nanmor,   bard,    flourished   1460;     John    Philip, 

Dyffryn  Ardudwy,  bard,  flourished  1580;    Richard  Philip,  Dyffryn 

Ardudwy,  bard,  flourished  1635;    William  Philip,  bard,  flourished 

1650;     Griffith  Philip,    Dyffryn   Ardudwy,    bard,    1680;    Hugh 

Llwyd,  Cynvel,  Ffestiniog,  bard,  flourished  1590;  levan  Dyfi,  Aber 

Dovey,  bard,  flourished  1490;  levan  ap  Tewdwr,  Penllyn,  flourished 

1480 \  Sir  Lewis  Mawddwy;  Sion  Mawddwy,  1580;  Llywelyn  Goch 

ap  Meurig  Hen,  Nannau,  bard,  1400;  Sir  Owain  ap  Gwilym,  curate 

of  Tal  y  Llyn,  bard,  1560;    Sir  Rhys  o'r  Derwen,  Corwen,  bard, 

1460  ;    Robin  Dyfi,  Glan  Dyfi,  bard  ;    Tewdwr    Penllyn,    bard, 

flourished  1460:  William  Dyfi,  bard,  flourished  1480;  Ellis  Wynn, 

Las  Ynys,  author  of"  Bardd  Cwsg,"  1700;  Edward  Urien,  Dyffryn 

Ardudwy,  bard,  1714;  Henry  Salusbury  of  Rug,  Esq. ;  Rice  Jones, 

of   Blaenau,    author    of   "  Gorchestion  y  Beirdd,"   1777;    David 

Richards,  of  Morva  Bychan;  Ty wyn,  author  of (<  Cy wydd  y  Drindod," 

1809; 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  247 

1809;  Ellis  Lewis,  Llwyngwern,  translator  of  "  Ystyriaethan  ar 
Dragywyddoldeb,  1700;  Rev.  John  Williams,  rector  of  Llanfrothen, 
translator  of  "  Blaenor  i  Gristion,"  &c.  1703;  Rev.  Mr.  Morgan, 
rector  of  Llanaber,  1750 ;  Rev.  Roger  Edwards,  curate  of  Llanaber, 
1760;  Rowland  Huw,  of  Graienyn,  near  Bala,  a  poet,  who  died  in 
the  year  1803,  aged  about  88,  he  presided  at  the  Bala  Eisteddfod, 
in  1799. 


ANGLESEA. 

UMEROUS  are  the  given  etymologies  of  this  island,  and  as  much 
has  been  said  respecting  its  primitive  inhabitants,  but  nothing  supe- 
rior to  the  abstruse  origin  of  every  other  country,  therefore  at  this  re- 
mote period  they  must  for  ever  remain  dubious,  or  rest  on  a  hypothesis 
founded  by  the  inventive  mind  of  man,  which,  after  labouring  to 
dispel  the  cloud  that  involves  us  in  darkness,  must  ultimately  desist, 
and  leave  it  too  great  for  human  elucidation.     The  ancient  inhabit- 
tants  are  said  to  have  denominated  this  island  Y  F6n  Ynys,  or  "  the 
Furthermost  Island  ;"   Y  Fon  Wlad,  "  the  Lowermost  Country ;" 
and  Tir  M6n  signifies  the  same  as  the  Latin  words  Fin,  or  finis, 
whence  is  derived  the  ancient  name  Mona,  and  its  present  Mon :  some- 
times written  Ynys  Dowyll,  or  "  the  Shady  Island,"  alluding  perhaps 
to  the  groves  and  other  solemn  places  among  the  druids.     The  Saxons 
called  it  Moneg,  until  it  was  conquered  by  Edward  the  First,  when 
we  find  the  name  of  Englesea,  or  "  the  English  Island,"  now  gene- 
rally written  Anglesea,  eqnally  known  to  the  Welsh  by  the  appellation 
of  Mon  Mam  Gymry,  i.  e.  ((  Mon,  the  Nursery  of  Wales  ;"  being  an 
ancient  and  common  proverb,  because  in  times  of  scarcity  this  fruitful 
island  supplied  the  principality  with  corn  and  other  necessaries.     It 
will  be  next  asked  why  the  Druids  chose  this  island  for  their  estab- 
lishment :  in  answer  it  may  be  said,  its  lonesome  and  retired  situation 
rendered  it  the  fittest  place,  because  less  liable  to  be  incommoded 
with  the  affrights  and  tumults  of  war,  therefore  favourable  to  the 
infant  muses,  and  to  afford  every  requisite  lineament   and  growth  to 
druidical  knowledge.      It  was  also  a  pleasant  island,  of  a  temperate 
soil,  in  the  flower  and  vigour  of  nature,  finely  diversified  with  hills 
and  vallies,  plentifully  purled  with  springs,  numerous  rivulets,  and  a 
wholesome  air,  so  congenial  to  the  wished  longevity  of  man ;  and, 
above  all,  as  the  nature  of  the  soil  inclines  us  to  believe,  they  found 
it  enriched  with  the  numerous  bounties  of  sea  and  land,  particularly 
spacious  groves  of  the  admired  and  beloved  oak,  which  they  held  in 

the 


248  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

the  greatest  estimation.  The  Pen  Awyr,  or  "  Misletoe,"  was  also 
held  in  great  veneration,  in  which  they  placed  a  very  high  mystery, 
and  cut  it  down  in  great  solemnity  with  a  golden  consecrated  instru- 
ment, and  carefully  received  it  on  a  white  garment,  and  preserved  it 
with  the  highest  veneration  and  worship.  In  these  groves  they  had 
their  erections  and  apartments,  i.  e.  their  mounts  or  hillocks,  called  in 
Welsh  Gorseddau,  wherefrom  they  pronounced  their  decrees  or  their 
solemn  orations  to  the  people.  In  the  Llwyn,  or  grove,  they  fre- 
quently erected  pillars  and  idols  as  memorials  of  their  deified  heroes, 
or  they  had  in  them  a  heap  of  stones  called  earn  or  carneddau,  for 
they  had  a  peculiar  mode  of  worship  by  throwing  and  heaping  of 
stones.  They  had  also  altars  or  cromlechs,  on  which  they  performed 
the  solemnities  of  sacrifice  and  their  sacred  rules  of  divination.  In 
some  large  or  more  eminent  groves  pillars  and  heaps  of  stones  were 
enclosed  together,  or  near,  as  they  are  to  be  seen  to  this  day,  and 
from  the  devastation  of  time  often  found  separately,  particularly  heaps 
and  columns.  Hitherto  this  island  has  been  represented  as  under 
the  command  and  government  of  the  Ancient  Druids,  with  their 
establishment,  authority,  and  religion ;  now  it  remains  to  be  shewn 
how  these  religious  societies  came  to  be  dissolved  and  rooted  out  of 
the  island  by  the  Romans,  under  whose  sceptre  it  continued  some 
hundred  years  after  the  defeat  of  Caractacus,  and  sending  him  pri- 
soner to  Rome.  The  Ordo vices,  or  Men  of  North  Wales,  though 
deprived  of  their  chief,  made  frequent  attempts  to  shake  off  the 
galling  yoke  of  a  severe  and  unaccustomed  subjection,  therefore  made 
this  island  a  place  of  refuge  whenever  they  became  harrassed  by  the 
Roman  legions ;  whence  it  has  been  called  the  island  of  heroes,  and 
the  refuge  of  the  distressed  Britons.  In  the  time  of  Caractacus, 
it  appears,  Suetonius  Paulinus  was  governor  of  Britain,  and  plainly 
saw  there  was  no  quelling  the  restless  spirit  of  the  bold  and  daring 
Ordovices  while  this  island,  the  fountain  of  their  courage,  remained 
untouched.  Convinced  of  the  truth,  he  fitted  out  a  little  armada 
while  the  Britons  or  Druids  were  at  their  altars,  uttering  loud  invo- 
cations and  curses  and  sacrifices,  so  that  the  screams  of  dying  victims 
were  heard  to  echo  one  another  from  the  hollow  resounding  groves  in 
every  quarter,  and  altars  smoking  with  the  horrid  burnings  of  the 
bodies  of  men,  women,  and  children — of  rogues,  profligates,  and 
captives. 

This  was  the  state  of  the  island  when  the  Romans  took  to  their 
boats,  and  were  even  swimming  their  horses  over  the  Menai,  with  a 
concurrent  tide,  without  the  least  opposition  from  the  druids,  who 
were  no  way  prepared  for  their  reception,  except  by  venting  the 
curses  of  their  religion,  which  they  expected  would  do  greater  execu- 
tion on  the  daring  assailants  than  the  sharpest  British  darts  or 
weapons.  In  this  they  were  not  quite  deceived,  for  it  is  acknowledged 
by  the  Roman  authors  that  the  very  sight  of  their  mad  ceremony  for 

some 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  249 

some  time  stupified  the  Roman  soldiers  more  than  the  blows  they 
received  from  their  misguided  enemies,  until  Suetonius  called  to  his 
legions  "  to  drive  away  the  foolish  multitude,  whose  vain  impreca- 
tions and  foolish  gestures  thought  to  stop  the  progress  of  the  Roman 
arms,  although  they  had  already  conquered  the  greater  part  of  the  then 
known  world."  Now  the  enraged  Romans  having  got  to  land,*  the 
conquering  sword  took  its  fill  of  British  blood,  while  the  giddy 
Druids  stood  still,  without  the  array  of  battle,  to  see  their  sacrifices 
and  oblations  prove  ineffectual  on  the  fearless  Romans.  In  this 
distressing  situation  of  affairs,  we  are  told  the  Druids  nimbly  slipt 
away  to  the  woods  and  coverts,  leaving  their  people  to  be  miserably 
cut  down  and  slaughtered  by  the  advancing  Romans,  who,  without 
pity  or  moderation,  hacked  and  hewed  down  on  all  sides  the  un- 
fortunate Britons,  augmenting  the  flame  of  their  unhappy  sacrifices 
with  the  fuel  of  their  slain  and  wounded  bodies.f  After  this  con- 
quest, those  who  escaped  the  general  carnage,  or  were  concealed  in 
holes  and  caves,  made  their  escape  to  the  sea,  and  were  never  after 
heard  of,  leaving  the  Romans  in  absolute  possession  of  the  island,  and 
the  sacred  things  and  places,  which  they  unmercifully  demolished  and 
threw  prostrate  under  their  insulting  feet,  or  devoted  to  the  most 
gross  and  barbarous  purposes.  To  render  the  conquest  permanent 
Suetonius  settled  a  garrison  over  the  separate  districts  and  townships 
of  the  whole  island,  which  secured  to  the  Romans  a  peaceable 
possession,  until  their  affairs  became  precarious  at  home,  which 
compelled  them  to  relinquish  Britain  once  more  to  the  Ancient 
Britons.  The  succeeding  transactions  and  the  introduction  of  the 
Saxons  into  the  island  of  Britain  need  no  illustration  to  shew  the 
subsequent  government  and  history  of  Anglesea. 

This  island,  which  constitutes  one  of  the  counties  of  North  Wales, 
is  situated  on  the  north-west  of  Caernarvonshire,  in  the  Irish  sea,  and 
only  separated  from  the  main  land  by  a  straight  and  narrow  channel, 
called  the  Menai  (over  which  has  lately  been  built  one  of  the  most 
handsome  chain  bridges  in  this  kingdom,  and  which  has  been 
described  in  our  notices  of  Caernarvonshire).  The  island  is  of  a 
rhomboidal  shape,  but  deeply  cut  and  indented  on  three  of  the  sides  ; 
its  northern,  eastern,  and  western  points  are  sharp  and  narrow ;  the 
southern  angle  is  more  round ;  and  it  is  in  the  whole  twenty  miles  long, 
seventeen  broad,  and  seventy  in  circumference.  In  regard  to  the  air 
it  is  in  general  good,  except  when  the  thick  fogs  arise  from  the  Irish 

sea, 

*  The  place  of  their  landing,  and  their  routing  of  this  religious  army,  we  have  not  an 
exact  account  of,  but  it  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been  near  Porthamel,  betweeu 
Pwll-y-fuwch  and  Llanidan :  for  Tacitus  says  "  that  the  horses  swam  it  at  the  ford." 

•f  Near  Llanidan,  there  is  at  present  a  mount  or  tumulus,  in  the  centre  of  a  field,  about 
three  bows'  shot  from  the  sea,  which  seems  to  have  been  the  place  of  this  great  sacrifice  : 
and  where  the  Druids  took  up  the  firebrands  in  their  hands,  brandishing  them  like  furies 
about  the  army,  and  where  the  TComans  involved  the  taken  and  slain  Britons  in  the 
devouring  Hume*  of  their  own  sacrifices, 


250  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

sea,  which  in  autumn  are  very  cold  and  aguish.     The  soil,  although 
it  appears  somewhat  disagreeable  to  the  eye,  being  rocky  and  moun- 
tainous, is  more  fertile  by  far  than  its  rough  appearance  promises,  as 
may  be  proved  by  the  number  of  cattle  and  great  quantities  of  corn 
sent  annually  to  England  :  notwithstanding  this  much  of  the  land  lies 
undrained,  and  full  of  turfy  bogs,  or  pointed  rocks ;    yet  there  are 
some  farms  in  the  interior  and  along  the  coast  in  the  richest  state, 
particularly  on  that  part  opposite  Caernarvonshire.     The  general  face 
of  the  country  is  low,  flat,  and  disagreeable,  being  in  want  of  that 
variety  which  is'  always  found  where  there  are  woods  and  mountains : 
but  the  former  feature  is  comparatively  small  to  what  we  are  told  it 
was  in  the  times  of  the  Druids.     It  is  conjectured  that  Anglesea  was 
once  joined  to  the  continent  of  Wales,  but  from  the  continual  working 
of  the  ocean,  has,  in  course  of  time,  been  scoured  from  the  main 
land :  and,  for  some  time  afterwards,  the  inhabitants  of  Wales  and 
Anglesea  held  communications    by  means  of  a  bridge,  until  the 
passage  became  too  wide  to  be  any  longer  maintained.   Mr.  Rowlands, 
in  his  Mono,  Antiqua  Restaurata,  says — S(  I  will  not  affirm  that  this 
spot  of  ground  was  an  island  from  the  creation  ;    for  it  is  highly 
probable    that    the    universal  deluge  made  great  and  remarkable 
alterations  on  the  face  of  the  globe,  raising  some  places  which  had 
been  sea  into  dry  land,  and  depressing  others  that  were  land  beneath 
the  irruptions  of  that  liquid  element  made  them  seas :   yet  it  is  not 
altogether  unlikely  that  there  was  for  some  space  of  time  after  the 
divulsions  of  the  deluge,  an  arm  of  land  joining  the  county  of  Angle- 
sea  to  that  of  Caernarvonshire.     If  any  such  there  was,  it  must  have 
been  at  Porthaeth-hwy,  where  there  is  still  to  be  seen  a  trace  of  small 
rocks  jutting  out  in  a  line  and  crossing  the  channel,  with  other  great 
splinters  of  rocks  fallen  and  tumbled  down,  and  appearing  as  if  the 
sea  had  consumed  and  eaten  away  the  soil  in  which  they  had  been 
originally  fixed,  leaving  the  rocks  bare  and  rugged,  and  the  stones 
and  broken  shivers  of  the  rocks  in  the  bottom  of  the  channel  fallen  and 
tumbled  one  upon  another."     Anglesea  gives  the  title  of  Marquis  to 
the  Paget  family. 

BEAUMARIS, 

or  perhaps  Beaumarish,  as  it  was  called  in  official  papers  in  Queen 
Elizabeth's  reign.  The  name  is  variously  derived :  some  take  it  to  be 
a  compound  of  the  French  beau,  fine,  and  marais,  a  marsh  ;  others 
suppose  that  it  is  formed  of  the  first  word  and  mer,  the  sea,  as  ex- 
pressive of  the  excellent  road  for  shipping;  while  a  third  class  explain 
Beaumaris,  as  if  Bimaris,  to  allude  to  its  position  between  two  seas. 
It  is  the  principal  town  in  the  island,  is  in  the  parish  of  Llandegvan, 
and  is  finely  situate  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Menai,  where  it  opens 
into  Beaumaris  bay.  It  is  generally  neat  and  well  built,  with  one 
remarkable  good  street,  and  considerable  remains  of  the  wall  sur- 
rounding 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  251 

rounding  the  town.  The  castle,  built  by  Edward  the  First  in  1295, 
stands  close  by  the  town,  and  covers  a  considerable  space  of  ground, 
but  from  its  low  situation  fails  to  attract  particular  attention ;  it  is 
surrounded  by  a  ditch,  with  an  entrance  on  the  east,  between  two 
embattled  walls,  with  round  and  square  towers.  The  gate  opens  into 
a  court  of  57  yards  by  60,  with  four  square  towers,  and  on  the  east  an 
advanced  work,  called  the  Gunner's  Walk.  Within  these  were  the 
body  of  the  castle,  nearly  square,  having  a  round  tower  at  each  angle, 
and  another  in  the  centre  of  each  face.  The  area  is  an  irregular 
octagon,  forming  the  court  before-mentioned.  In  the  middle  of 
the  north  side  is  the  hall,  twenty  yards  long  and  twelve  yards 
broad,  with  two  round  towers,  and  several  about  the  inner  and  outward 
walls,  built  of  a  bluish  stone,  intermixed  with  square  stones,  which 
produce  a  pretty  effect.  There  has  been  a  communication  round  the 
buildings  of  the  inner  court  by  a  gallery  two  yards  broad,  at  present 
entire.  In  recesses  in  different  parts  of  the  sides  of  this  are 
square  holes,  which  seem  to  have  been  trap-doors,  or  openings 
into  a  dungeon  beneath.  The  two  eastern  towers  served  also  as 
dungeons,  with  a  narrow  and  dark  descent,  as  were  the  galleries  round 
about.  On  the  east  side  of  this  building  are  the  remains  of  a  very 
small  chapel,  arched  and  ribbed,  with  pointed  and  intersecting 
arches:  likewise  some  gothic  pilasters,  narrow  lancet  windows,  and 
various  compartments,  with  closets  gained  out  of  the  thickness  of  the 
wall.  When  Edward  the  First  founded  this  town,  and  made  it  a 
corporation,  he  endowed  it  with  lands  and  privileges  to  a  considerable 
value,  in  order  to  secure  more  firmly  his  possessions  in  this  island ; 
he  also  cut  a  canal,  in  order  to  permit  of  vessels  discharging  their 
lading  beneath  the  walls,  as  is  evident  by  the  iron  rings  affixed  to  its 
walls,  for  the  purpose  of  mooring  ships.  The  first  governor  was  Sir 
William  Pikmore,  a  Gascon  knight,  appointed  by  Edward  the  First : 
there  was  a  constable  of  the  castle,  and  a  captain  of  the  town :  the 
first  had  an  annual  fee  of  forty  pounds,  the  last  £12.  3s.  4d. :  and  the 
porter  of  the  gate  at  Beaumaris  had  £9.  2s.  6d.  Twenty-four  soldiers 
were  allowed  for  the  guard  of  the  castle  and  town,  at  four-pence  a  day 
each.  The  constable  of  the  castle  was  always  captain  of  the  town, 
except  in  one  instance :  in  the  36th  of  Henry  the  Sixth,  Sir  John 
Boteler  held  the  first  office,  and  Thomas  Norreys  the  other.  The 
castle  was  extremely  burthensome  to  the  country :  quarrels  were 
frequent  between  the  garrison  and  the  country  people.  In  the  time 
of  Henry  the  Sixth,  a  bloody  fray  happened,  in  which  David  ap  Evan 
ap  Ho  well  of  Llwydiarth  and  many  others  were  slain.  From  the 
time  of  Sir  Rowland  Villeville  alias  Brittayne,  reputed  base  son  of 
Henry  the  Seventh,  and  constable  of  the  castle,  the  garrison  was 
withdrawn  till  the  year  1642,  when  Thomas  Cheadle,  deputy  to  the 
Earl  of  Dorset,  then  constable,  put  into  it  men  and  ammunition.  In 
1643,  Thomas  Bulkeley,  Esq.  (soon  after  created  Lord  Bulkeley) 

succeeded 


252  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

succeeded  :  his  son,  Colonel  Richard  Bulkeley,  and  several  gentlemen 
of  the  country,  held  it  for  the  king  till  June,  1G46,  when  it  was 
surrendered  on  honourable  terms  to  General  Mytton,  who  made 
Captain  Evans  his  deputy-governor.  In  1653,  the  annual  expense  of 
the  garrison  was  £1703.  Edward  the  First  removed  the  ancient 
freeholders,  by  exchange  of  property,  into  other  counties.  Hen  Llys, 
near  the  town,  was  the  seat  of  Gwerydd  ap  Rhys  Goch,  head  of  one 
of  the  fifteen  tribes,  and  of  his  posterity  till  this  period,  when  Edward 
removed  them  to  Bodlewyddan,  in  Flintshire,  and  bestowed  their 
ancient  patrimony  on  the  corporation.  Beaumaris  is  a  chapelry,  not 
in  charge,  to  the  rectory  of  Llandegvan.  The  church,  formerly  a 
chapel,  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary,  is  a  handsome  structure,  with  a 
lofty  square  tower  ;  within  the  church  there  is  .a  curious  monument, 
probably  of  Sir  Henry  Sidney,  who  is  mentioned  in  a  Latin  inscrip- 
tion, contained  in  the  church  ;  and  it  has  contiguous  to  it  a  good  free 
school,  founded  in  1603,  likewise  an  almshouse.  Above  the  town  is 
Baron  Hill,  long  the  seat  of  the  ancient  and  distinguished  family  of 
Bulkeley.  The  founder  of  this  noble  mansion  was  Sir  Richard 
Bulkeley,  who  represented  Anglesea  in  parliament  in  the  2d  and  3d 
sessions  of  Mary,  the  3d  of  Elizabeth,  and  the  1st  of  James.  On  a 
farm  in  this  parish,  called  Lledwigan,  lived  Morys  Lloyd,  a  man 
whose  heroic  bravery  excited  very  considerable  admiration  in  a  former 
age.  He  was  contemporary  with  the  parliamentary  wars,  and  is 
known  to  posterity  under  the  appellation  of  the  Lledwigan  Thresher. 
Many  of  the  republican  soldiers,  who  had  been  exclaiming  against  the 
oppression  of  the  throne,  became  themselves  the  worst  tyrants,  and 
traversed  the  country  in  powerful  bands,  committing  various  acts  of 
robbery  and  cruelty,  particularly  on  those  whose  loyalty  was  known. 
A  party  of  this  description,  consisting,  according  to  tradition,  of 
thirty  men,  arrived  at  Lledwigan,  and  required  the  occupier,  Morys 
Lloyd,  who  was  threshing  in  his  barn,  to  surrender  to  them  a  large 
sum  of  money  or  his  life.  He  immediately  replied  that  he  would  not 
yield  the  one  without  the  other,  and  having  partially  closed  the  door 
of  his  barn,  attacked  them  with  his  flail,  as  they  successively  attempted 
to  enter.  Eight  or  ten  of  them  fell  in  this  unequal  contest,  which 
would  probably  have  been  maintained  a  much  longer  time  if  the 
thongs,  which  connected  together  the  two  parts  of  the  flail,  had  not 
been  broken  by  accident  or  cut  asunder  by  the  swords  of  the 
assailants.  Then,  indeed,  the  superiority  of  number  and  offensive 
weapons  acquired  their  natural  ascendant,  and  it  is  unnecessary  to 
relate  the  sequel.  This  act  of  heroism  is  briefly  recorded  in  the 
inscription  on  a  tomb-stone  in  the  church  of  Ceirig  Ceinwen,  where  it 
has  been  placed  by  the  present  respectable  tenant  of  Lledwigan,  Mr. 
John  Williams,  who  rescued  the  memorial  from  the  oblivion  to  which 
it  had  otherwise  been  consigned  by  the  miserable  parsimony  of  the 
churchwardens. 

About 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  253 

About  one  mile  from  Beaumaris,  near  the  shore,  is  Llanfaes  Abbey, 
founded  by  Llewelyn  ap  lorwerth,  on  the  supposed  spot  where  a 
battle  was  fought  between  the  Saxons  and  the  Welsh  about  the  year 
818.  It  is  probable  it  was  fought  between  Egbert,  King  of  the 
West  Saxons,  and  the  Welsh,  and  that  it  was  a  most  bloody  one 
may  be  supposed  from  the  expression  of  Caradog  of  Llancarvan,  who 
styles  it  "  the  sore  battle  of  Llanfaes."  This  abbey  was  founded  in 
honour  of  Llewelyn's  wife,  Joan,  natural  daughter  of  King  John  of 
England,  by  a  lady  of  the  noble  house  of  Ferrers,  who,  at  her  own 
request,  was  buried  here  in  the  year  1237.  A  stone  coffin,  thought 
to  be  her's,  was  a  few  years  ago  used  as  a  watering  trough  for  cattle, 
at  a  farm  called  Friars,  on  the  coast  one  mile  north  of  the  town,  and 
had  been  so  used  for  a  space  of  250  years.  The  late  Viscount 
Bulkeley  rescued  it  from  its  undeserving  situation,  and  placed  it  in  a 
small  gothic  building  in  the  park  at  Baron  Hill.  The  few  remains  of 
this  abbey  form  at  present  part  of  the  walls  to  a  barn.  The  church 
was  dedicated  to  St.  Francis,  but  was,  with  the  other  buildings, 
destroyed  soon  after  the  death  of  Llewelyn,  in  an  insurrection  headed 
by  his  relation,  Madoc  ;  it  was  soon  after  restored,  and  again  nearly 
ruined  by  Henry  IV.  in  consequence  of  an  insurrection  against  him 
by  Owen  Glyndwr.  At  different  times  there  were  interred  in  this 
church  the  son  of  a  Danish  king,  Lord  Clifford,  and  numerous  barons 
and  knights  who  fell  in  the  Welsh  wars.  Here  were  also  deposited 
the  remains  of  Gruffydd  Gryg,  an  eminent  poet  of  this  island,  who 
flourished  from  about  1330  to  1370.  He  was  the  able  opponent  of 
the  British  Ovid,  Davydd  ap  Gwilym,  as  appears  from  Gruffydd's 
monody,  written  by  his  generous  rival.  At  the  dissolution  of  monas- 
teries, Henry  VIII.  sold  Llanfaes  Abbey,  with  Cremlyn  Monach,  to 
one  of  his  courtiers.  The  family  of  White,  now  extinct,  afterwards 
became  possessed  of  it,  and  built  a  respectable  house,  since  enlarged 
and  improved  as  well  as  modernized,  as  were  also  the  grounds,  by  Sir 
Robert  Williams,  Bart. 

Two  miles  to  the  north  of  Llanfaes  Abbey  is  Penmon,  "  the  Head 
or  Extremity  of  Mona,"  called  also  Glenarch,  a  priory  of  Black 
Monks,  founded  or  richly  endowed  by  Llewelyn  ap  lorwerth  about 
the  year  1221,  and  at  its  dissolution  in  the  reign  of  King  Henry  VIII. 
was  valued  at  £40.  7s.  9d.  and  granted  (6th  Elizabeth)  to  John  More. 
A  former  edifice  here  is  recorded  to  have  been  burnt  by  the  Danes 
in  971.  At  present  Penman  consists  of  little  more  than  a  ruinous 
refectory  and  a  part  of  the  "church,  dedicated  to  Seiriol,  a  saint  who 
lived  in  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  century.  According  to  Tanner, 
the  priory  was  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary ;  but  the  author  of  the 
History  of  Anglesea  says  that  its  founder  was  Maelgwyn  Gwynedd. 
In  this  neighbourhood  are  some  large  quarries  of  mill-stones.  Near 
Penmon  is  a  well  surrounded  by  a  wall  and  stone  seats,  with  two 
spaces  or  places  of  entrance.  Penmon  Park  originally  belonged  to 

the 


254  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 

the  priory,  but  is  now  attached  to  the  Bulkeley  estates.     It  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  very  lofty  stone  wall,  and  is  stocked  with  red  deer. 

About  a  mile  from  Penmon  stands  a  small  square  fort,  with  the 
remains  of  a  little  round  tower  at  each  corner  ;  in  the  middle  there 
was  a  square  tower,  the  whole  being  surrounded  by  a  foss.  A  hollow 
way  is  carried  quite  to  the  shore,  and  at  its  extremity  is  a  large 
mound  of  earth,  intended  to  cover  the  landing.  This  place,  which  is 
called  Castell  Aber  Llienawg,  was  founded  by  Hugh  Lupus,  Earl  of 
Chester,  and  Hugh  the  Red,  Earl  of  Shrewsbury,  in  the  year  1098. 
The  fort  was  garrisoned  so  lately  as  the  time  of  Charles  the  First, 
when  it  was  kept  for  the  parliament  by  Sir  Thomas  Cheadle,  but  it 
was  taken  by  Colonel  Robinson  about  the  year  1645  or  1646. 

On  leaving  Beaumaris  in  a  westerly  direction,  at  the  distance  of 
five  miles  is  Llanedwin,  a  chapelry  to  the  vicarage  of  Llanidan,  in 
which  parish  is  situate  Plas  Gwyn,  the  seat  of  the  late  Paul  Panton, 
Esq.  a  character  distinguished  for  his  acquaintance  with  the  history 
and  antiquities  of  his  native  country,  and  who  left  behind  him  a 
valuable  collection  of  Welsh  Manuscripts.  He  died  in  1797,  in  the 
69th  year  of  his  age. 

Plas  Newydd,  the  seat  of  the  Marquis  of  Anglesey,  lies  close  upon 
the  water,  protected  on  three  sides  by  venerable  oaks  and  ash.  The 
view  up  and  down  this  magnificent  strait  is  extremely  fine.  The 
shores  are  rocky,  those  on  the  opposite  side  are  covered  with  woods, 
and  beyond  soar  a  long  range  of  Snowdonian  Alps.  In  the  woods 
are  some  remarkable  druidical  antiquities.  Behind  the  house  are  to 
be  seen  two  vast  cromlechs :  the  upper  stone  of  one  is  12  feet  7  inches 
long,  12  feet  broad,  and  4  feet  thick,  supported  by  five  tall  stones  ; 
the  other  is  but  barely  separated  from  the  first,  is  almost  a  square  of 
five  feet  and  a  half,  and  is  supported  by  four  stones.  The  numbers  of 
supporters  to  cromlechs  are  merely  accidental,  and  depend  on  the 
size  and  form  of  the  incumbent  stone.  These  are  the  most  magnificent 
we  have,  and  the  highest  from  the  ground,  for  a  middle-sized  horse 
may  easily  pass  under  the  largest.  Not  far  from  the  cromlech  is  a 
large  carnedd  :  part  has  been  removed,  and  within  was  discovered  a 
cell,  about  seven  feet  long  and  three  wide,  covered  at  top  with  two 
flat  stones,  and  lined  on  the  sides  with  others. 

About  two  miles  to  the  south  of  Plas  Gwyn  is  Pen-Mynydd,  having 
its  church  dedicated  to  Gredivel,  son  of  Ithel,  a  saint  who  lived  about 
the  close  of  the  fifth  century.  This  place  is  chiefly  remarkable  for 
being  the  birthplace  of  Owen  Tudor,  the  great  ancestor  of  a  line  of 
English  monarchs,  who,  according  to  Gray's  bard,  restored  the 
sceptre  of  England  to  the  Welsh,  the  original  possessors.  This  Owen 
Tudor  married  Catherine,  dowager  of  Henry  the  Fifth,  but  fighting 
against  Edward  the  Sixth  in  the  battle  of  Mortimer's  Cross,  he  was 
taken  and  beheaded,  and  afterwards  buried  in  the  Grey  Friars  at 
Hereford.  Part  of  his  houseway,  with  the  gateway  and  chimney- 
piece, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  «0O 

piece,  still  remain  in  a  farm-house,  also  some  specimens  of  eoats  of 
arms  and  escutcheons.  The  family  of  Tudor  became  extinct  in 
Richmond  Tudor,  who  died  in  the  year  1657,  and  the  estates  belong 
to  the  Bulkeley  family.  In  this  church  is  one  of  their  monuments, 
removed  here  from  Llanfaes  Abbey  at  its  dissolution. 

At  the  distance  of  fourteen  miles  we  pass  through  the  village  of 
Bodedeyrn.  The  name  implies  "  the  Habitation  of  Edeyrn,"  a  bard 
who  flourished  about  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century,  and  who 
embraced  a  religious  life,  and  had  a  church  here.  There  are  two 
cromlechs,  about  a  mile  east  of  the  church,  which  are  in  good  pre- 
servation. 

One  mile  arid  a  quarter  beyond  this  place  is  the  small  village  of 
Llanyngenedl,  where  the  road  divides ;  and  if  the  tide  be  out, 
there  is  a  road  across  the  sands,  otherwise,  by  turning  to  the  left,  we 
arrive  at 

HOLYHEAD, 

or  Caer-Gybi,  "  the  Castle  of  Kybi,"  situate  at  the  extreme  point  of 
Anglesea.       There  are  the  remains  of  three  chapels  in  this  parish, 
namely,  Capel  Lochwyd,  Capel  y  Towyn,  and  Capel  Gwyngenon ; 
they  are  said  to  have  been  Roman  Catholic  chapels  of  no  great  note. 
—About  a  mile  to  the  south-east  of  Holyhead,  on  a  farm  called  Tre'r- 
ddwr,  are  the  remains-  of  a  cromlech  in  rather  a  perfect  state ;    and 
there  is  a  large  vein  of  white  fuller's  earth,  and  another  of  yellow,  on 
the  north  side  of  Holyhead  mountain,  close  to  the  sea/  which  are 
supposed  to  be  of  as  good  quality  as  any  in  Great  Britain.     The 
church  of  Holyhead  is  a  handsome  embattled  cruciform  structure, 
consisting  of  a  chancel,  nave/ aisles,  and  transept,- with  a  square  tower, 
surmounted  by  a  low  flat  kind  of  spire.     The  present  edifice,  exclu- 
sive of  the  chancel,  appears  to  have  been  erected  about  the  time  of 
Edward  III.     The  inside  of  the  entrance  porch,  and  the  external 
part  of  the  south  end  of  the  transept/  are  decorated  with  rude  carvings.    ' 
On  the  pediments  and  battlements  are  cherubic  heads ;  and  on  one 
two  figures  in  a  supplicating  posture,  with  the  inscription  in  Gothic 
characters---"  Sancte  Kybi  ora  pro  nobis."     Cybi  (says  Mr.  Lewis) 
lived  at  the  time  of  the  dissolution  of  the  Roman  empire  in  Britain, 
and  was  contemporary  and  in  great  friendship  with  Saint  Seiriol. 
"  Saint  Kebius,  who  flourished  about  A.  D.  380,  founded  a  monas- 
tery here,  and  in  after-times  there  was  founded,  in  the  royal  frea 
chapel  in  the  castle  of  this  place,  a  college  of  prebendaries,  whos^ 
yearly  revenue  was  valued  (26th  Henry  VIII.)  at  £'24,  as  stated  by 
Dugdale  and  Speed.     This  college  was  granted  (7th  James  I.)  to 
Francis  Morrice  and  Francis  Phillips."     The  head  of  the  institution, 
formerly  one  of  the  three  spiritual  lords   of  Anglesea,  was  usually 
denominated  Penlas  or  Pencolas,  which  some  consider  to  have  been 

Pencais, 
M  m 


256  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Pencais,  or  chief  judge  in  ecclesiastical  matters;  but  by  the  inscrip- 
tion on  the  exergue  of  the  ancient  seal  belonging  to  the  chapter, 
"  Sigillum  Rectoris  et  capitali  Ecclesia  de  Caer  Gybi,"  it  appears 
that  his  customary  title  was  that  of  Rector :   he  was  styled,  in  a  sub- 
sequent period,  Provost.     The  estimate  made  in  the  time  of  Henry 
the  Eighth  of  its  annual  revenues,  as  amounting  only  to  £24,  must 
have  been  an  under-valuation.     The  great  tythes  of  this  college  were 
transferred  by   Rice   Gwynne,  Esq.   (in   1640)   to  Jesus  College, 
Oxford,  for  the  maintenance  of  two  scholars  and  two  fellows :   and 
since  that  time  the  parish  has  been  served  by  a  curate  nominated  by 
the  college.     A  school  was  established  here  in  1745,  and  the  school 
house  was  built  of  materials  taken  from  an  ancient  religious  building 
called  Capel  Llan  y  Gwyddel,  or  "  The  Chapel  of  the  Irishman." 
Serigi,  a  King  of  the  Gwyddelians,  invaded  this  country,  and  was  here 
slain  by  Caswallon  Llaw  Hir,  or  "  Caswallon  the  Long-handed,"  who 
reigned  about  the  year  390.     Serigi  was  canonized  by  his  country- 
men, and  had  in   this  chapel  a  shrine,  in  high  repute  for  many 
miracles.      This  place  had  distinct  revenues  from    the    collegiate 
church :    at  length  it  fell  into  ruin,  and  remained  disused  for  ages. 
William  Morris,  an  able  Welsh  critic,  and  collector  of  ancient  Manu- 
scripts, was  collector  of  the  salt  duty  and  comptroller  of  the  customs 
here:   he   died  in  1764.      The  promontory,  strictly  called  "The 
Head,"  is  an  immense  precipice  or  huge  mass  of  rocks,  hollowed  into 
most  magnificent  caves.     One  is  peculiarly  worth  attention.     It  has 
received  the  vulgar  appellation  of  the  Parliament  House,  from  the 
frequent  visits  of  water  parties  to  see  this  wonderful  cavern ;  it  being 
only  accessible  by  boats,  and  that  at  half-ebb  tide.     It  is  one  of  those 
usual  phenomena  produced  by  the  action  of  sea  water  upon  the  soluble 
parts  of  stratified  rocks,  more  especially  where  calcareous  substances 
are  prevalent  in  their  composition.     Grand  receding  arches  of  differ- 
ent shapes,  supported  by  pillars  of  rocks,  exhibit  such  a  magnificent 
scene  as  cannot  fail  to  astonish  the  beholder  unaccustomed  to  nature's 
bolder  work.      The  promontory   consists  of  high  cliffs  of  various 
heights,  abounding  with  large    caverns,   which    afford    shelter  for 
innumerable  birds,  such  as  pigeons,  gulls,  razor-bills,  ravens,  guille- 
mots, cormorants,  shags,  and  herons.     On  the  loftiest  crag  lurks  the 
peregrine  falcon,  the  bird  in  so  high  repute  while  falconry  continued  a 
fashionable  amusement :    the  eggs  of  many  of  these  birds  are  sought 
after  as  delicious  food,  and  considered  as  a  great  treat  to  the  epicure ; 
the  price  procured  for  them  is  a  sufficient  inducement  for  the  poor  to 
follow  the  adventurous  trade  of  egg-taking;   but  in  this,  as  in  the 
pearl  fishery  on  the  coasts  of  Persia,  the  gains  bear  no  tolerable 
proportion  to  the    danger  incurred. — This  dissevered    member  of 
Anglesea,  which,  from  the  number  of  pious  persons  interred,  received 
the  name  of  Holy  Island,  has  had,  subsequent  to  the  bardic  period, 
peculiar  attention  paid  to  it  in  a  religious  point  of  view.      The 

foundations 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  257 

foundations  of  Capel  y  Tywyn,  Capel  y  Gorllau,  Capel  St.  Ffraid, 
Capel  Lochwyd,  &c.  &c.  are  still  traceable  among  several  other  ruins, 
which  are  scattered  about  this  holy  promontory.  The  mound  or 
tumulus,,  on  which  the  remains  of  Capel  y  Tywyn  stand,  is  evidently 
the  cemetery  of  a  vast  number  of  persons.  Another  of  the  more 
remarkable  antiquities,  which  are  chiefly  Roman,  is  Caer  Twr,  a 
circular  building,  ten  feet  in  diameter,  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain 
called  Pen  Caer  Cybi.  Mr.  Pennant  says,  it  is  strongly  cemented 
with  the  same  kind  of  mortar  as  the  fort  of  the  town ;  and  he  supposes 
it  to  have  been  a  Roman  pharos,  or  watch-tower.  The  precinct  of  the 
church-yard  has  been  ascribed  to  Roman  origin.  The  form  is  a 
parallelogram,  about  220  feet  long  and  130  broad;  three  of  the  sides 
consist  of  massy  walls,  six  feet  thick  and  seventeen  in  height,  the 
fourth  is  open  to  the  harbour,  having  only  a  low  parapet  laid  on  the 
precipitous  cliffs.  At  each  angle  is  a  circular  bastion  tower,  and 
along  the  walls  are  two  rows  of  round  openings,  or  millets,  four  inches 
in  diameter,  having  the  inside  smoothly  plastered.  The  cement, 
mixed  with  coarse  pebbles,  is  extremely  hard  ;  and  this,  in  conjunc- 
tion with  other  circumstances,  exhibits  evident  marks  of  Roman 
masonry.  On  the  shore,  just  above  high  water,  there  is  a  well  of 
very  delicious  water,  called  Ffynnon  Lochwyd,  situate  about  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  from  Capel  Lochwyd.  The  altar  of  Capel  Lochwyd 
disappeared  many  years  ago,  and  there  is  scarcely  a  vestige  of  the 
chapel  left.  Several  coins  of  Constantine  the  Great,  in  a  very  perfect 
state,  have  lately  been  found  near  this  place.  The  first  modern 
improvement  at  Holyheacl  is  the  South  Stack  Light-House,  built  at 
the  expense  of  the  Corporation  of  the  Trinity  House,  on  an  island 
from  which  it  takes  its  name,  situate  on  the  south-west  side  of  Holy- 
head  mountain.  This  island  cannot  be  approached  by  water,  except 
in  very  moderate  weather ;  the  light-keepers  are  therefore  supplied 
with  a  year's  stock  of  oils  and  coals  during  the  calm  weather  in 
summer,  as  it  would  be  a  laborious  task,  and  be  attended  with  great 
expense,  to  supply  them  with  any  thing  that  was  not  very  portable  by 
land  communication.  The  way  to  the  South  Stack  by  land,  three 
miles  distant  from  Holyhead,  is  the  mountain  road  as  far  as  a  farm 
called  Glan-yr-Afon,  which  is  kept  in  repair  by  the  parish,  and 
thence  across  the  mountain  to  the  heights  directly  opposite,  a  distance 
of  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile,  an  excellent  road  has  been  made, 
and  is  kept  in  repair  at  the  expense  of  the  Corporation  of  the  Trinity 
House,  who  have  also  caused  a  zig-zag  flight  of  steps  (420  in  num- 
ber) to  be  quarried  in  the  side  of  the  mountain,  so  as  to  afford  an  easy 
ascent  to  the  nearest  part  of  the  rock  on  a  level  with  the  island.  From 
this  point  a  bridge  constructed  of  ropes  is  thrown  across  the  passage 
that  separates  the  South  Stack  from  the  mountain.  The  distance  is 
about  100  feet,  and  from  the  bridge  to  the  water  it  is  about  60  feet. 

The 
M  m  2 


258  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

The  view  from  the  bridge  is  rather  terrific ;  but  it  seldom  happens 
that  it  becomes  an  obstacle  in  the  way  of  those  who  wish  to  visit  the 
light-house.  The  first  stone  of  Holyhead  Pier  was  laid  in  the  month 
of  August,  1810 :  it  extends  into  the  sea  about  360  yards. 

On  the  6th  of  August,  1821,  King  George  IV.  landed  at  Holyhead, 
on  his  passage  to  Ireland,  an   event  which  forms  an  epoch  in  the 
history  of  the  principality,  and  of  Anglesea  in  particular,  upwards  of 
six  centuries  having  previously  elapsed  since  a  British  monarch  was 
seen  in  Wales.     His  Majesty  was  received  on  the  pier  by  Sir  John 
Thomas  Stanley,  Bart,  who  read  and  presented  to  him  a  brief  address, 
congratulating  him  on  his  safe  arrival  within  the  harbour,  and  expres- 
sive of  the  heartfelt  joy  of  the  inhabitants  at  beholding  their  gracious 
and  beloved  Sovereign  in   the  midst  of  them.      On  receiving  this 
address,   his  Majesty   said  that  his   heart  was    indeed  warmed  in 
witnessing  such  a  display  of  loyalty  and  affection  in  a  country  which 
was,  and  always  would  be,  dear  to  him,  and  of  which  he  had  borne 
the  title  of  Prince  for  the  greatest  period  of  his  life.     After  remaining 
a  short  time  on  the  pier,  his  Majesty  and  suite  proceeded  in  three  of 
the  Marquis  of  Anglesea's  carriages  to  Plas  Newydd,  which  seat  they 
reached  about  six  o'clock.     On  the  following  (Wednesday)  morning 
deputations  arrived  from  the  corporations  and  other  public  bodies  of 
Anglesea  and  Caernarvonshire,  to  present  loyal  addresses  to  the  king. 
His  Majesty  received  them  in  the  grand  saloon,  in  the  subjoined 
order :   from  the  Bishop  and  Clergy  of  the  Diocese  of  Bangor  ;   the 
High  Sheriff  and  Gentlemen  of  the  county  of  Caernarvon ;  the  Mayor, 
Bailiffs,  and  Burgesses  of  the  borough  of  Beaumaris;  the  Mayor, 
Bailiffs,  and  Burgesses  of  the  borough  of  Caernarvon  ;  and  from  the 
body  of  Calvinistic  Methodists.      On  this  occasion  I.  Huddart,  Esq. 
the  High  Sheriff  of  Caernarvonshire,  received  the  honour  of  knight- 
hood.    His  Majesty  returned  to  Holy  head  about  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  and  was  received  at  the  entrance  of  the  town  with  similar 
attention  and  respect  as  were  evinced  on  his  landing,  and  he  was 
conducted  to  his  barge  amidst  the  reiterated  cheers  of  a  vast  concourse 
of  people.      The  squadron  immediately  manned  their  yards,  royal 
salutes  were  fired,  and  the  town  was  illuminated.     The  squadron  was 
detained  in  the  bay  by  contrary  winds  until  Sunday,  when,  about  five 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  king  took  his  final  departure,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  shores  of  Ireland.      Such  an  event  was  not  likely  to  be 
passed  over  without  some  display.     Accordingly  a  public  meeting 
was  held  on  the  9th  of  August,   and  a  general  subscription  was 
resolved  to  be  entered  into  for  the  pnrpose  of  erecting  a  triumphal 
arch,  commemorative  of  the  landing  of  his  Majesty,  on  or  near  to  the 
scite  of  the  temporary  erection  of  the  same  name :  a  committee  was 
formed ;  and  on  Wednesday,  the  7th  of  August,  1822,  the  anniversary 
of  the  royal  landing,  the  committee  met  at  the  Custom-house,  when, 
the  secretary  having  informed  the  gentlemen  of  the  committee  that 

everv 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  259 

every  thing  was  in  readiness  for  immediately  laying  the  first  stone, 
they  forthwith  proceeded  to  the  pier,  where  the  stone  was  laid  with 
every  circumstance  which  was  calculated  to  produce  an  impressive 
effect.     This  elegant  monument  of  loyalty  was  finished  and  publicly 
opened  on  Friday,  the  6th  day  of  August,  1824.      It  is  entirely  of 
marble,  is  of  the  Doric  order,  and  is  composed  of  four  handsome 
pillars,  twenty  feet  high,  which  are  placed  two  on  each  side  of  a 
carriage-way  fourteen  feet  wide,  and  separate  from  each  other  five  or 
six  inches.     Outside  of  the  pillars,  and  of  the  same  height,  are  two 
rectangular  pillars,  twelve  feet  by  three  feet  six  inches,  leaving  a 
footpath  on  each  side  of  the  carriage-way  of  five  feet.     The  whole  is 
surmounted  with  a  bold  projecting  cornice,  and  covered  over  with 
three  tiers  of  stone,  which  recede  from  the  front  of  the  cornice  all 
round,  in  the  form  of  steps.     There  are  two  entablatures;  one  on  the 
east  and  the  other  on  the  west  side,  the  former  bearing  a  suitable 
inscription. 

On  leaving  Beaumaris  in  a  north-west  direction,  at  the  distance  of 
fifteen  miles,  is  Llannerch-y-medd,  a  considerable  market  town. 
Between  this  town  and  Amlwch,  which  is  situated  about  six  miles  to 
the  north,  are  several  ridges  of  the  green  asbestine  slate ;  the  road 
runs  also  along  a  ridge  of  aggregate  rock,  containing  quartz,  iron, 
foliated  magnesia,  and  clay ;  to  this  succeed  brechaias  and  lime,  in  a 
clay  cement ;  then  several  ranges  (stretching  to  the  coast)  of  limestone 
and  breccia.  In  most  of  these  the  pebbles  inclosed  .in  the  calcareous 
cement  are  of  quartz  alone,  a  circumstance  not  easily  accounted  for. 
The  whole  of  this  country  bears  evident  marks  of  having  been  under 
water  ;  indeed  the  rocks  themselves  afford  ample  proof  of  the  action 
of  water  on  their  surfaces,  as  do  also  the  upper  stratum  of  the  soil, 
being  commonly  full  of  shells  and  other  marine  exuvia.  From  hence 
may  be  discovered  the  green  asbestine  rock,  terminating  Anglesea  at 
Bangor  Ferry. 

Amlwch  was  formerly  a  small  hamlet  containing  only  six  houses, 
which  were  occupied  by  fishermen.     In  the  short  space  of  160  years 
the  number  of  births  in  this  parish  gradually  increased  from  13  to 
199  per  annum,  which  can  only  be  ascribed  to  the  inflnx  of  miners, 
smelters,  &c.  to  the  Parys  copper  mines.     It  is  also  observable  that 
there  is  a  great  superiority  in  the  number  of  births  to  that  of  burials, 
which  is  certainly  an  indication  of  the  sobriety  and  regular  living  of 
the  inhabitants,  notwithstanding  their  apparently  unhealthy  occupa- 
tions.    The  church,  consecrated  by  Dr.  Cleaver,  Bishop  of  Bangor, 
in  1801,  is  an  elegant  building,  erected  by  the  Parys  Mine  Company 
at  the  expense  of  £4000.      It  is  dedicated  to  Elaeth,  a  royal  bard 
and  saint,  who  flourished  from  about  A.  D.  640  to  700.     There  is  one 
of  his  compositions  in  the  Myvyrian  or  Welsh  Archaiology.     Am- 
lwch is  a  perpetual  curacy.     There  is  only  one  chapel  of  ease  annexed 
to  the  curacy;    it  is  called    Llan  Gwynllwyvo,  where  service  is 

performed 


260  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

performed  once  in  a  fortnight:  there  were  formerly  two  others,  but 
they  have  been  in  ruins  many  years.  Of  one  of  these,  the  foundation 
of  the  church  and  part  of  the  churchyard  wall  are  still  to  be  seen.  It 
was  called  Llan  Lleianan,  or  "  the  Cell  of  the  Nuns,"  situate  about 
four  miles  west  of  Amlwch,  near  Llan  Badrig,  near  a  place  called 
City  Dulas,  and  about  the  same  distance  from  Llangadog.  From  the 
operation  of  the  copper  mines  of  the  Mynydd  y  Tresclwyn,  or  "  Hill 
of  Copper,"  as  the  Parys  mountain  was  anciently  called,  Amlwch 
derived  its  prosperity.  The  present  name  of  the  mountain  is  said  to 
have  been  taken  from  that  of  Robert  Parys,  or  Paris,  Chamberlain  of 
North  Wales.  There  is  a  Robert  Paris  the  younger  named  as  a 
commissioner  in  an  Inquisition  in  the  8th  year  of  Henry  IV.  to  tine 
the  Anglesea  insurgents  in  the  cause  of  Owen  Glyndwr.  The  preci- 
pitation of  copper  by  means  of  iron,  from  its  solution  in  waters 
acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid,  or  rather  from  that  acid  diluted  with 
water,  has  long  been  known,  and  was  formerly  considered  as  the 
actual  transmutation  of  iron  into  copper.  Hutchinson  speaks  of  this 
transmutation  having  been  attempted  as  early  as  1571,  in  Dorsetshire  ; 
but  though  the  process  was  simple,  it  does  not  appear  that  for  some 
years  any  experiment  satisfactorily  succeeded  in  the  Parys  Mine.  In 
1579,  the  Society  for  the  Mineral  and  Battery  Works,  at  the  instance 
of  Lord  Burleigh,  their  President,  employed  Mr.  Medley  for  this 
purpose;  and  in  some  measure  succeeded,  but  not  sufficiently,  it 
seems,  from  the  event,  to  be  encouraged  with  a  commercial  view. 
The  process  for  procuring  copper  in  this  way  at  the  Herrngrundt 
mines,  near  Newsol,  in  Hungary,  where  the  water,  however,  is  more 
strongly  impregnated,  was  published  in  1673  by  Dr.  Brown,  in  his 
Travels.  Notwithstanding  the  light  which  in  various  quarters  was 
thrown  on  the  subject,  the  immense  treasure  in  the  Parys  mountain 
lay  neglected  until  the  year  1762,  when  Fraser,  a  Scotch  miner,  came 
in  search  of  ores,  and  gave  encouragement  to  other  adventurers. 
Though  he  discovered  copper  ore  by  sinking  shafts  in  the  mountain, 
he  was  prevented  from  proceeding  by  the  influx  of  water.  Sir 
Nicholas  Bayley,  who  had  leased  the  lead  mines  at  Penrhyn-du,  in 
Carnarvonshire,  to  the  Macclesfield  Company,  bound  them  to  make  a 
spirited  effort  to  work  the  Parys  mine.  This  they  did,  but  with  so 
little  encouragement,  that  after  some  time  they  sent  positive  orders  to 
the  agent  to  discontinue  his  operations,  and  discharge  the  miners. 
The  agent,  however,  fortunately  disobeyed  his  injunctions,  and,  as  at 
the  last  attempt,  collected  all  his  mining  force  to  one  spot,  where  he 
sunk,  and  within  seven  feet  of  the  surface  discovered  the  body  of  ore, 
which  was  worked  with  great  success  for  many  years.  This  happened 
on  the  2d  day  of  March,  1768,  whence  Saint  Chad  has  ever  since 
been  the  patron  of  the  Anglesea  mines.  The  Marquis  of  Anglesea 
succeeded  his  father,  the  late  Lord  Uxbridge,  in  the  possession  of 
one  portion  of  these  copper  mines  ;  and  Lord  Dinorben  is  the  other 
principal  proprietor.  About 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  261 

About  two  miles  to  the  east  of  Ami wch,  near  the  coast,  is  Llanelian. 
Here  is  a  small  well  called  Ffynnon  Elian,  or  Saint  Elian's  Well, 
which  was  formerly  in  great  repute  ;   the  water  is  tasteless  but  good  ; 
but  it  is  not  believed  to  possess  any  medicinal  virtue.     It  is  situate  on 
the  Irish  sea.     The  chapel  of  B6d-Ewryd  has  been  detached  from 
this  rectory,  and  erected  into  a  perpetual  curacy,  for  which  Queen 
Anne's  bounty  was  procured.     There  stands,  within  four  yards  of  the 
church,  a  small  chapel,  which  has  been  joined  by  a  passage  to  the 
chancel  of  the  church.     It  appears  to  have  been  built  tirst  as  a  cloister 
for  the  saint,  and  must  have  had  a  small  bell,  as  there  is  a  place  for 
one  :  it  is  called  the  Myfyr,  or  "  Place  of  Meditation."     The  church 
of  Llanelian  is  a  handsome  edifice,  strongly  built  of  grit  stone  ;  the 
corners  of  red  free  stone,  covered  with  lead,  and  supported  by  massy 
timbers  of  oak  ;  it  has  a  spire,  with  a  belfry  containing  three  bells.     It 
was  formerly  highly  ornamented  with  paintings  of  the  portraits  of  the 
saint  and  the  apostles,  but  they  are  now  almost  destroyed,  except  that 
of  the  saint.     In  the  east  window  are  some  small  remains  of  stained 
glass.      In  the  Myfyr  or  cloister,  before-mentioned,  there  exists  a 
small  relic  of  superstition  :    this  is  an  oaken  box  fixed  to  the  wall ;  it 
is  semicircular,  about  six  feet  long,  thre.e  feet  wide,  and  four  feet  high, 
with  a  door  or  hole  a  foot  broad  and  almost  three  feet  high.     During 
the  wake,  commonly  called  Gwyl  Mab  Saint,  which  is  holden  in  the 
month  of  August,  the  people  pass  respectively  into  this  box,  and 
should  they  get  in  and  out  with  ease,  having  turned  round  in  it  three 
times,  they  believe  they  will  live  out  the  year ;  but  otherwise  they 
assuredly  die.     It  is  pretended,  that  while  some  bulky  folks  have  got 
in  and  out  easily,  other  slender  ones  have  found  the  greatest  difficulty, 
so  that  sometimes  the  box  iias  been  removed  from  the  wall.     In  the 
church  is  the  Cuff  Elian,  a  large  chest  in  form  of  a  trunk,  round  on 
the  top  and  studded  with  iron  nails,  with  an  aperture  to  put  in  alms. 
All  who  bathed  in  the  well  made  their  offerings  into  the  Cuff,  other- 
wise they  were  not  to  hope  for  any  benefit  from  it.     The  amount  so 
received  was  formerly  very  great :    people  used  to  come  from  all  the 
counties  of  North  Wales.     It  is  opened  only  once  a  year,  namely,  on 
Saint  Thomas's  Day.     The  original  church  was  built  by  Llan-Elian, 
the  patron  saint,  about  the  year  450  :    he  was  denominated  Cannaid, 
or  "  The  Bright,"  and  is  the  British  Hilary.      Caswallon  Llaw  Hir, 
or  (<  The  Long-armed,"  endowed  the  chureh  with  many  privileges, 
and  franchises,  and  lands,  that  were  holden  in  his  name  by  the  free- 
holders.    But  the  saint  has  been  deprived  of  all,  except  one  tenement 
of  about  £'20  per  annum,  and  even  the  rent  of  this  farm  has  been  for 
some  years  past  perverted,  to  ease  the  parishioners  of  the  poor-rates, 
instead  of  expending  it  on  the  repairs  of  the  church.     At  the  distance 
of  about  eight  miles  from  Amlwch,  at  Camlyn  Bay,  are  some  excellent 
marble  quarries. 

Aberffraw  is  a  small  village  situate  on  the  south-west  part  of  the 

island, 


262  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

island,  near  the  Irish  Sea.     The  town  is  noted  in  history  for  being 
once  a  chief  seat  of  the  Princes  of  North  Wales,  and  where  one  of  the 
three  courts  of  justice  for  the  principality  were  holden.     In  its  palace 
was  kept  a  copy  of  the  celebrated  code  of  laws  founded  by  Howel 
Dda,  in  the  year  940,  for  the  better  government  of  Wales,  of  which 
two  transcripts  were  made  for  the  use  of  the  public  and  the  distri- 
bution of  justice.     The  last  prince  who  lived  here  was  Llywelyn  ap 
Gruffydd,  who  was  killed  at  Fishguard,  in  South  Wales,  upwards  of 
500  years  ago.     There  are  no  vestiges  of  his  palace ;   but  there  is  a 
garden  at  the  south-west  end  of  the  town,  called  Gardd  y  Llys,  or 
"  the  Palace  Garden."     The  Eisteddvod,  or  Triennial  Meeting  of  the 
Bards,  was  holden  here  in  the  reigns  of  its  ancient  princes.     The 
ruinated  church,  called  Eglwys  y  Baili,  or  es  the  Bailiff's  Church," 
was  rebuilt  by  Sir  Arthur  Owen,  Bart,  in  the  year  1729,  for  a  school, 
which  he  endowed  with  four  pounds  per  annum,  for  teaching  six  poor 
children  in   the  Welsh  language.      Near  this  place  are  found  the 
amulets  called  by  some  Gleiniau  Nadroedd,  or  Adder  Stones,  and  by 
others  called  Glain  Naidr,  or  Druid  Glass  Rings  ;  they  are  supposed 
to  have  been  manufactured  by  the  Romans,  arid  given  in  exchange  to 
the  superstitious  Britons  in  commerce.     At  present  they  are  consi- 
dered as  excellent  remedies  for  a  cough  and  ague ;   and  that  they 
assist  children  in  cutting  their  teeth  will  scarcely  be  doubted.     The 
vulgar  opinion  is,  that  they  are  produced  by  snakes  joining  their  heads 
together  and  hissing,  which  forms  a  kind  of  bubble  like  a  ring  on  the 
head  of  one  of  them,  which  the  rest  by  continual  hissing  blow  on  till 
it  comes  off  at  the  tail,  after  which  it  immediately  hardens,  and 
resembles  a  glass  ring.     It  is  a  common  tradition,  that  whoever  finds 
one  of  these  will  prosper  in  all  their  undertakings.      Mr.  Pennant 
says,  "  this  wondrous  ring  seems  .to  be  nothing  more  than  a  bead  of 
glass,  used  by  the  Druids  as  a  charm  to  impose  on  the  vulgar,"     In 
the  vicinity  of  Aberffraw  is  the  small  lake  of  Llyn  Coron,  abounding 
with  several  fish,  which  induce  numbers  to  frequent  it  in  the  summer 
season  for  the  amusement  of  angling. 

At  the  distance  of  about  seven  miles  to  .the  north-west  of  Aberffraw 
we  pass  through  the  tqwn  of  Newborough.  The  British  name  was 
Rhos  Vair,  and  here  was  a  Llys,  or  Royal  Palace  of  the  Princes  of 
North  Wales,  who  occasionally  retired  here.  Edward  the  First 
erected  the  towp  into  a  corporation,  a  circumstance  which,  it  is  said, 
gave  rise  to  its  English  name ;  he  also  granted  a  guild  mercatory, 
with  other  privileges,  which  were  confirmed  by  parliament  in  the  first 
year  of  Edward  the  Third.  In  the  third  year  of  Henry  the  Eighth  it 
returned  a  member  to  parliament,  and  again  in  the  first  of  Edward 
the  Sixth,  who  transferred  the  elective  franchise  to  Beaumaris  in  the 
following  year.  "  The  glory  of  Newborough  (says  Mr.  Pennant)  is 
now  passed  away."  '  By  virtue  of  its  ancient  charter  the  town  is  still 
governed  by  a  mayor,  two  bailiffs,  and  a  recorder,  with  other  assistant 

officers, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  263 

officers,  who  keep  regular  courts  here.     The  palace  and  chapel  were 
both  in  existence  in  the  reign  of  Edward  the  Third,  as  appears  from 
an  Inquisition  taken  in  1329  before  William  de  Shaldeford,  the  repre- 
sentative of  Richard  Earl  of  Arundel,  the  Justiciary  of  North  Wales. 
In  the  latter  part  of  that  reign  were  found  ninety-three  houses,  thirteen 
gardens,  one  orchard,  twelve  crofts,  and  sixty  small  pieces  of  ground 
enclosed  for  the  use  of  the  houses.     The  crown  had  its  steward  for 
this  district,  with  a  salary  of  £10  a  year.     It  now  subsists  by  the 
manufacture  of  hats,  nets,  and  cordage,  which  latter,  from  their  being 
composed  of  a  species  of  sea-red  grass,  are  called  rhosir-morhesg 
ropes,  a  plant,  of  which  Queen  Elizabeth,  in  tenderness  to  such  of  her 
subjects  who  lived  on  sandy  shores,  wisely  prohibited  the  extirpation, 
in  order  to  prevent  the  misfortunes  which  have  since  happened,  of 
having  half  the  parish  buried  in  the  unstable  sands  by  the  rage  of 
tempests.     In  the  vicinity  of  what  has  been  considered  the  domestic 
chapel  to  the  royal  palace  at  Frondeg,  there  is  an  upright  stone  bear- 
ing a  commemorative  inscription,  which  is  now  illegible,  but  which 
Mr.  Pennant  judged  to  have  been  set  up  for  some  Danish  chieftain. — 
Newborough  is  celebrated  in  Wales  for  being  the  residence  and  birth- 
place of  John  Morgan,  an  old  blind  musician,  who  was  among  the 
last  that  played  on  the  ancient  instrument  called  the  Crwth,  the 
original  of  our  present  violin. 

Two  miles  north-west  of  Newborough  is  Llan  Gadwallader  or 
Eglwys  Ael. — The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Cadwaladyr,  the  last 
nominal  King  of  the  Britons  ;  according  to  Mr.  Owen  he  was  called 
one  of  the  three  blessed  kings  on  account  of  the  protection  and  sup- 
port afforded  by  him  to  the  fugitive  Christians,  who  were  dispossessed 
by  the  Saxons  /  he  died  in  703,  and  with  him  the  title  of  King  of  the 
Britons  ceased.  The  church  is  a  small  edifice,  with  two  chapels, 
forming  a  cross  with  the  body  of  the  church  :  one  of  them  belonging 
to  the  Bodorgan  family ;  and  the  other  to  that  of  Bod-Owen,  both 
of  this  parish  ;  this  church  is  said  to  have  been  originally  founded  by 
Cadwaladyr,  who  appointed  it  for  one  of  the  sanctuaries  of  the  island; 
the  stone  mentioned  by  Camden  and  Rowlands,  which  has  given  a 
value  to  the  church  in  the  eyes  of  the  antiquarians,  still  remains, 
forming  the  lintel  of  the  southern  door-way,  and  has  the  inscribed 
face  downwards.  The  stone  is  supposed  by  the  learned  Edward 
Llwyd,  author  of  the  Archeologia  Britannica,  to  be  only  a  fragment. 
Some  conjecture  that  it  is  a  portion  of  the  monument  of  Cadvan,  the 
grandfather  of  the  founder,  who  was  interred  here,  and  not,  as  is 
generally  stated,  in  the  island  of  Bardsey.  Mr.  Llwyd  says,  that  it  is 
dated  607,  and  supposes  its  mutilated  inscription  to  refer  to  Cadvan, 
the  son  of  lago,  who  was  Prince  of  North  Wales  at  that  period. 
Bodorgan,  in  this  parish,  was  the  residence  of  Edmund  Putland 
Meyrick,  Esq.  who  was  supposed  to  have  been  one  of  the  richest 
commoners  in  the  kingdom,  having,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  about 

three 


264  TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES. 

three  hundred  thousand  pounds  in  the  funds,  besides  a  very  large 
landed  property  in  England  and  Wales  ;  he  left  a  widow  and  two 
daughters,  co-heiresses.  Bod-Owen  was  the  seat  of  the  ancestors  of 
the  Owens,  Baronets,  of  Orielton,  in  Pembrokeshire. 

About  three  miles  to  the  north-east  of  Newborough,  on  the  right  of 
the  road,  is  Llanedwen,  a  chapelry  to  the  vicarage  of  Llanidan.  The 
church,  which  was  built  in  the  year  640,  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Edwen  ; 
it  is  situate  on  the  straits  of  the  Menai.  Llan-Edwen  is  notable  as 
having  given  birth  to  the  learned  antiquary,  the  Rev.  Henry 
Rowlands  :  he  was  born  in  1655,  bred  at  Oxford,  and  was  instituted 
to  the  vicarage  of  Llanidan  with  the  annexed  chapels,  in  October, 
1690;  died  in  the, year  1723,  and  was  interred  in  the  south  part  of 
the  church.  His  principal  work,  Mona  Antiqua  Restaurata,  is  too 
well  known  to  be  more  particularly  noticed  in  this  place. 

In  the  parish  of  Llanallgov  is  a  small  spring,  which  was  formerly 
held  in  great  esteem.  In  a  farm  called  Llugwy,  in  the  adjoining 
parish  of  Llaneigrad,  are  the  ruins  of  an  old  chapel,  which  belong  to 
the  parish  church,  and  which  is  still  known  by  the  name  of  Capel 
Llugwy. 

Llanbabo. — This  parish  is  situate  five  miles  north-west  of  Llanerchy- 
medd.  Pabo  Post  Prydain,  or  "Pabo  the  pillar  of  Britain,"  so 
called  for  his  having  been  a  great  support  to  the  Britons  against  the 
Picts  and  Scots,  about  the  year  460,  founded  a  church  here.  "  There 
was  an  ancient  tradition,"  says  Mr.  Lewis  Morris,  "  in  the  parish  of 
Llanbabo,  in  Anglesey,  that  Pabo,  with  his  son  and  daughter,  was 
buried  in  that  churchyard,  opposite  to  certain  faces  that  were  carved 
in  a  wall,  and  to  be  seen  to  this  day.  In  King  Charles  the  Second's 
time,  or  thereabouts,  the  sexton  happening  to  dig  a  grave  against  one 
of  the  carved  faces,  at  about  six  or  seven  inches  deep,  found  a  flat 
grave  stone,  one  corner  of  which  he  picked,  and  demolished  a  few 
letters  before  he  knew  what  it  was ;  the  stone  was  then  removed  into 
the  quire,  where  it  hath  remained  ever  since.  It  hath  on  it  the  figure 
of  a  man  in  long  robes  with  a  coronet  on  his  head  and  a  sceptre  in  his 
hand,  with  a  long  beard,  and  a  Latin  inscription  neatly  cut,-T~basso- 
relievo-wise ;  on  one  edge  of  the  stone  are  these  letters — "  Hie  jacet 
Pabo"  &c.  His  tomb  still  remains,  with  an  inscription  round  his 
effigy.  Near  Llanbabo  are  two  cromlechau. 

Llanddwynwen. — The  church,  which  is  now  in  ruins,  is  dedicated 
to  Saint  Dwynwen,  who  lived  about  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century : 
it  was  a  very  fine  building,  and  great  part  of  the  walls  are  still 
standing  on  a  peninsula,  which  is  somewhat  more  than  half  a  mile  in 
length.  Near  it  are  the  remains  of  the  prebendal  house,  which  is 
remarkable  as  having  been  the  residence  of  Richard  Kyffin,  the  last 
rector,  and  afterwards  Dean  of  Bangor,  known  by  the  name  of  Y  Deon 
du,  or  "the  black  dean,"  who,  according  to  Mr.  Pennant,  was  a 
strenuous  friend  to  the  House  of  Lancaster,  and  here  concerted  with 

Sir 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  265 


Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas,  and  other  Welsh  chieftains,  a  plan  for 
in  the  Duke  of  Richmond,  then  in  Britanny,  to  whom  they  transmitted, 
by  means  of  fishing  vessels,  all  necessary  intelligence.     The  whole 
parish,  which  is  frontier  to  Newborough  towards  the  sea,  and  forms  a 
kind  of  peninsula,  is  covered  with  sand  hills,  the  driftings  from  these, 
during   the   prevalence  of  strong  westerly  winds,  fleeting  over  the 
adjacent  lands,  form  a  sad  annoyance  to  the  neighbourhood,  which,  in 
consequence  thereof,  is  quite  barren  ;  there  is  not  at  present  any -house 
near  the  church.     In  the  time  of  Edward  the  Third  there  were,  on 
this  peninsula,  no  more  than  eight  small  houses  :   yet,  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  the  Eighth,  it  was  one  of  the  richest  prebends  in  the  diocese  of 
Bangor.     Amidst  the  sandy  flat,  surrounded  by  rocks,  near  the  shore, 
was  an  oratory  of  Saint  Dwynwen,  the  daughter  of  Brychan  Urth,  one 
of  the  holy  colidei  or  primitive  Christians  of  Britain,  who  lived  in  the 
fifth  century  ;    as  the  British  Venus  or  tutelary  saint  of  lovers,  the 
votaries  of  Dwynwen  were  numerous.     A  church  having  been  built  on 
the  spot,  a  shrine  erected  to  her  memory  was  attended  by  multitudes 
of  devotees  in  the  ages  of  superstition  ;  and  the  religious,  who,  from 
this  circnmstance,  were  induced  to  take  up  their  secluded  residence 
here,  made  no  small  gains  from  the  pious  ignorance  of  the  people. 
The  patroness  of  amatorial  connections  was  profusely  supplied  with 
votive  offerings  by  those  who  required  her  mediation.      Here  subse- 
quently is  said  to  have  been  an  abbey  founded  for  Benedictine  monks, 
though  it  was  probably  only  a  cell  of  a  very  small  chapter  of  canons. 
According  to  Mr.  Rowlands,  in  his  Mona  Antigua,  the  clergy  who 
resided  here  were  not  paid  in  tithes ;   but  were  supported,  in  popish 
times,  by  the  contributions  of  the  credulous,  who  resorted  thither  to 
learn  their  future  destiny  from  the  monks,  which  they  foretold  from 
the  leaping  of  the  fish,  and  by  the  appearance  of  the  holy  well,  called 
at  this  day  Ffvnnon  Fair,  i.  e.  "  Saint  Mary's  well."     According  to 
Mr.  Carlisle,  the  ruins  of  two  houses  are  still  visible,  one  called  Ty'r 
Parson,  i,  e.  "  the  parson's  house,"  and  the  other  Ty'r  Clochydd,  i.  e. 
si  the  sexton's  house :"  there  is  a  tradition  that  the  peninsula  before 
alluded  to  extended  much  further  into  the  sea.     In  the  time  of  Owain 
Glyndwr  the  treasury  belonging  to  the  shrine  of  Dwynwen  excited 
the  cupidity  of  one  lorwerth  Vychan,  rector  of  Llanddoged,  who 
made  pretensions  to  the  offerings,  and  sacrilegiously  seized  on  them : 
but  Gruffydd  le  Yonge,  chancellor  to  the  Welsh  hero,  interfered,  and 
by  a  decree  put  a  stop  to  the  invasion  of  the  rights  of  the  place. 
There  is  an  abundance  of  fish,  lobsters,  crabs,  &c.  on  this  eoast. 

Llan-dyfrydog,  or  Llan-dyvrydog. — The  church  was  dedicated  to 
Saint  Tyfrydog,  who  lived  in  the  latter  part  of  the  sixth  century. 
Upon  Clorach  farm  there  is  an  upright  stone,  with  a  large  protu- 
berance on  one  side  of  it,  called  Lleidr  Ty  Dyfridog,  i.  e.  "  The 
Tyfrydog  Thief,"  concerning  which  there  is  a  tradition  that  a  man 
who  had  sacrilegiously  stolen  a  church  bible,  and  was  carrying  it 

away 


206 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 


away  on  his  shoulders,  was  for  his  transgression  converted  into  this 
stone.  There  are  also  two  wells  on  this  farm,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
road  leading  to  Llannerch-y-medd,  and  exactly  opposite  to  each 
other,  remarkable,  not  for  their  medicinal  virtues,  but  as  having  been, 
according  to  tradition,  where  Saint  Seiriol  and  Saint  Kybi  (the  former 
the  patron  of  Ynys  Seiriol,  and  the  latter  of  Caer  Kybi  or  Holy  head,) 
used  to  meet  midway  between  both  places,  to  talk  over  the  religious 
affairs  of  the  country.  The  wells  are  to  this  day  called  Ffynnon 
Seiriol,  and  Ffynnon  Kybi,  i.  e.  "  Seiriol's  Well,"  and  "  Kvbi's 
Well." 

Llandysilio. — The  church,  supposed  to  have  been  first  founded 
here  about  the  year  630,  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Tysilio.  It  is  singu- 
larly situated  on  a  barren  rock,  forming  a  little  peninsula,  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  west  of  Porthaethwy.  Near  here,  on  the 
Anglesea  shore,  is  a  rock  known  by  the  name  of  Carreg-Iago,  or 
rather  Carreg-yr-Iacon,  or  ^Arch-Iacon,  "  the  Archdeacon's  Stone," 
rendered  memorable  on  account  of  Archbishop  Baldwin's  having 
stood  up  to  preach  the  crusade  upon  it  at  the  time  of  his  peregrin- 
ations for  that  purpose  through  Wales  in  1188;  when  Alexander, 
Archdeacon  of  Bangor,  is  stated  to  have  interpreted  Baldwin's  oration 
to  the  people.  On  a  farm  called  Rait  atfe  extensive  ruins  of  an 
encampment,  said  to  have  been  Roman :  they  are  situate  on  a  high 
bank,  a  short  distance  from  the  great  turnpike  road  from  London  to 
Holyhead.  An  instance  of  a  lord  selling  his  vassals  and  their  off- 
spring occurred  at  Porthaethwy  many  years  after  the  reign  of  the 
Princes  of  North  Wales,  but  the  deed  of  sale  is  not  extant. 

Llaneigrad. — The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Eigrad,  and  is 
supposed  to  have  been  first  built  about  the  year  605.  All  the  springs 
here  arise  from  limestone  rock,  and  the  water,  as  the  inhabitants 
suppose,  breeds  a  distemper  among  their  cattle  which  they  call 
damp.  It  seizes  them  in  their  joints,  and  they  become  very  lean  and 
lank.  The  parish  is  situate  on  the  Irish  sea.  Here  are  the  remains 
of  an  old  chapel,  called  Capel  Llugwy. 

Llanenghenedl. — The  church  is  supposed  to  have  been  built  about 
the  year  620,  and  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Enghenedl,  the  grandson  of 
Brochwell,  who  is  recorded  to  have  been  the  commander  of  the 
British  forces  under  Cadvan  in  the  memorable  battle  of  Chester  in 
603,  when  they  were  defeated  by  Etheldred,  King  of  Northumber- 
land, and  the  monks  of  Bangor  were  massacred. 

Llanvaelog. — The  original  church  is  supposed  to  have  been  built 
about  the  year  605,  and  dedicated  to  Saint  Maelog,  who  lived  in  the 
middle  of  the  sixth  century.  It  is  ten  miles  south-east  from  Holy- 
head,  and  is  situate  on  the  Bay  of  Carnarvon,  in  which  abundance  of 
soles  and  turbots  are  caught  in  the  summer.  On  a  farm  called  Ty 
Newydd  is  a  cromlech,  the  upper  stone  of  which  is  12  feet  long. 
Llan-faethiu,  or  Llan-vaethlu. — The  mansion  house  of  the  ancient 

and 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  267 

and  respectable  family  of  Griffith  of  Carreg  Llwyd  (descended  from 
Ednyfed  Vychan,  whose  arms  they  bear,)  is  situate  in  this  parish. 
It  appears  by  several  pedigrees  that  George  Griffith,  Bishop  of  Saint 
Asaph,  was  a  younger  brother  to  William  Griffith,  of  Carreg  Llwyd, 
LL.  D.  Chancellor  of  Bangor  and  Saint  Asaph,  and  one  of  the 
Masters  of  the  High  Court  of  Chancery,  who  married  Mary,  the 
daughter  of  John  Owen,  Bishop  of  Saint  Asaph,  from  whom  is 
descended  Holland  Griffith,  Esq.  the  present  proprietor  of  Carreg 
Llwyd.  The  said  William  Griffith  died  in  1648,  aged  49,  and  Mary 
his  wife  died  in  1645,  aged  31. ---The  learned  John  Davydd  Rhys, 
M.D.  author  of  the  Welsh  Grammar  published  in  London  in 
1590,  was,  according  to  tradition,  born  in  this  parish,  and  was  son 
to  the  parish  clerk  thereof. 

Llanvair  in  Mathavarn  Eithav. — The  chapel  is  dedicated  to  Saint 
Mary.  A  great  number  of  mill-stones  of  a  very  fine  kind  are  dug  up 
on  a  common  at  a  place  called  Rhos  Vawr.  There  is  a  cromlech  at 
Marian  Pant  y  Saer,  and  formerly  there  was  one  at  Llech  tal  Mon, 
but  it  is  now  demolished.  In  the  churchyard  is  a  modern  carnedd, 
composed  of  a  rude  heap  of  stones,  five  feet  in  height,  twelve  wide, 
and  eighteen  long.  Beneath  the  heap  is  a  hollow  cavern,  the^entrance 
guarded,  according  to  the  ancient  Jewish  and  British  customs,  by  a 
large  stone.  This  whimsical  sepulchre  was  erected  by  a  Mr.  Wynne, 
and  has  long  been  the  place  of  interment  for  the  family. — Near  the 
millstone  quarries  is  a  small  cottage,  in  which  Goronw  Owain,  M.  A. 
one  of  the  most  eminent  and  learned  of  the  Welsh  bards,  was  born  on 
the  1st  of  January,  1722.  He  was  educated  at  the  free  school  at 
Bangor,  from  whence  he  removed  to  Jesus  College,  Oxford,  at  the 
sole  expense  of  Dr.  Edward  Wynne,  of  Bod  Ewryd,  in  this  county, 
and  after  being  worn  out  with  unavailing  expectations  of  obtaining 
some  small  preferment  in  his  native  country,  he  removed  to  Williams- 
burg,  in  Virginia,  of  which  church  he  was  appointed  a  minister ;  and 
thus  was  the  fairest  flower  of  British  genius  transplanted  to  wither  in 
the  ungenial  climes  of  America.  His  poetical  works  were  printed, 
with  other  productions,  in  a  volume  under  the  name  of  Diddanwch 
Teuluaidd,  which  is  now  become  very  scarce. 

In  the  parish  of  Llanvair  Pwll  Gwyn  Gyll,  on  a  rocky  eminence 
near  the  shore,  is  the  site  of  an  ancient  British  fortification  called 
Craig  y  Dinas,  opposite  to  which,  in  the  straits,  are  those  terrible 
rocks  called  by  English  sailors  The  S welly,  but  known  to  the  Welsh 
as  Pwll  Ceris,  "  a  name,"  says  Mr.  Morris,  in  his  Survey,  "  borrowed, 
it  is  likely,  from  the  Roman  Charybdis,  such  another  dangerous  place 
on  the  coast  of  Sicily." 

In  the  parish  of  Llanvair  yn  Nghornwy,  upon  the  farm  of  Caerau, 
is  found  the  native  fossil  stone  called  asbestos,  remarkable  for  greater 
or  less  degree  of  flexibility,  and  being  incombustible.  About  a  mile 
from  the  village  is  one  of  the  ancient  monuments  called  Meini  Hirion. 

It 


2G8  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

It  is  a  large  equilateral  triangle,  formed  of  three  huge  stones  placed 
upright  at  a  distance  of  five  hundred  yards  from  each  other.  Two 
circular  encampments,  with  a  fosse  and  vallum,  denominated  Castell 
Crwn,  are  in  the  vicinity  of  this  monument. 

In  the  parish  of  Llanvechell  is  a  mineral  spring,  near  the  domain  of 
Cefn  Coch,  which  has  effected  some  cures  of  lameness,  but  it  is  not 
known  beyond  the  parish,  and  near  it  is  a  fallen  cromlech.  Here  is 
also  a  very  fine  quarry  of  curious  and  beautiful  marble  ;  its  variegated 
colours  are  black,  dull  purple,  various  shades  of  green,  and  some- 
times intersected  with  white  asbestine  veins.  From  this  quarry, 
which  some  years  ago  was  purchased  for  £1000,  blocks  of  a  large  size 
are  procured,  which  are  susceptible  of  a  high  polish ;  they  are  cut 
into  slabs,  and  formed  into  chimney  pieces,  side-boards,  and  sepul- 
chral monuments. 

In  the  parish  of  Llan-flewyn  is  a  chapel  which  was  built  about  the 
year  630,  and  dedicated  to  Saint  Flewyn,  who,  with  his  brother 
Gredivel,  first  presided  in  the  college  founded  about  A.D.  480,  by 
Pawl  or  Paulinus,  on  the  river  Tav,  in  Caermarthenshire,  which 
afterwards  came  to  be  called  Ty  Gwyn,  or  Whiteland  Abbey.  In 
this  parish  there  was  dug  up  some  years  ago  three  golden  bracelets, 
and  a  bulla*  of  the  same  metal,  in  a  high  state  of  preservation.  Two 
of  the  former  were  purchased  by  Mr.  Pennant,  as  "  curious  memo- 
rials of  the  residence  of  the  Romans  in  ancient  Mona." 

The  parish  church  of  Llanvihangel  Tre'r  Bardd  is  dedicated  to 
Saint  Michael ;  the  name  distinguishes  it  as  having  been  anciently  a 
Bardic  or  Druidic  station,  and  as  such  several  monuments  are  to  be 
seen.  Near  the  church  is  a  large  pillar,  called  Maen  Addwyn, 
standing  erect,  and  supposed  to  be  one  of  those  Meini  Gwyr  pillars 
mentioned  by  Mr.  Rowlands  in  his  Mona  Antiqua  Restaurata,  p.  52. 
On  Bodavon  Hill  is  "  the  shapely  cromlech"  mentioned  by  the  same 
respectable  writer  as  thrown  down,  and  lying  on  its  three  supporters 
in  the  lands  of  Blochty ;  the  table  stone  measures  ten  feet  in  lengtli 
by  eight  in  breadth  :  its  common  name  among  the  people  is  Y  Maen 
Llwyd.  Not  far  distant,  at  Barras,  is  a  smaller  one  in  ruins ;  and 
between  these  there  is  another  demolished  cromlech,  called  Carreg 
y  Fran,  which  was  evidently  a  double  one,  and,  when  standing,  very 
similar  to  the  double  cromlech  at  Plas  Newydd,  in  the  parish  of 
Llanidan. 

Llanvihangel  Tyn  Sylwy  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Michael ; 
it  stands  immediately  beneath  a  high  precipitous  hill,  near  Llan- 
ddona,  called  Bwrdd  Arthur,  or  "  Arthur's  Round  Table,"  on  which 
are  the  remains  of  a  great  British  fortification,  denominated  Tyn,  or 
Tyn  Sylwy,  "  the  Exploratory  Fort."  It  is  surrounded  by  two  lofty 
valla,  formed  of  rude  stones,  and  enclosing  a  deep  fosse.  In  the  area 
are  the  vestiges  of  oval  buildings,  of  which  the  largest  is  formed  with 

two 

*  An  ornament  worn  by  the  Roman  youth,  as  a  kind  of  amulet. 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  269 

two  rows  of  flat  stones  set  on  end.  These  are  supposed  to  have  been 
temporary  habitations  of  the  occupants  of  the  fortress.  To  an  invad- 
ing army  this  must  have  presented  a  considerable  obstacle,  since  its 
natural  situation,  combined  with  its  artificial  defence,  renders  it  almost 
impregnable.  The  hill  slopes  steeply  on  all  sides,  and,  as  an  ad- 
vanced post  for  watching  the  movements  of  the  northern  invaders  who 
anciently  ravaged  the  island,  it  was  admirably  situated.  Near  the 
shore  are  two  round  mounts  in  a  deep  gully,  which  appear  to  have 
been  raised  by  the  Danish  pirates  to  protect  their  vessels  when  on  a 
plundering  expedition  to  this  island. 

Llanvihangel  yn  Nhywyn. — The  name  of  this  parish  signifies  Saint 
Michael's  church,  on  the  common  near  the  sea.  On  the  common 
there  are  vestiges  of  some  primeval  habitations,  as  noticed  by  Mr. 
Rowlands :  nothing,  however,  appears  at  this  time  to  be  known  of 
them.  On  the  10th  of  October  is  annually  held,  what  is  called  Gwyl 
Mab  Sant,  but  which  of  late  years  has  degenerated  into  a  meeting  for 
hiring  of  servants. 

Llan  Gefni. — The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Cyngan,  a  saint 
who  founded  many  churches  in  Wales  and  flourished  about  the  begin- 
ning of  the  sixth  century.  There  is  a  chalybeate  spring,  formerly  in 
great  repute  for  rheumatic  complaints,  and  which  is  still  recommended 
by  most  medical  men  in  this  county.  The  name  is  derived  from 
the  British  word  Cafn,  a  hollow  place  or  dingle,  at  the  entrance  of 
which  is  the  church.  The  river  Cefni  flows  through  the  parish. 
Tre  Garnedd,  a  farm-house,  was  once  the  seat  of  Ednyfed  Fychan, 
a  chieftain  of  great  power  in  Mona,  in  the  beginning  of  the  thirteenth 
century,  and  the  able  general  and  minister  of  Llywelyn  the  Great, 
and  his  arms  were  originally  a  saracen's  head  erased  proper,  wreathed 
or ;  but  after  defeating  a  powerful  English  army  which  invaded  the 
frontiers  of  Wales,  and  killing  with  his  own  hand  three  of  their  prin- 
cipal commanders,  whose  heads,  according  to  the  barbarous  practice 
of  the  times,  he  brought  to  Llywelyn,  that  prince,  in  commemoration 
of  his  services  on  this  occasion,  directed  that  he  should  bear  gules, 
between  three  Englishmen's  heads*  couped,  a  chevron  ermine.  Di- 
rectly descended  from  this  chieftain  was  the  celebrated  Sir  Owen 
Tudor,  or  more  properly  Owain  ap  Meredydd  ap  Tudyr,  the  ancestor 
of  Henry  the  Seventh,  and  collaterally  of  many  illustrious  families. 
The  grandson  of  Ednyfed,  the  ill-fated  Sir  Gruffydd  Llwyd,  was 
born  at  this  place.  He  was  one  of  those  who  consented  to  acknow- 
ledge, as  their  legitimate  sovereign,  any  person  born  in  Wales  who 
should  be  nominated  to  that  rank  by  Edward  the  First,  who  conferred 
on  him  the  honour  of  knighthood  for  bringing  him  the  first  intelli- 
gence of  the  birth  of  his  son  Edward  at  Caernarvon.  He  did  homage 
to  the  young  prince  for  his  Welsh  estates  at  Chester,  but  afterwards, 
indignant  at  some  real  or  imaginary  offence,  and  resenting  the 
oppression  under  which  his  countrymen  laboured,  he  meditated  a 

revolt. 


2?0  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

revolt.  With  this  view,,  between  the  years  1316  and  1318,  he  inef- 
fectually attempted  to  form  an  alliance  with  Edward  Bruce,  the 
short-lived  King  of  Scotland.  Notwithstanding  his  want  of  success, 
his  patriotism  did  not  abate  its  energy,  and  he  determined  to  raise 
the  standard  of  freedom  alone,  and  deliver  his  country  from  a  slavery 
to  which  he  had  contributed.  In  1322  he  appeared  in  arms,  and, 
aided  by  the  two  other  insurrections  under  Madog  and  Owain  Glyn- 
dwr,  for  some  time  overran  the  country  with  resistless  impetuosity. 
At  length  he  was  defeated  by  the  English,  when  he  retreated  to 
Tregarnedd,  which  he  had  strongly  fortified,  and  garrisoned  with  his 
followers  another  stronghold  in  the  mOrass  of  Malldraeth,  about  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  distant,  called  Ynys  Cevni,  which  he  insulated  by 
bringing  the  water  of  that  river  around  it :  both  are  still  remaining. 
Mr.  Pennant  conjectures  "  that  he  underwent  the  common  fate  of  our 
gallant  insurgents." 

Llan-Geinwen  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Ceinwen.  It  is 
situate  on  the  straits  of  Menai,  opposite  the  town  of  Caernarvon. 
In  this  parish  is  Maes  y  Forth,  formerly  bestowed  by  Llewelyn  ap 
lorwerth,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  as  "  Provision  Land,"  on  the  abbey 
of  Conwy.  Here  is  also  the  ferry-house  of  Tal  y  Foel,  between  the 
island  of  Anglesea  and  the  town  of  Caernarvon.  On  a  farm  in  this 

one 
twelve 

feet  high,  but,  when  the  present  farm-house  was  built,  it  was  blasted, 
in  order  to  make  lintels  for  the  doors  and  windows :  the  farm,  from 
this  pillar,  is  called  Maen  Hir,  or  "  the  Long  Pillar."  The  church  is 
supposed  to  have  been  first  built  about  the  year  590. 

Llangristiolus  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Cristiolus,  a  saint 
who  lived  in  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century,  and  it  is  supposed  to 
have  been  built  about  the  year  610.  This  was  the  birth-place  of  Dr. 
Henry  Morris,  who,  in  the  seventeenth  century,  distinguished  himself 
as  a  polemical  writer  :  his  father  was  curate  of  this  parish,  but  gave 
his  son  a  classical  education  :  he  died  soon  after  being  elected  (in 
1 69 1 )  Margaret  Professor  of  Divinity  in  Oxford.  There  is  a  cromlech 
at  Henblas  in  this  parish.  There  is  also  an  extensive  waste  in  this 
parish,  called  Cors  Degai.  The  name  of  this  Cors  or  waste  is  spelt 
different  ways,  some  making  it  Cors  y  ddau  cae,  that  is,  "the  Marsh 
of  the  Two  Fields,"  but  there  is  no  ground  for  such  a  definition ; 
others,  again,  Cors  ddu  cae,  that  is  "  the  Black  Deceitful  (quaggy) 
Marsh :  but  Tegai,  the  founder  of  Llan  Degai,  near  Bangor,  built 
himself  a  cell  in  this  marsh,  the  foundation  of  which  is  still  visible, 
and  it  is  now  called  My n went  y  Llwyn,  or  "  the  Churchyard  of  the 
Grove;"  so  that  the  whole  marsh,  probably  from  him,  was  called  Cors 
Degai,  or  "  Tegai's  marsh."  Here  is  free-stone  for  building,  and  at 
Llan-Ddwyn  a  green  stone  with  red  and  white  spots,  which  will  bear 
a  good  polish.  There  is  likewise  here  a  ponderous  ruddy  spar,  in 

great 


parish,  there  was,  a  few  years  ago,  a  large  stone  pillar,  probably 
of  those  called  by  Mr.  Rowlands  Meini  Gwyr,  it  was  about  twc 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  271 

treat  plenty,  at  a  place  called  Llan-ginwen,  whose  specific  gravity  is 
.25,  and  which  no  doubt  contains  some  metal. 

Llangwyvan  (the  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Cwyfan,  who  lived 
about  the  close  of  the  seventh  century,)  is  situated  at  the  extremity  of 
the  parish,  and  is  frequently  surrounded  by  the  sea,  which  often  rages 
violently  here.  Divine  service  is  performed  every  other  Sunday. 
When  the  sea  surrounds  the  church,  the  congregation  assembles  in  a 
house,  part  of  which  is  consecrated.  According  to  the  terrier,  each 
time  the  minister  attends  he  may  order  hay  for  his  horse,  two  eggs 
for  his  breakfast,  a  penny  loaf,  and  half  a  pint  of  small  beer,  in  lieu  of 
tythe-hay  of  a  farm  called  Plas  Gwyfan.  The  church  is  built  like 
that  of  Aberffraw.  Here  is  a  quarry  of  white  marble,  which,  as  it 
bears  a  good  polish,  may  be  worth  the  attention  of  statuaries. 

Llanidan. — The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Idan,  and  was  origin- 
ally built  in  the  year  616.  Here  is  a  seat  of  Lord  Boston,  finely 
situate  on  that  arm  of  the  sea  commanding  upwards  a  beautiful 
view  of  the  town  of  Carnarvon  and  the  Snowdon  hills.  The  church 
once  belonged  to  the  convent  of  Bedd  Celei-t,  and  in  1535,  it  followed 
the  fate  of  that  house.  Queen  Elizabeth  granted  it  to  Edmund  Dow- 
man  and  Peter  Ashton,  who  sold  it  (in  1605)  to  Richard  Prytherch, 
of  Myfyrian,  whose  daughter  married  a  Llwyd  of  Llugwy  :  on  the 
extinction  of  that  family,  all  their  estates  were  bought  by  Lord  Ux- 
bridge,  who  left  them  to  his  nephew,  Sir  William  Irby,  the  late  Lord 
Boston.  Mr.  Pennant  says,  "  In  the  church  is  a  reliquary,  made 
neither  of  gold  nor  silver,  nor  yet  ornamented  with  precious  stones, 
but  of  very  ordinary  grit,  with  a  roof-like  cover. — I  must  not  pass 
unnoticed  the  celebrated  stone,  called  Maen  Morddwyd,  or  "  the 
Stone  of  the  Thigh,"  now  well  secured  in  the  wall  of  the  church.  In 
old  times  it  was  so  constant  to  one  place,  that,  let  it  be  carried  ever 
so  far,  it  would  be  sure  of  returning  at  night.  Hugh  Lupus,  Earl  of 
Chester,  determined  to  subdue  its  loco-motive  faculties,  fastened  it 
with  iron  chains  to  a  far  greater-stone,  and  flung  it  into  the  sea  ;  but, 
to  the  astonishment  of  all  beholders,  it  was  found  next  morning  in  its 
usual  place.  The  Earl  on  this  account  issued  a  prohibition  against  it 
ever  again  being  removed  from  its  place.  A  simple  countryman, 
however,  fastened  it  to  his  thigh,  which  immediately  putrified,  and 
the  stone  exerted  its  loco-motive  faculties  by  returning  to  its  station. 
I  now  enter  on  classical  ground,  and  the  pious  seats  of  the  ancient 
Druids,  the  sacred  groves,  the  altars,  and  monumental  stones.  At 
Tre'r  Dryw,  or  "  the  Habitation  of  the  Arch-Druid,"  I  meet  with 
the  mutilated  remains  described  by  Mr.  Rowlands.  His  Bryn  Gwyn, 
or  Royal  tribunal,  is  a  circular  hollow  of  180  feet  in  diameter,  sur- 
rounded by  an  immense  agger  of  earth  and  stones,  evidently  brought 
from  some  other  place,  there  not  being  any  mark  of  their  being  taken 
from  the  spot :  it  has  only  a  single  entrance.  This  is  supposed  to 

have 
N  n 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

have  been  the  grand  consistory  of  the  druidical  administration.     Not 
far  from  it  was  one  of  the  gorseddau,  now  in  a  manner  dispersed,  but 
which  once  consisted  of  a  great  copped  heap  of  stones,  on  which  sate 
aloft  a  druid  instructing  the  surrounding  people.     Here  were  also  the 
reliques  of  a  circle  of  stones,  with  the  cromlech  in  the  midst,  but  all 
extremely  imperfect.     Two  of  these  stones  are  extremely  large  ;  one, 
which  serves  at  present  as  part  of  the  end  of  a  house,  is  12  feet  7 
inches  high  and  8  feet  broad,  and  another  11  feet  high  and  23  feet  in 
girth  :  some  lesser  stones  yet  remain.     This  circle,  when  complete, 
was  one  of  the  temples  of  the  Druids,  in  which  their  religious  rites 
were  performed.      It  is  the  conjecture  of  Mr.  Rowlands,  that  the 
whole  of  these  remains  were  surrounded  with  a  circle  of  oaks,  and 
formed  a  deep  and  sacred  grove.     Near  this  is  Caer  Leb,  or  "  the 
Moated  Intrenchments,"  of  a  square  form,  with  a  double  rampart, 
and  broad  ditch  intervening,  and  a  lesser  on  the  outward  side  ;  within 
are  foundations  of  circular  and  of  square  buildings.     This  Mr.  Row- 
lands supposes  to  have  been  the  residence  of  the  Arch-Druid,  and  to 
have  given  the  name  Tre  'r  Dryw  to  the  township  in  which  it  stands. 
At  Tref  Wry  I  saw  several  faint  traces  of  circles  of  stones  and  other 
vestiges  of  buildings,  all  so  dilapidated  or  high  in  weeds  as  to  become 
almost  formless.      Bod   Drudan,  or  the  habitation   of  the  druids, 
Tre  'r  Bardd,  or  that  of  the  bards,  and  Bod  Owyr,  or  that  of  the 
priests,  are  all  of  them  hamlets,  nearly  surrounding  the  seat  of  the 
chief  druid,  composing  the  essential  part  of  his  suite.     At  the  last  I 
saw  a  thick  cromlech,  resting  on  three  stones.     The  shore  near  Forth 
Ami,  not  far  from  hence,  is  famed  for  being  the  place  where  Suetonius 
landed,  and  put  an  end  in  this  island  to  the  druidical  reign.     There 
are  no  traces  of  any  Roman  works  left  in  this  country  ;  their  stay  was 
so  short,  that  they  had  not  time  to  form  any  thing  permanent.     At 
Bryn  Gwydryn,  behind  Llanidan,  are  two  or  three  dykes  and  fosses 
of  a  semicircular  form,  each  end  of  which  terminates  at  a  precipice, 
leaving  an  intervening  area  of  no  great  space.     Both  from  its  figure 
and  name  (Caer  Idris)  I  suspect  it  to  be  British." 

Llaniestyn  is  a  chapel,  dedicated  to  Saint  lestyn,  "  son  of  Geraint, 
(says  Mr.  Pennant,)  a  worthy  Knight  of  Arthur's  Round  Table,  slain 
by  the  Saxons  at  the  siege  of  London  ;  others  say  that  he  was  slain, 
fighting  under  Arthur,  in  the  battle  of  Llongborth,  as  is  learnt  from 
his  elegy  composed  by  Llywarch  Hen."  It  is  two  miles  north  of 
Beaumaris.  It  is  also  attractive  to  antiquaries  on  account  of  its  con- 
taining a  tomb,  which  is  nearly  perfect,  and  of  curious  workmanship, 
supposed  by  some  to  be  that  of  its  tutelar  Saint.  The  figure  of  a 
man  is  carved  on  the  tomb,  with  his  head  covered  with  a  hood  or 
cowl,  a  large  round  beard,  and  whiskers  on  the  upper  and  lower  lip, 
his  cassock  is  bound  with  a  sash  and  a  long  cord,  over  which  is  a  long 
cloak,  fastened  with  a  brooch.  In  one  hand  he  holds  a  staff,  with  the 
head  of  some  beast  on  the  top ;  and  in  the  other  a  scroll  with  an 

inscription, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  273 

inscription,  on  the  decyphering  of  which  antiquaries  do  not  exactly 
agree. 

Llansadwrn. — A  fragment  of  a  stone,  with  an  inscription  upon  it, 
was  found,  a  few  years  ago,  in  the  church-yard,  and  is  fixed  within 
the  church.  There  is  also  an  uncouth  head,  projecting  from  the  wall 
of  this  church,  on  the  inside,  supposed  to  be  intended  for  Saturnius, 
the  patron  saint.  At  Trefor  there  is  also  a  cromlech. 

Llan  Trisaint. — The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Sanan,  Saint 
Afran,  and  Saint  leuan.  It  is  an  extremely  plain  building,  but  it- 
contains  an  elegant  monument  to  the  memory  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hugh 
Williams,  who  derived  his  descent  from  the  British  chieftain,  Cadrod 
Hardd.  He  was  an  ancestor  of  the  Wynnstay  family. 

Penrhos  Llygwy  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Mechell.  It 
is  situate  near  the  Irish  sea.  Mechell  or  Macutus  lived  in  the 
7th  century,  and  was  made  Bishop  of  Saint  Maloes,  in  Little  Britain. 
This  church  or  cloister  was  called  from  his  name  Llan-fechell.  He 
died,  it  seems,  in  the  island  of  Anglesea,  and  was  buried  in  his  own 
church,  called  Penrhos  Llygwy,  in  whose  church-yard  there  is  an  old- 
fashioned  grave-stone,  with  an  inscription,  which,  by  the  form  of  the 
letters,  seems  to  be  genuine.  Lewis  Morris,  an  eminent  antiquary 
and  poet,  was  born  in  this  parish,  according  to  Mr.  Owen,  in  the  year 
1702,  and  died  on  the  1 1th  of  April,  1765,  at  Penbryn,  in  the  county 
of  Cardigan.  Several  of  his  poetical  compositions  in  the  Welsh 
language  are  now  printed.  He  left  behind,  also,  about  80  volumes 
of  ancient  manuscripts,  which  are  now  deposited  in  the  Welsh  charity 
school  in  London.  Richard  Morris,  his  brother,  was  also  an  ingeni- 
ous Welsh  critic  and  poet :  he  passed  the  greater  part  of  his  life  as 
first  clerk  in  the  navy  office ;  during  which  time,  he  superintended  the 
printing  of  two  valuable  editions  of  the  Welsh  Bible.  He  died  in  the 
year  1779. 

Pen  Traeth  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary.  The  name 
signifies  a  head  or  point  of  sand,  being  situate  upon  a  bay  facing  the 
Irish  sea,  called  Traeth  Coch,  or  "  Red  Wharf."  According  to  Mr. 
Morris,  Red  Wharf  is  a  noted  place  for  the  limestone  trade,  which  is 
carried  on  to  all  the  neighbouring  counties.  At  a  place  called  Twll 
y  Wig,  in  this  bay,  there  are  large  loose  blocks  of  grey  marble,  which 
have  been  thrown  out  of  their  beds  by  the  sea.  Near  this  place  are 
noted  quarries  of  mill-stone  of  the  grit  kind,  which  are  shipped  off 
here.  The  sand  of  this  place  is  good  manure.  The  Rev.  Henry 
Rowlands,  in  his  Mona  Antiqua  Restaurata,  informs  us,  that  Ge- 
rinnus  or  Geraint,  who  was  grandson  of  Constantino  Duke  of  Corn- 
wall, the  successor  of  King  Arthur,  being  admiral  of  the  British  fleet, 
and  having  thereby  sometimes  occasion  to  harbour  in  the  isle  of 
Anglesea,  probably  caused  the  church  of  Pen  Traeth  to  be  built,  and 
thence  called  Llan  Fair  Bettws  Geraint.  He  is  celebrated  in  a  par- 
ticular 
N  n  2 


274  TOrOGFxAPITICAL  NOTICES. 

ticular  ode,  called  Cywydd  Geraint  ab  Erbin,  by  Llywarch  Hen. 
The  little  chapel  of  Pen  Traeth,  according  to  Mr.  Grose,  is  more 
remarkable  for  its  simplicity  and  the  beauty  of  the  rural  scenes  by 
which  it  is  surrounded,  than  for  any  matters  of  antiquity  or  curiosity 
in  its  construction  or  contained  within  its  walls :  it  is,  nevertheless,  no 
very  modern  building,  its  form  being  that  of  the  most  ancient 
chapels  in  Wales.  Among  the  other  humble  ornaments  with  which 
it  is  decorated  within,  are  a  number  of  paper  garlands  suspended 
from  the  roof :  these,  from  the  circumstance  of  their  having  each  a 
pair  of  hands  in  the  centre,  seem  to  commemorate  the  hymeneal 
unions  of  some  of  the  parishioners.  Here  are  no  funeral  monuments 
older  than  the  sixteenth  century. 

Rhos  Col\n  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Gwenfaen,  and  it  is 
supposed  to  have  been  first  built  about  the  year  630.  It  is  situate 
upon  St.  George's  Channel.  A  green  amianthus,  or  brittle  asbestos, 
is  met  with  in  great  plenty  in  a  green  marble  here.  Rowlands,  in  his 
Mono,  Antiqua  Restaurata,  derives  Rhos  Colyn  thus :  '  Rhos  Colyn, 
or  Colofn,  a  column ;  the  Romans  usually  erecting  columns  at  the 
utmost  bounds  of  their  victories,  as  Dion  Cassius  relates.'  Rhos,  in 
the  Welsh  language,  means  a  tract  or  a  piece  of  uncultivated  land. 
There  is  an  imperfect  tradition  in  this  parish  that  Colyn,  or  lolyn,  is 
a  man's  name :  this,  however,  is  uncertain.  It  is  commonly  under- 
stood that  its  ancient  name  was  Llanwenfaen.  Rowlands  also  observes 
the  same,  and  that  Gwenfaen,  sister  to  Peulan,  had  her  cloister  at 
Rhos  Colyn,  which  afterwards  became  a  parish  church  called  Llan 
Gwenfaen ;  as  her  brother's  cloister  was  at  Llan  Beulan.  That  there 
was,  at  one  time  or  other,  a  house  of  worship  standing  on  the  spot 
which  is  now  pointed  out  as  its  site,  and  which  may  formerly  have 
given  name  to  the  parish,  appears  most  probable,  as  well  from  the 
general  prevalence  of  the  tradition  as  from  the  constant  discovery  of 
human  bones,  whenever  that  piece  of  ground  is  cut  up  either  by  the 
spade  or  the  ploughshare. 

Priestholm  or  Glan  Ach  is  a  small  island  about  a  mile  from  the 
shore,  which,  perhaps,  might  have  been  the  principal  residence  of  the 
religious  of  Pen  M6n,  for  the  priory  goes  under  both  names ;  usually 
they  are  called  Canonici  de  insula  Glanii  Ach.  Probably  part, 
might  reside  on  the  main  land,  to  look  after  their  property,  and  others 
be  engaged  in  acts  of  devotion  in  their  retirement.  The  only  remains 
of  their  residence  is  a  square  tower :  but  abundance  of  human  bones, 
scattered  up  and  down,  are  strong  proofs  of  its  reputed  sanctity,  and 
the  superstitious  wish  of  people  to  have  this  made  the  place  of  their 
interment.  The  first  recluses  of  this  island,  according  to  Giraldus, 
were  Hermits.  The  channel,  or,  as  it  is  called,  the  sound,  between 
the  main  land  and  Priestholm,  is  very  deep,  and  is  the  common 
passage  for  ships  to  and  from  the  road  of  Beaumaris.  On  the  other 
side  is  the  east  passage,  which,  at  low  water,  ig  between  the  island 

and 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  275 

and  the  point  of  Traeth  Telafon,  little  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
broad,  and  navigable  for  only  small  vessels.  The  island  is  about  a 
mile  long,  extremely  lofty,  and  bounded  by  precipices,  except  on  the 
side  opposite  Pen  Mon,  and  even  there  the  ascent  is  very  steep :  the 
land  slopes  greatly  from  the  summit  to  the  edge  of  the  precipices. 
During  part  of  summer,  the  whole  island  swarms  with  birds  of 
passage.  The  slope  on  the  side  is  animated  with  the  puffin  auks, 
who  annually  resort  here  in  myriads  from  April  to  August ;  where 
they  breed,  that  one  part  of  the  island  appears  at  times  almost  covered 
with  tfcem.  On  their  arrival  they  first  form  burrows,  and  lay  one 
white  egg,  which  is  generally  hatched  by  the  beginning  of  July. 
Their  noise,  when  caught,  is  horrible,  resembling  much  a  dumb 
person  ;  their  chief  food  is  sprats  and  sea  weeds  until  the  time  of  their 
emigration,  which  is  about  the  middle  of  August.  The  channel  be- 
tween Priestholm  and  Anglesea  has  produced  some  very  uncommon 
fish. 

The  Skerries  or  Isle  of  Seals  is  situate  at  the  north- western  point 
of  Anglesea,  it  is  a  rocky  little  island,  possessed  by  a  few  sheep, 
rabbits,  and  puffins,  with  a  good  light-house  of  great  use  to  mariners; 
the  light  may  be  seen  at  the  distance  of  seven  or  eight  leagues,  and  is 
of  great  use  to  ships  sailing  between  Ireland  and  the  ports  of  Chester 
and  Liverpool.  From  this  coast  are  plainly  seen  the  town  of  Car- 
narvon, the  Straits  of  Menai,  with  some  high  and  grand  mountains, 
and  Snowdon  at  a  distance:  scenery  which  must  at  all  times  convey 
an  idea  of  elegance  and  dignity. 

The  following  eminent  men  were  natives  of  the  county  of  Anglesea : 
— Meilir  Brydydd,  o  Dre  Feilir  (some  of  his  compositions  are  in  the 
Welsh  Archaiology),  died  about  1150  ;  Gwalchmai  ab  Meilir  (ditto), 
1180;  Eineon  ab  Gwalchmai  (ditto),  1200;  Meilir  ab  Gwalchmai 
(ditto),  1200;  Ednyved  Vychan,  1230;  Goronwy  Gurrog,  1360; 
Goronwy  Ddu  ab  Tudyr  ab  Heilyn,  1370;  Gruffydd  Grug,  of  Aber- 
ffraw,  1370  ;  Robin  Ddu  o  F6n,  or  Robin  Ddu  ab  Siancyn  Bledrydd, 
1370;  Sir  David  Trevor,  1500;  Lewis  M6n,  1500;  Davydd  Alaw, 
1540;  Sion  Brwynog,  or  Sion  ab  Hywelab  Llywelyn  ab  Ithel,  1540; 
Arthur  Bulkeley,  Bishop  of  Bangor,  1541 ;  William  Glynn,  Bishop 
of  Bangor,  1555;  Rowland  Meyrick,  Bishop  of  Bangor,  1561 ;  Hugh 
Perri,  1590 ;  Dr.  John  Davydd  Rhys,  poet,  grammarian,  and  phy- 
sician, 1609;  Hugh  Hughes,  or  Bard  C6ch,  1760;  Richard  Lloyd, 
of  Henblas,  Bishop  of  Worcester;  Gronw  Owain,  M. A.  Bard;  Sir 
Griffith  Llwyd;  Dr.  Henry  Morris,  polemical  writer. 

MONTGOMERYSHIRE. 


276  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 


MONTGOM  ERYSH 1  RE. 

JL  HIS  county  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Merionethshire  and  Den- 
bighshire, on  the  north  and  north-east  by  Shropshire,  on  the  south 
by  Radnorshire  and  Cardiganshire,  and  on  the  west  by  the  last 
mentioned  county  and  Merionethshire.  It  is  called  by  the  English 
Montgomeryshire,  from  Roger  de  Montgomery,  Earl  of  Shrewsbury, 
who  about  the  year  1092  entered  Powysland  (as  this  county  and  part 
of  Denbighshire  was  then  called),  and  took  the  town  and  castle  of 
Baldwyn,  then  possessed  by  the  Welsh,  fortified  the  place,  and  called 
it,  after  his  own  name,  Montgomery.  The  county  is  known  to  the 
Welsh  by  the  name  of  Sir  Drevaldwyn.  This  Baldwin  was  Lieute- 
nant of  the  Marches  under  William  the  Conqueror,  from  whom  the 
Welsh  call  the  principal  town  Tre  Valdwyn  (Baldwin's  Town),  and 
the  county  (when  so  formed  by  King  Henry  VIII.)  Sir  Dre  Valdwyn  ; 
for  before  that  time,  as  before  mentioned,  it  was  called  by  the  Welsh 
Gwlad  Bowys,  and  by  the  English  Powysland.  Its  principal  market 
towns  are  Montgomery,  Welshpool,  Machynlleth,  Newtown,  Llan- 
idloes,  Llanfyllin,  and  Llanfair.  Montgomeryshire  was  one  of  the 
five  new  counties  formed  by  act  of  parliament  in  the  time  of  Henry 
VIII.  The  others  were  the  shires  of  Monmouth,  Denbigh,  Breck- 
nock, and  Radnor,  Prior  to  that  time  it  was  divided,  according  to 
Leland,  into  High  and  Low,  or  Upper  and  Nether  Powys.  "  In 
High  or  Upper  Powisland,"  observes  that  author,  "  north-westward 
towards  Aberystwith,  are  two  lordships,  Aurustli  and  Cavilioc 
(Cy  veiliog).  In  Arustli  is  no  pretty  town  nor  market,  but  Llanidloes. 
In  all  High  Powys  is  not  one  castle,  that  evidently  appeareth  by 
manifest  ruins  of  walls;  and  they  were  wont  to  bring,  in  times  past 
(in  the  old  Lord  Dudley's  days),  their  prisoners  to  Welshpool.  Low 
Powys  is  in  length  from  Buttington  bridge,  about  two  miles  from 
Welshpool  towards  Shrewsbury.  In  Low  Powys  is  but  only  the 
castle  of  Welshpool.  All  Nether  Powys,  with  Welshpool  market 
and  castle,  belongs  to  the  Lord  Powys.  Welshpool  had  two  Lord 
Marchers' castles,  within  one  wall,  the  Lord  Powys  named  Greye, 
and  the  Lord  Dudley  called  Sutton  ;  but  now  the  Lord  Powis  hath 
both  in  his  own  hands.  The  W'elshpool  castle  is  in  compass  almost 
as  much  as  a  little  town  ;  the  Lord  (Duddele)  Dudley's  part  is 
almost  fallen  down  ;  the  Lord  Powis's  part  is  meatly  good.  Welsh- 
pool,  five  miles  from  Montgomery,  is  the  best  market  in  Low  Powis, 
and  Mahentle  (Machynlleth)  in  Cavilioc  (Cyveiliog)  is  the  second 
town  of  Mongomerikeshire,  and  there  was  once  a  year  a  session  to  be 
kept  there  ;  it  is  sixteen  Welsh  miles  from  Montgomery.  Poor  Caer- 
llews,  hath  been  a  market  and  a  borough  privileged."  "  Keri 

lordship," 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  277 

lordship,"  says  also  Leland, "  Kidowen  lordship,  Alcestlitle  lordship, 
the  lordship  of  Treelte  alias  Three  Towns,  belongs  to  Montgomery, 
as  parts  or  members  of  it,  and  be  in  the  King's  hands.  Arustli  and 
Kevilioc  lordships  now  belong  also  to  the  King;  they  were  lately  the 
Lord  Dudley's.  Master  Mittion,  of  Shropshire,  is  now  Lord  of 
Mouthey  lordship,  first  allotted  to  Montgomeryshire,  afterwards  to 
Merionethshire.  Dowder  (Deuddwr)  did  belong  to  the  Lord  Dud- 
ley, but  now  to  Master  Andrews/  of  Oxfordshire.  All  Chirbyri 
hundred,  by  the  new  act,  is  added  to  Shropshire^  but  before  the 
division  it  was  a  member  of  the  lordship  of  Montgomery  ;  and  the 
Worthing  village,  six  miles  from  Montgomery,  was  a  boundary  to 
Shropshire,  but  now  Shropshire  one  way  toucheth  within  a  mile  and 
a  half  of  Montgomery  town.  Caerdicol  (Caerdigol)  is  four  miles 
from  Montgomery.  It  standeth  in  Chirbury  hundred  on  a  hill,  aud 
is  moated  and  diked  like  the  moat  a  mile  out  of  Bishop's  Town,  dim 
castle,  belonging  to  the  Earl  of  Arundel,  i^  somewhat  ruinous.  It 
hath  been  both  strong  and  well  built.  It  is  about  seven  miles  from 
Montgomery,  and  three  from  Bishop's  Town  (Castle),  and  ten  from 
Ludlow.  Clun,  or  Glune,  was  a  lordship  marched  by  itself,  before 
the  new  act  forming  five  new  shires  or  counties.  Between  Newtown 
and  Montgomery  I  saw,  on  the  left  hand  upon  a  woody  hill-top,  the 
walls  of  Talvarran  (Dolvorwyn)  castle.  It  is  in  the  lordship  of  Kid- 
owen, and  about  half  a  mile  or  more  from  the  river  Severn^  and  three 
miles  above  Montgomery.  This  was  the  principal  place  Jn  all  this 
lordship.  Clun  Forrest  is  very  fair,  and  good  game  in  it;  but  in 
Kerry  forest  there  is  no  deer,  and  none  in  Kidowen  forest.  Strata 
Marcella?,  "  Abbey  of  White  Monks,"  is  in  Low  Powys,  two  miles 
from  Welshpool,  hard  on  the  further  bank  of  the  Severn.  Llanlligan, 
a  very  small  poor  nunnery,  about  the  border  of  Kidowen  and  Nether 
Powys.  Chirbury,  a  priory  of  canons  in  Chirbury  hundred,  now  in 
Shropshire,  two  miles  from  Montgomery,  and  much  of  the  stone  and 
lead  were  brought  to  repair  Montgomery.  Castel  Cough  (Castell 
Coch),  in  English  Red  Castle,  standeth  on  a  rock  of  dark  red- 
coloured  stone.  It  had  two  separate  wards,  one  whereof  was  the 
Lord  Dudley's,  but  now  both  belong  .to  Lord  Powys." 

The  greater  part  of  the  present  county  of  Montgomery  was,  in  the 
time  of  the  Romans,  included  in  the  territory  of  the  Ordovices :  but 
the  Cornavii,  Carnabii,  or  Carinavii,  inhabited  all  the  present  Shrop- 
shire and  Cheshire.  Ancient  Powys  was  originally  very  extensive, 
for  when  entire,  it  reached,  in  a  straight  line,  from  Broxton  Hills,  in 
Cheshire,  southward,  to  Pengwern  Powys,  now  called  Shrewsbury, 
including  a  large  tract  in  both  these  counties :  from  thence  to  the 
eastern  limits  of  Montgomeryshire,  comprehending  all  that  county, 
part  of  Radnorshire,  and  Brecknockshire :  then,  turning  northward, 
included  the  commots  of  Mawddwy,  Edeirnion,  and  Glyn  Dyfrdwy, 
in  the  county  of  Merioneth,  and,  circuiting  part  of  Denbighshire, 
»•  came 


278 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 


came  along  the  hills,  to  the  east  of  the  Vale  of  Clwyd,  as  far  as 
Moel  Vamma,  including  all  the  county  of  Denbigh,  except  the  present 
lordships  of  Ruthin  and  Denbigh :  from  thence  eastward  to  the 
Broxton  hills,  taking  Molesdale,  Hopedale,  and  Maelor,  in  Flintshire. 
It  appears  by  the  articles  of  pacification  between  Henry  the  Third 
and  Llywelyn,  the  last  prince,  that  the  limits  of  the  principality 
experienced  but  a  small  diminution  from  what  they  were  in  Offa's 
time,  when  it  was  agreed  that  the  Dee  should  be  the  boundary  from 
Wirral  to  Castrum  Leonum,  or  Holland  from  thence,  in  a  direct  line, 
to  Pengwern  Powys,  or  Shrewsbury.  Wales  was,  perhaps,  of  much 
greater  extent  under  the  reign  of  Brochwel  Ysgythrog,  Prince  of 
Powys,  about  A.D.  660,  who  was  defeated  by  the  Saxons  at  the 
battle  of  Chester.  After  this  event  the  borders  became  a  scene  of 
rapine,  the  Welsh  and  the  Mercians  alternately  making  the  most 
terrible  inroads  into  each  other's  dominions,  till  the  time  of  Offa,  A.  D. 
780,  who,  passing  the  Severn  with  a  mighty  force,  expelled  the 
Britons  from  their  fruitful  seats  on  the  plains,  and  reduced  the  king- 
dom of  Powys  to  the  western  side  of  the  celebrated  Dyke,  still  known 
by  his  name.  The  Princes  of  Powys  wrere  then  constrained  to  quit 
their  ancient  residence  at  Pengwern  or  Shrewsbury,  and  remove  it  to 
Mathrafal,  in  the  vale  of  Meivod :  from  this  period  their  kingdom  was 
called,  indifferently,  that  of  Powys  or  Mathraval.  The  plains  of 
Shropshire  then  became  part  of  the  Mercian  kingdom;  but  the  two 
Maelors,  with  many  other  commots,  still  continued  to  be  the  portions 
of  Powys. 

About  the  year  843,  Rhodri  the  Great,  prince  of  Wales,  in  his 
mother's  right,  possessed  North  Wales  (Gwynedd) ;  in  that  of  his 
wife,  South  Wales,  (Dinevor);  and  by  that  of  his  grandmother,  Nest, 
sister  and  heiress  to  Congen  ap  Cadell,  King  of  Powys,  claimed  all 
that  portion  of  the  principality.  That  prince,  according  to  the 
destructive  custom  of  gavel-kind,  divided  his  dominions  between  his 
three  sons.  To  Anarawd,  he  gave  North  Wales ;  to  Cadell,  South 
Wales ;  and  to  Mervyn,  Powys.  Each  of  them  wore  a  talaith,  or 
diadem  of  gold,  beset  with  precious  stones,  whence  they  were  styled, 
"  Y  tri  Ty  wysog  Taleithing,"  or  the  three  crowned  princes.  After 
the  death  of  Mervyn,  his  portion  was  claimed  by  his  brother  Cadell, 
whose  eldest  son,  Hywel  Dda,  or  the  Good,  in  940,  again  united  all 
Wales  into  one  government.  We  shall  pass  over  the  confusion  which 
ensued  after  his  death  till  the  time  of  Bleddyn  ap  Cynvyn,  who 
governed  Wales  at  the  time  of  the  conquest,  and  united  the  kingdoms 
of  North  Wales  and  Powys.  After  his  death,  Trahaiarn  ap  Caradog 
took  possession  of  Gwynedd,  of  which  he  was  afterwards  deprived  by 
Gruffydd  ap  Cynan ;  and  his  three  sons,  Meredydd,  Cadwgan,  and 
lorwerth,  under  whose  government  Powys  still  continued,  were 
inveigled  into  the  treasonable  designs  of  Robert  Belesmo,  the  son  of 
Roger  Montgomery,  Earl  of  Shrewsbury,  and  Arnulph ,,  his  brother, 

Earl 


TOrOGIJAPHlCAL  NOTICES.  279 

Earl  of  Pembroke,  who  had  engaged  in  rebellion  against  King  Henry 
the  First.  By  artfully  detaching  lorwerth  from  the  confederacy, 
Henry  succeeded  in  quelling  this  insurrection.  A  series  of  feuds  and 
hostilities,  unpleasing  in  the  recital,  arise  at  this  period  in  the  history 
of  Wales.  However,  after  the  usual  contentions  between  the 
brethren  respecting  the  divisions  cf  their  father's  territories,  the 
government  of  Powys  became  invested  in  Meredydd,  the  eldest  son, 
and  he,  a  short  time  prior  to  his  decease,  made  the  division  which 
finally  destroyed  the  power  of  this  once  potent  kingdom.  It  is  evident 
that  the  territories  of  the  pvinces  of  Powys  were  more  subject  to  the 
incursions  of  the  English  than  the  other  part  of  North  Wales,  on 
account  of  their  proximity  to  the  marches  or  borders,  and  notwith- 
standing the  princes  and  lords  of  Powys  were  homagers  and 
tributaries  of  the  princes  of  Aberffraw,  or  North  Wales,  who  had 
the  superiority  by  the  laws  of  Hywel  Dda,  yet,  being  compelled  by 
the  rigorous  conduct  of  the  English,  they  frequently  broke  their 
allegiance  to  the  princes  of  Gwynedd,  and  took  the  contrary  part  with 
the  kings  of  England. 

The  population  of  this  county,  like  that  of  all  others  in  the  northern 
division  of  the  principality,  is  rapidly  increasing.  The  increase  of 
population,  particularly  in  the  parishes  of  Newtown  and  Llanidloes, 
is  attributed  to  the  improvement  in  trade,  and  the  flourishing  state  of 
the  woollen  manufactures. 

This  being  a  bordering  county,  and  the  inhabitants  (in  the  course 
of  trade)  having  regular  intercourse  with  their  Saxon  neighbours,  as 
the  Welsh  called  them,  the  English  language  has  made  greater  pro- 
gress and  encroached  more  upon  the  Welsh  during  the  last  century  in 
this,  than  probably  in  any  other  county  in  Wales,  except  Radnorshire. 
Being  anxious  (says  a  modern  writer)  to  ascertain  more  particularly 
in  what  parishes  the  former  was  spoken,  and  the  latter  either  totally 
discontinued  or  but  partially  used,  I  made  application  to  a  gentleman 
who  is  resident  in  the  county,  and  perfectly  competent  to  answer  my 
enquiries  on  this  or  any  other  subject  relative  to  the  language,  history, 
and  antiquities  of  the  principality,  and  received  from  him  the  follow- 
ing very  satisfactory  reply : — i(  CyffLniau  Cymru  a  Lloegr  (confines 
or  boundaries  of  England  and  Wales) :  In  what  parishes  in  Mont- 
gomeryshire the  English  language  is  vernacular  ?  I  will  commence  my 
tour  at  Eisteddfa  Gurig  (Saint  Gurig's  seat  or  chair,  near  the  source 
of  the  triad  streams,  Severn,  Wye,  and  Rheidiol,  which  latter  goes 
into  the  sea  near  Aberystwith).  The  population  of  Llangurig  and 
Llanidloes,  on  the  south  of  the  Severn,  is  mostly  Welsh,  and  Welsh 
services  predominate  in  the  churches  ;  but  whether  English  be  read 
every  third  or  fourth  Sunday  I  cannot  say.  Down  the  Severn  from 
Llanidloes  the  population  becomes  gradually  more  Anglicised  on  the 
south  side.  Llandinam  has  some  Welsh  service,  but  the  quantum 
depends  in  a  great  measure  on  the  bias  of  the  minister.  Below 

Llandinam, 


280  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Llandinam,  keeping  still  on  the  south  of  Severn   (here  the  line  of 
demarcation),  the  population  and  church  service  are  English,  includ- 
ing Penystrywad,  Mochdref,  Newtown,  Kerry,  Llanmerewig,  Llan- 
dyssil,   Montgomery,   Forden,    and    Buttington,  which    border   on 
Shropshire.      Opposite  Llanidloes  and  Llandinam,  on  the  north  of 
Severn,   Welsh  population  prevails,  viz.  in  the  parishes  of  Carno, 
Trefeglwys,  and  Llanwnog,  and  Welsh  more  than  English  duties  are 
performed  in  the  churches.     Following  the  Severn  still  on  the  north 
side  to  Aberhafesp,  Tregynon,  Llanllwchaern,  Bettws  (the  Bedwg 
of  the  Archaiology),   and  Berriew,  the   population   becomes  more 
English,  and  the  service  in  the  churches  entirely  English.     To  the 
north  of  the  last  line  of  parishes  Welsh  is  the  exclusive  language,  and 
is  read  in  the  churches  of  Llanwyddelan  and  Llanllugan ;  Manafon 
has  Welsh  and  English  alternately  ;    the  parishes  called  Chwe  Plwy 
Cyveiliog  (the  six  parishes  of  Cyveiliog),  viz.  Machynlleth,  Llanwrin, 
Penegos,    Darowain,   Cemmaes,   and  Llanbrynmair,   are   decidedly 
Welsh.     To  the  east  of  Cyveiliog,  namely,  in  the  parishes  of  Garth- 
beibio,  Llangadvan,  and  Llanervul,  the  language  is  nearly  altogether 
Welsh,  though  English  is  used  once  a  month  in  the  latter  church, 
chiefly  for  the  convenience  of  one  or  two  families.     Proceeding  still 
eastward,  the  parishes  of  Llanvair-Caereineon,  Llangynyw,  Castell, 
Meivod,   Llanvechain,   Llansanffraid,   Llanvyllin,  and   Llangedwyn, 
have  a  mixed  population,  the  Welsh  considerably  predominating,  yet 
the  church  service  is  in  some  of  them  alternate,  in  others  once  in 
three  weeks,  &c.     Above,  or  west  of  these  parishes,  viz.  in  Llanrhaiadr- 
yn-Mochnant,  Llangynog,  Pennant  Melangel,  Hirnant,  Llanwddyn, 
and  Llanfihangel-yn-Ngwynva,   the  population   is  Welsh,   and  the 
services  are  the  same.     On  the  north  of  the  Severn,  in  the  eastern 
extremity  of  the  county,  viz.  the  parishes  of  Pool,  Guilsfield,  Llan- 
drinio,  and  Llandyssilio  on  Offa's  Dyke,  the  services  are  become 
entirely  English  within  the  last  century,  though  in  all  of  them  there 
may  still  be  some  inhabitants  who  would  prefer  Welsh ;  for  even  here 
the  zealous  itinerants  are  able  to  collect  Welsh  audiences.     From  the 
above  sketch  it  appears  that  the  line  of  demarcation  in  Montgomery- 
shire between  the  Welsh  and  English,  though  not  easily  drawn,  may 
be  traced  from  the  junction  of  the  Tanat  with  the  Vyrnwy  above 
Llanymyneich,  and  proceeding  southward,  leaving  on  the  left  (on  the 
English  side)  New  Chapel,  Guilsfield,  Pool,  Berriew,  Tregynon,  and 
Aberhafesp,  and  thence  following  the  Severn  to  Pumlumon  mountain, 
though  for  many  miles  from  its  source,  the  Welsh  is  the  prevailing 
language  on  both  sides. 

Ever  since  the  Reformation,  various  attempts  have  been  made  to 
eradicate  the  Welsh  language ;  but,  like  the  sturdy  natives  of  Cambria, 
it  has  continued  to  dispute  its  ground  inch  by  inch,  though  its  enemies 
have  been  incessant  in  their  attacks,  and  have  had  recourse  at  different 
periods  both  to  stratagem  and  open  hostility,  to  promises  and  per- 
suasions, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES,  281 

suasions,  threats  and  intimidations.  This  will  appear  evident  to  any 
one  who  will  take  the  trouble  to  consult  Dr.  Llewelyn's  Tracts,  and 
the  revered  Mr.  Walter's  Dissertation  on  the  WelsJi  Language,  Dr. 
John  Rees's  Welsh  Preface  to  his  Grammar,  and  Roger  Kyffin's 
Preface  to  the  Translation  of  Bishop  Jewel's  Apology.  Though 
it  was  enacted  by  parliament  in  the  year  1563,  that  the  Old  and  New 
Testament  should  be  translated  into  the  British  or  Welsh  tongue, 
and  that  the  work  when  finished  should  be  viewed,  perused,  and 
allowed  by  the  Bishops  of  St.  Asaph,  Bangor,  St.  David's,  Llandaff, 
and  Hereford ;  yet  it  does  not  appear,  that  any  persons  were 
nominated  to  compleat  this  arduous  undertaking,  no  means  specified, 
and  no  funds  appropriated  for  that  purpose ;  and  although  a  penalty 
of  forty  pounds  was  to  be  levied  on  each  of  the  said  bishops,  yet  these 
prelates  would,  no  doubt,  have  preferred  paying  that  sum  to  the  risk 
of  incurring  the  expense  which  was  likely  to  attend  such  a  publication. 
When,  however,  a  benevolent  clergyman,  the  Rev.  William  Morgan, 
Rector  of  Llanrhaiader  yn  Mochnant,  in  this  county,  undertook  the 
Herculean  task,  seemingly  from  motives  of  benevolence  and  compas- 
sion towards  his  countrymen,  some  malicious  persons,  instigated,  no 
doubt,  by  the  enemies  of  the  Welsh  language,  contrived  to  harass  and 
annoy  him,  and  to  impede  the  progress  of  his  work,  by  presenting 
a  memorial  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  containing  some 
frivolous  and  vexatious  complaints,  and  representing  him  as  inten- 
tionally and  voluntarily  absenting  himself  from  his  benefice,  when  he 
was  from  necessity  compelled  to  be  in  London,  in  order  to  superintend 
the  printing  of  his  Bible,  which  appeared  in  the  year  1588,  and  was 
the  first  edition  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament  in  the  Welsh  language. 
Mr.  William  Salusbury's  New  Testament  came  out  in  1567:  but  as 
these,  and  Bishop  Parry's,  in  1620,  were  intended  solely  for  the  use 
of  Churches,  the  Welsh  had  not  an  abundant  supply  of  Bibles,  and, 
consequently  had  not  the  advantage  of  reading  the  Word  of  God  in 
their  own  language  for  upwards  of  a  century  after  this  period.  The 
poorer  classes  were  consequently  kept  in  darkness  and  ignorance  till 
about  the  middle  of  last  century,  when  another  humane,  benevolent, 
and  public-spirited  clergyman,  the  Rev.  Griffith  Jones,  of  Llan- 
ddowror,  in  Carmarthenshire,  began  to  establish  Welsh  charity 
schools,  and  went  about  collecting  subscriptions  and  preaching  in 
different  churches  in  aid  of  this  Christian  undertaking,  until,  at  last, 
by  his  indefatigable  zeal  and  industry  (aided  by  a  few  active  persons 
of  a  similar  disposition),  the  schools  amounted  to  some  hundreds,  and 
were  spread  over  North  and  South  Wales.  This  excellent  man  had 
the  happiness  to  see  the  fruits  of  his  labours,  having  lived  many  years 
to  superintend  these  excellent  institutions.  Mr.  Jones  continued  to 
publish  annual  reports  of  the  proceedings  in  the  management  of  these 
schools  until  the  period  of  his  death  in  1761.  The  commencement 
of  these  institutions  constituted  a  new  era  in  the  annals  of  the  princi- 
pality, 


282  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 

pality,  and  the  inhabitants  have  since  that  time  gradually  become 
more  enlightened,  more  humane,  and  generally  better  informed. 

Whitaker,  in  his  History  of  Manchester,  supposes  the  two  great 
roads,  generally  considereid  to  be  Roman,  viz.  "  Guetheling,  or 
Watling  Street,"  leading  from  Sandwich  to  Segontium  (Carnarvon), 
and  the  Icenin  from  Dorsetshire  to  Suffolk,  to  have  been  formed  by 
the  Britons  (the  former  by  the  Cantae,  and  the  latter  by  the  Belgae), 
prior  to  the  arrival  of  that  adventurous  and  warlike  people,  who 
greatly  improved  the  roads,  and  constructed  several  others,  such  as 
the  Via  Julia,  which  crossed  the  country  of  the  Silures.  He  sup- 
poses Watling  Street  to  have  been  called  by  the  Britons  Sarn 
Guithelin  or  .Gwyddeling,  from  the  circumstance  of  its  leading  to 
Ireland,  the  seat  of  the  Gwyddeli  (or  Gwyddel  and  Gwyddelwyr)  as 
they  are  called  by  the  Welsh  :  and  the  other  Sarn  Icenil  (or  Rhicenil 
yr  Hicenilwyr  y  Canolwyr),  from  its  direction  to  the  country  of  those 
people.  With  regard  to  the  much  disputed,  and  yet  undecided, 
controversy  respecting  the  scite  of  Mediolanum,  Camden  (f.  651 ) 
makes  the  following  observation : — "  I  am  firmly  persuaded,  and  I 
think  I  have  truth  on  my  side,  that  in  this  region  of  the  Ordovices 
stood  Mediolanum,  celebrated  by  Antoninus  and  Ptolemy,  whose 
traces  I  carefully  sought  for,  but  with  little  success,  so  completely 
does  time  prey  upon  cities.  If  I  may,  however,  form  a  conjecture 
from  situation,  as  the  other  towns  placed  here  by  Antoninus  are  easy 
to  find,  viz.  Bovium  on  one  side,  now  Bangor  on  the  Dee,  and  on 
the  other  Rutunium,  now  Rowton  Castle,  from  the  latter  of  which  he 
makes  it  twelve  miles  distant,  and  from  the  former  20 :  the  lines  of 
position,  if  I  may  so  call  them,  or  rather  of  distance,  intersect  each 
other  between  Mathraval  and  Llanvethlin  (Llanfylling),  which  are 
scarcely  three  miles  asunder,  and  point  out  the  situation  of  our 
Mediolanum  almost  to  demonstration :  for  this  method  of  finding  the 
situation  of  a  third  place,  by  two  already  known,  cannot  be  liable  to 
uncertainty,  when  neither  mountains  interpose,  nor  the  course  of  the 
roads  is  obstructed.  This  Mathraval,  which  is  five  miles  west  of  the 
Severn,  and  which  in  part  proves  its  antiquity,  though  now  but  a  bare 
name,  was  once  the  seat  of  the  princes  of  Powys,  and  is  celebrated  by 
writers,  who  relate,  that  in  it,  after  the  princes  had  abandoned  it, 
Robert  de  Vieuxpont,  or  Vipont,  of  England,  built  a  castle;  but 
Llanvethlin  (a  small  market  town)  is  yet  nearer  allied  by  name  to  our 
Mediolanum,  though  somewhat  further  from  the  intersection  of  the 
lines." 

Gale,  Stukeley,  Horseley,  &c.  according  to  their  various  conjec- 
tures and  surmises,  have  placed  Mediolanum,  some  at  Meivod,  others 
at  Drayton,  &c. ;  and  the  editors  of  the  Beauties  of  England  and 
Wales]  having  probably  been  informed  that  the  late  Rev.  Peter 
Roberts  was  of  opinion  that  Clavvdd  Coch,  in  the  parish  of  Llanymy- 
nech,  had  the  fairest  claim  to  the  honour  of  being  considered  as  the 

scite 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  283 

scite  of  the  long-lost  Mediolanum,  entered  it  as  such  in  their  maps  of 
stations,  though  in  the  body  of  the  work  they  have  fixed  on  Penybont, 
near  the  junction  of  the  Cynllaith  with  the  Tanat,  as  the  most  probable 
place.  And  Sir  Richard  Colt  Hoare,  after  having  made  three 
successive  journies  from  Stourhead,  in  Wilts,  to  the  vale  of  the  Tanat, 
and  having  anxiously  and  attentively  explored  that  neighbourhood, 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  must  have  been  situated  in  that  vale, 
and  that  the  rapid  Tanat  had  swept  away  every  vestige  of  the  ancient 
station.  Mr.  Pennant  asserts,  that  when  he  was  in  this  country,  and 
passing  over  Gwynfynydd,  he  could  easily  trace  the  Roman  road 
called  Sarn  Swsan,  and  that  from  Caer  Svvs  it  points  towards  Meivod, 
and  might  be  distinctly  traced  as  far  as  the  banks  of  the  Vyrnwy,  near 
Lyssin  :  and  Dr.  Worthington,  at  that  time  Vicar  of  Rhaiadr-yn- 
Mochnant,  assured  Mr.  Pennant  that  the  same  road  was  discernible 
in  his  parish  at  a  place  called  Street  Vawr,  near  Coed  y  Clawdd,  and 
that  it  crossedfRhos  y  Brithdir  to  Pen  y  Street,  and  from  thence  to 
Llaniwrch,  and  thence  to  Caerfach,  which  is  supposed  to  have  been 
a  small  Roman  camp ;  and  he  was  of  opinion  that  it  went  from  thence 
nearly  in  a  direct  line  for  Chester.  The  same  gentleman  mentioned 
another  road  to  Mr.  Pennant,  which  appeared  to  have  come  from 
Rutunium  (Rowton,  in  Shropshire),  and  crossed  the  Tanat  at  Garth- 
eryr,  from  thence  it  passed  Street  y  Planirau  to  Maengwynedd, 
winding  up  to  Bwlch  Maengwynedd,  and  bearing  the  name  of  Ffordd 
Gam  Helen  (Helen's  Crooked  Road).  Caer  Sws,  before  mentioned, 
is  supposed  by  Mr.  Pennant  to  have  been  a  Roman  town.  On  the 
north-west  side  of  it  are  hollows,  which  possibly  might  have  been  the 
fosses  of  the  ancient  precincts ;  and  bricks  have  been  found  there, 
one  of  which  was  presented  to  Mr.  Pennant,  having  thereon  the  letters 
C.  I.  F.  and  under  them  S.  P.  E.  A  Roman  coin  was  also  discovered 
there,  but  of  what  emperor  is  uncertain.  The  Roman  causeway 
(says  Mr.  William  Jones,  in  his  History  of  the  Three  Parishes  of 
Llanervul,  Llangadvan,and  Garthbeibio,) |  called  Sarn  Sws  or  Sarn 
Swsan,  which  leads  from  the  old  Roman  station  Caer  Svvs  to  Chester, 
or  rather  the  old  Roman  road  from  Caer  Llion  (Caer  Lleng)  ar  Wysc 
to  Caer  Lleon  ar  Ddyfrdwy  (Chester),  enters  the  parish  of  Llanerv.ul 
on  the  hills  of  the  Drum,  goes  through  a  bog  called  Cors  y  Visog 
(now  impassable),  from  thence  it  crosses  the  moors  in  a  direct  line  to 
Bwlch  y  Drum,  and,  having  gone  down  Cynniwyll,  it  crosses  the 
Danwy  below  Neauddwenn,  and  then  (up  Craig  y  Go)  it  enters  the 
parish  of  Llanmihangel  at  a  place  called  Rhyd  Pont  Ystyllod.  There 
was  a  bridge  over  the  river  on  this  spot,  as  appears  by  the  name  Pont 
Ystyllod  (a  timber  bridge)  ;  and  the  Roman  road  from  Uriconium  to 
Segontium  must  have  crossed  the  Sarn  about,  this  place,  though  it  is 
covered  with  coarse  grass  on  the  moorish  grounds  of  the  Drum ;  yet 
it  may  be  easily  discovered  at  some  distance  in  the  form  of  a  ridge, 
and  the  pavement  may  be  found  somewhat  below  the  surface.  The 

quarries 


284  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

quarries  where  the  stones  have  been  procured,  and  the  scite  of  the 
workmen's  huts,  are  still  discernible.  The  site  of  the  Roman  en- 
campment at  Caer  Sws  is  visible,  being  a  quadrangular  rampart  about 
150  yards  square.  It  bears  evident  marks  of  having  been  a  place  of 
considerable  note  :  tradition  says  that  it  formerly  extended  from 
Aberhavesp  to  Ystrad  Vaelawn.  It  is  now  an  inconsiderable  hamlet, 
situate  on  the  river  Severn  above  Newtown.  Besides  the  one  noted 
by  Mr.  Pennant,  a  brick  was  dug  up  in  the  south-east  angle,  which 
had  the  following  inscription  in  alto  relievo :  G.  I.  C.  I.  P.  B.  There 
are  considerable  remains  of  four  encampments  in  its  vicinity — Rhos 
Ddiarbed,  Gwynfynydd,  Y  Gaer  Fechan,  and  Cefn  Carnedd.  The 
name  Caer  Sws  is  supposed  by  some  to  be  derived  from  Hesus,  a 
Roman  lieutenant,  which  was  pronounced  by  the  Britons  Caer 
Hesoos,  and  by  contraction  Caer  Sws  or  Soos." 

In  a  mountainous  district  like  North  Wales  there  must  naturally  be 
a  variety  of  climate,  and  a  great  difference  of  temperature,  not  only 
occasioned  by  the  seasons  of  the  year  and  the  changes  of  weather, 
but  by  proximity  to  high  mountains  or  distance  from  the  sea  shore  : 
for  it  is  generally  remarked,  and  we  believe  universally  admitted,  that 
the  sea  air  is  milder  than  the  interior  ;  and  it  is  a  well-known  fact, 
that  those  counties  which  border  on  the  sea  shore  have  a  much  smaller 
portion  of  frost  and  snow  in  severe  winters  than  those  more,  inland. 
For  instance,  when  the  snow  has  been  many  feet,  and  in  some  places 
many  yards  deep,  along  the  whole  line  of  the  Irish  road  from  Salop 
to  London,  the  island  of  Anglesey  has  been  frequently  known  to  be 
perfectly  free  from  snow.  Judging  from  this  circumstance,  we  may 
suppose  that  the  air  in  this  county  must  in  general,  except  in  well- 
sheltered  situations,  be  colder  and  keener  than  in  Anglesea  or  any 
other  maritime  counties,  or  parts  of  counties,  bordering  on  the  sea. 
But  as  the  mountains  which  surround  the  county  of  Montgomery 
slope  more  gradually,  and  are  not  so  lofty,  abrupt,  rocky,  and  preci- 
pitous, as  those  in  the  interior  of  Merionethshire  and  Carnarvonshire, 
it  may  not  be  subject  to  those  violent  tornadoes  and  whirlwinds  which 
are  not  unfrequent  in  the  vicinity  of  Snowdon  and  Cader  Idris.  As 
to  general  appearance,  this  county  has  the  advantage  in  this  respect  of 
most  of  the  other  counties  in  the  principality,  as  its  hills  slope  gradu- 
ally, and  their  surface  is  mostly  covered  with  herbage.  The  vale  of 
the  Severn  is  not  only  rich,  but  very  picturesque  and  beautiful.  The 
difference  in  climate  is  so  great  in  the  mountainous  districts  in  North 
Wales,  that  the  humidity  of  the  atmosphere  falls  in  rain  in  the  vallies, 
in  sleet  on  the  sides  of  the  hills,  and  in  snow  on  the  highest  mountains. 
Montgomeryshire  has  been,  and  is  still,  and  will  continue  for  some 
years  to  be,  the  best  wooded  of  any  county  in  the  principality,  and,  of. 
its  size,  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  kingdom.  The  woods  were  so 
abundant  that,  less  than  a  century  back,  the  fuel  of  a  great  part  of  the 
county  consisted  almost  entirely  of  the  best  cleft  timber,  but  which, 

within 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  285 

within  the  last  eighty  years,  began  to  be  of  some  value,  from  its  find- 
ing its  way  into  the  navy  market.  The  first  sale  was  from  Abertanat 
Wood,  on  the  confines  of  Shropshire.  About  the  year  1750  the 
woods  of  Povvis  Castle  Park,  Abernant,  and  Trefedryd  followed. 
From  that  period  the  county  contributed  annually  to  the  supply  of 
the  navy  and  of  the  commerce  of  the  nation.  In  the  reign  of  Henry 
the  Third,  the  timber  on  the  Vaenor  estate  was  destroyed  to  cut  off 
the  retreat  of  the  Welsh  ;  in  that  of  George  the  Third  it  was  con- 
verted to  a  more  laudable  purpose,  to  assist  in  perpetuating  to  our 
sea-girt  isle  the  sovereignty  of  the  seas.  The  fall  at  Vaenor  Park,  in 
1796,  deprived  the  county  of  much  of  its  most  valuable  timber,  of 
which  the  following  were  some  of  the  most  noted  dimensions : — one 
oak  measured  68  inches  in  circumference  at  the  height  of  73  feet ; 
another  measured  687  cubic  feet,  and  was  valued  at  two  shillings  per 
foot,  exclusive  of  bark.  On  the  Garth  estate,  near  Guilsfield,  some 
of  the  finer  oak  forest  trees  were  from  ten  to  twelve  feet  in  circum- 
ference ;  one  in  particular,  in  the  parish  of  Meivod,  measured  55  feet 
in  length,  and  ten  feet  in  circumference  in  the  middle.  Montgomery- 
shire abounds  with  common  wastes,  where  oak  trees  grow  naturally, 
but  they  are  perpetually  kept  under  by  the  browsing  of  cattle,  and 
by  poor  people  who  cut  them  for  fuel.  Leland's  observations  re- 
specting this  county  are  as  follow  : — "  All  the  lordships  set  in  this 
county  (Montgomeryshire)  be  for  the  most  part  mountainous,  well 
wooded,  and  as  they  be  used  better  for  cattle  as  grass  than  corn ;  yet 
about  Welsh  Pool  and  Montgomerick  is  good  plenty  of  corn." 

The  principal  rivers  are  the  Severn  (Yr  Haf-Rhen),  Dovey  or 
Dyfi,  Y  Vyrnyw,  Tanat,  Clwedog,  Banwy,  Hafesp,  Rhiw,  Carno, 
Tvvrch,  Dulas,  Mule,  Lledan,  Cain,  and  Marchnant.  The  lakes  are 
but  small,  and  few  in  number,  the  principal  of  which  are  Llyn 
Gwyddior,  Llyn  y  Grinwydden,  Llyn  Hir,  Llyn  y  Bugail,  Llyn 
Glaslyn.  Llyn  Bogelyn,  Llyn  Broniarlh  in  the  parish  of  Guilsfield, 
and  Llyn  Ddu  in  Powis  Castle  Park.  The  Vyrnyw  and  Tanat 
abound  with  fish,  the  former  so  much  that  it  merits  the  title  of 
Piscosus  amnis.  The  Tanat  falls  into  the  Vyrnyw  at  Abertanat,  and 
the  Vyrnyw  into  the  Severn  at  a  place  called  Y  Cymmerau  ("  the 
Conflux"),  in  the  lower  end  of  the  parish  of  Guilsfield  ;  not  far  distant 
from  which  are  those  picturesque  rocks,  distinguished  by  the  names  of 
Y  Vreiddin,  Moel  y  Golfa,  and  Cefn  y  Castell.  During  some  of 
those  skirmishes  which  the  Welsh  had  with  the  English,  and  after 
keeping  watch  all  night  near  the  fords  of  the  Vyrnyw  and  Severn,  near 
the  Breiddin  hills,  just  at  the  dawn  of  day,  that  celebrated  bard  and 
warrior  Gwalchmai,  the  son  of  Meilir  (who  flourished  about  the  year 
1200),  composed  some  beautiful  lines,  of  which  the  late  Rev.  Richard 
Williams,  rector  of  Machynlleth,  has  given  the  following  translation  : 

Rise,  orb  of  day  !  the  eastern  gates  unfold, 

And  shew  thy  crimson  mantle,  fring'd  with  gold  : 

Contending 


286  TOPOGRAPF1ICAL  NOTICES. 

Contending  birds  sing  sweet  on  ev'ry  spray, 

The  skies  are  bright, — arise,  them  orb  of  day  ! 

I,  Gwalchmai,  call— in  song,  in  war  renown'd, 

Who,  lion-like,  confusion  spread  around — 

The  live  long  night  the  Hero  and  the  Bard, 

Near  Vreiddin's  rocks,  have  kept  a  constant  guard  j— 

Where  cold  transparent  streams  in  murmurs  glide, 

And  springing  grass  adorns  the  mountains'  side, 

Where  snow-white  sea  mews  in  the  current  play, 

Spread  their  gay  plumes,  and  frolic  through  the  day. 

The  riches  of  Montgomeryshire  proceed  from  its  sheep,  wool,  and 
flannels,  with  other  coarse  cloth  manufactured  from  its  annual  pro- 
duce ;  for  the  hills  are  almost  entirely  sheepwalks,  while  the  farms 
situate  in  the  vallies  appear  only  appendages  for  their  winter  habita- 
tions and  provisions.  The  manufactures  were  formerly  collected 
through  the  county  once  or  twice  a  year,  and  sent  to  Welshpool  when 
in  a  rough  state,  whence  they  were  carried  to  Shrewsbury,  to  be 
finished  and  exported ;  which  traffic  Dyer  describes  thus  : — 

"  The  Northern  Cambrians,  an  industrious  tribe, 
Carry  their  labours  on  Pygmean  steeds, 
Of  size  exceeding  not  Leicestrian  sheep, 
Yet  strong  and  sprightly  :     over  hill  and  dale 
They  travel,  unfatigued,  and  lay  their  bales 
In  Salop's  streets,  beneath  whose  lofty  walls 
Pearly  Sabrina  waits  them  will)  her  barks, 
And  spreads  the  swelling  sheet." 

(f  Until  within  these  few  years  (says  the  Rev.  Walter  Davies)  the 
only  market  for  webs  was  held  weekly  (on  Thursday)  at  Shrewsbury, 
where  they  were  exposed  to  sale  in  a  hall  belonging  to  the  drapers  of 
that  town,  and  no  buyers  but  of  that  particular  fraternity  were  ad- 
mitted. In  this  Court  of  Justice  the  biddings  of  monopoly  were 
equal  to  dictatorial  edicts,  neither  remonstrance  nor  appeal  could  be 
of  any  use.  But  lately  the  manufacturers  have  had  the  good  fortune 
to  have  the  market  in  their  own  houses,  and  the  drapers  the  well- 
deserved  pleasure  of  employing  buyers  by  commission,  at  about  £1.  5s. 
per  cent,  who  frequently  purchase  the  pieces  before  they  are  out  of  the 
looms."  Flannels  constitute  the  grand  and  most  important  of  the 
Welsh  manufactures.  The  texture  and  use  of  this  comfortable  com- 
modity it  is  unnecessary  to  point  out:  it  is  chiefly  the  produce  of 
Montgomeryshire,  but  by  no  means  confined  to  this  county,  being 
made  in  various  places  within  a  circle  of  fifty  miles  round  Welshpool. 
Formerly  flannels  were  manufactured  by  the  tedious  operation  of  the 
hand,  by  farmers  and  cottagers  in  their  houses.  Of  late  the  powerful 
agency  of  water  has  been  brought  to  their  assistance,  and  numerous 
spinning  machines  have  been  erected  in  Montgomeryshire.  Besides 
these,  there  are  several  manufactories  at  Welshpool,  Llanidloes,  New- 
town,  Machynlleth,  Berriew,  &c. 

Within  these  few  years  the  roads  in  this  county  have  been  much 

improved, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  287 

improved.,  chiefly  at  the  expense  of  the  landholders,  by  statute  labour 
and  rates  periodically  levied.  The  Mac  Adam  system  of  reforming 
rough  roads  has  generally  been  adopted ;  and  the  tonnage  along  the 
canal  has  greatly  relieved  the  roads,  by  materials  for  their  repairs 
being  conveyed  along  it  to  a  great  distance.  The  Snowdon  range  of 
mountains  abound  more  in  slate  than  the  Berwyn :  in  the  latter  slates 
are  raised  at  Oernant,  Glyn  Ceiriog,  Maengwynedd,  near  Cadair 
Vervvyn,  and  Llangynog;  Dinas  Mowddwy,  Moel  Grychan,  near 
Aberllefeni,  Gogarth,  and  Peniarth  Uchav,  between  Cadair  Idris 
and  the  sea,  also  produce  this  article.  Breiddin  Hill,  in  the  Severn 
or  Pumlumon  range,  is  chiefly  composed  of  a  greenish  serpentine : 
and  Moel  y  Golva,  near  it,  contains  some  burr  for  mill-stones;  when 
these  were  first  discovered,  they  were  thought  to  be  equal  to 
the  French  stones,  and  a  medal,  value  £50,  for  such  discovery,  was 
voted  by  the  Society  of  Antiquarians  to  Mr.  Field  Evans,  of  Pool 
Quay ;  but  they  were  at  last  found  to  be  far  inferior  to  the  French, 
and  the  work  was  soon  totally  abandoned.  Further  on,  towards  the 
Long  Mountain,  grey  lime-stone  and  other  fossils  foreign  to  this  tract 
of  country  appear,  but  they  arc  of  a  very  limited  continuance.  The 
tract  about  Breiddin,  by  the  singularity  of  its  general  character, 
induces  many  to  suppose  that  it  contains  metallic  ores ;  lead  ore  has 
also  been  raised  in  the  other  extremity  of  the  range,  near  Llanidloes ; 
but,  upon  the  whole,  it  seems  to  be  unpromising.  Lime  is  carried 
into  this  county  from  Forth  y  Waen  and  Llanymynech  rocks,  on 
the  confines  of  Shropshire,  to  the  distance  of  forty  miles,  where  it 
costs  the  farmer  from  thirty  to  forty  shillings  per  ton.  Since  the 
Montgomeryshire  canal  has  been  made,  lime-stone  and  coal  are 
conveyed  there  as  far  as  Welsh  Pool,  and  so  on  up  to  Newtown, 
where  a  great  number  of  kilns  have  been  erected  on  the  different 
wharfs.  The  three  counties  of  Montgomery,  Merioneth,  and  Caer- 
narvon have  always  been  considered  as  entirely  destitute  of  coal. 
The  Montgomeryshire  canal,  issuing  out  of  that  of  Ellesmere,  crosses 
the  Virniew  at  a  short  distance  from  the  Llanymynech  lime  rocks, 
upon  an  aqueduct  of  five  arches,  40  feet  each  in  span  and  25  feet 
above  the  ordinary  surface  of  the  water,  exclusive  of  a  number  of 
arches  adjoining  the  aqueduct  to  convey  off  the  overflowing  waters  in 
the  time  of  floods;  from  thence  it  proceeds  along  the  vale  of  the 
Severn  to  Welsh  Pool,  and  as  far  as  Garthmill ;  and  thence  to  New- 
town.  The  chief  articles  imported  into  the  county  are  lime-stone 
and  coal,  and  of  its  exports  timber,  grain,  and  the  produce  of  the 
dairy.  The  whole  expense  of  forming  the  Montgomeryshire  canal 
amounted  to  upwards  of  £70,000,  including  the  sum  of  £2,000 
expended  in  making  a  small  branch,  three  miles  in  extent,  to  the 
pleasant  village  of  Guilsfield.  The  Ellesmere  canal,  with  which  the 
Montgomeryshire  one  is  connected,  opens  a  communication  between 

the 


o  o 


288  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

the  rivers  Severn,  Dee,  and  Mersey,  commencing  from  the  latter  at  a 
place  called  Whitby,  or  Ellesmere  Port.  On  the  north  side  of  the 
Dee  another  branch  extends  to  Llangollen,  and  to  the  vicinity  of 
Oernant  slate  quarries.  From  the  end  of  the  embankment,  near  the 
aqueduct  of  Pont  y  Cysylltau,  the  main  canal  proceeds  to  the  west  of 
the  Park  Du  collieries,  the  east  of  Bron-y-Garth  lime  rocks,  and 
between  Chirk  Castle  and  village,  to  the  bank  of  the  river  Ceiriog, 
which,  together  with  the  dingle,  it  crosses  upon  a  free-stone  aqueduct 
at  a  great  elevation  above  the  level  of  the  plain.  At  this  place  it 
quits  North  Wales  and  enters  Shropshire,  and  having  proceeded  as 
far  as  Frankton,  a  branch,  near  the  same  place,  takes  a  south-western 
direction  to  Llanymynech  lime  rocks,  where  it  re-enters  the  county  of 
Denbigh,  and  where  the  property  of  the  Ellesmere  Canal  company 
terminates,  and  that  of  the  Montgomeryshire  commences.  About 
two  miles  and  a  half  of  railway  have  been  formed  from  the  lime  rocks 
at  this  place,  for  the  easier  conveyance  of  lime-stone  into  the  boats. 

Llangynog  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  C ynog,  one  of  the 
sons  of  Brychan,  a  saint  who  suffered  martyrdom  about  the  end  of 
the  fifth  century.  It  consists  of  one  township  only,  and  is  eight  miles 
N.  W.  from  Llanfyllin.  This  parish  is  about  four  miles  in  length 
and  four  in  breadth.  It  lies  in  a  pretty  sequestered  slip  of  fertile 
land,  enclosed  on  all  sides  by  the  Berwyn  mountains.  A  little  distance 
from  the  village  is  a  lead  mine :  the  rock  is  of  a  coarse  slate  abounding 
with  white  opaque  amorphous  quartz,  with  great  quantities  of  lead  and 
calamine,  both  of  which  are  sent  raw  to  the  foundries  at  Rhiwabon. 
Two  miles  from  Llangynog  is  a  remarkable  lead  mine,  discovered  in  the 
year  1692,  called  Craig  y  Mwyn,  which  afforded  formerly  a  consider- 
able revenue  to  the  Powis  Castle  family :  it  was  in  most  parts  three 
yards  and  a  half  thick,  and  was  worked  to  the  depth  of  a  hundred 
yards,  when  the  water  became  too  powerful.  It  continued  in  a 
flourishing  state  nearly  forty  years,  yielding  about  four  thousand  tons 
annually  :  the  ore  was  sold  at  £7  per  ton  ;  it  was  smelted  on  the  spot, 
and  brought  in  a  clear  revenue  to  the  family  of  Powis  Castle  of  twenty 
thousand  pounds.  There  are  slate  quarries  at  Graig  y  Gribbin,  in 
this  parish :  the  colour  of  the  slate  is  blue,  which  is  considered  the 
most  saleable.  The  village  of  Llangynog  is  celebrated  for  delicious 
trout,  taken  in  the  river  Tanat,  which  flows  through  the  vale  of  Llan- 
gynog, and  is  enclosed  by  the  Virniew  or  Berwyn  mountains. 

On  leaving  Llangynog  in  a  south-easterly  direction,  at  the  distance 
of  about  seven  miles  is 

LLANVYLLIN, 

a  market  town  of  considerable  note,  situate  in  a  fertile  vale  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  Cain,  surrounded  by  lofty  hills.  It  was  first  incor- 
porated by  Llewelyn  ap  Gruffydd,  in  the  time  of  Edward  the  First, 
and  its  privileges  were  renewed  by  Edward  de  Charlton,  Lord  of 

Powis; 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  289 

Powis;  Charles  the  Second  also  granted  it  other  privileges.  The 
corporation  consists  of  a  high  steward,  recorder,  two  bailiffs  (chosen 
annually),  fourteen  capital  burgesses,  a  town  clerk,  and  two  Serjeants 
at  arms.  Many  Roman  coins  have  been  found  here,  still  the  learned 
contend  that  it  was  not  a  Roman  station;  saying  that  it  was  not 
customary  with  the  Britons  to  prefix  Llan,  or  church,  to  the  names  of 
Roman  cities,  but  generally  Caer,  signifying  a  fort  or  fence:  there- 
fore the  opinion  that  Mediolanum  was  situated  here  is  generally  dis- 
believed, and  that  place  is  supposed  for  many  reasons  to  have  been  at 
Meivod.  In  the  centre  of  the  town  stands  the  church  (erected  when 
the  excellent  Dr.  Beveridge  was  bishop  of  the  diocese),  a  neat  brick 
building,  dedicated  to  Saint.  Myllin.  It  was  built  about  the  year 
1706,  upon  the  scite  of  the  old  church.  The  peal  of  bells  surpasses 
any  in  the  county.  Here  are  three  endowed  schools,  one  for  twenty- 
four  blue  coat  boys,  another  for  twelve  blue-gowned  girls,  who  are 
clothed  at  the  expense  of  the  foundation,  and  a  third  for  children,  who 
are  not  clothed.  Some  small  waste  lands  were  sold  and  enclosed, 
under  an  act  of  parliament,  towards  defraying  the  expenses  of  building 
a  new  town  hall  in  1775 :  it  stands  in  the  centre  of  the  street ;  it  is  a 
brick  building  erected  upon  arches,  and  the  space  underneath  is  used 
as  a  market-place ;  the  public  business  being  transacted  up  stairs. — 
B6d  Fach,  near  this  town,  the  seat  of  Lord  Mostyn  (late  Sir  Edward 
Pryce  Lloyd,  Bart.),  was  once  the  residence  of  his  maternal  ancestors, 
the  Kyffins. — On  the  left  is  Llwyn,  the  seat  of  William  Humffreys, 
Esq.  the  grounds  about  which  are  tastefully  laid  out,  and  enriched 
with  a  number  of  large  oak,  beech,  and  other  trees. 

The  markets  and  fairs  of  Llanfyllin  are  well  attended,  particularly 
for  the  purchase  of  Welsh  merlins,  which  are  brought  here  for  sale  in 
great  numbers.  A  few  anecdotes  are  preserved  in  the  neighbourhood 
respecting  Lord  Castlemain,  ambassador  from  James  the  Second  to 
the  Pope,  who,  after  the  Revolution,  resided  in  retirement  with  the 
family  of  Price,  in  this  town,  called  by  the  common  people  "  Prices, 
the  Papists."  Thomas  Price,  a  learned  correspondent  of  the  anti- 
quaries of  his  time,  had  a  large  collection  of  manuscripts,  which  are 
supposed  to  have  found  their  way  into  the  Vatican  library  at  Rome. — 
King  Charles  the  First  slept  at' Llanfyllin,  Sept.  21,  1644;  the  next 
day  he  dined  at  Brithdir,  near  this  place,  and  marched  from  thence 
through  Mochnant  to  Cefnhirvynydd,  and  so  along  the  tops  of  the 
hills  to  Chirk  Castle.  The  rest  of  the  forces  marched  to  Llansilin; 
the  day  afterwards  (being  Tuesday)  the  King  advanced  to  Chester  ; 
and  on  Wednesday,  Sept,  24th,  his  forces  were  routed  by  the  parlia- 
mentary army,  at  Rowton  Moor,  near  Chester. 

About  seven  miles  to  the  south-east  of  Llanfyllin  is  Mathraval,  in 
the  parish  of  Llangyny w.  The  ancient  seat  of  the  Princes  of  Powys, 
after  they  had  been  expelled  from  Pengwern  Bowys,  or  Shrewsbury, 

by 
o  o  2 


290  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

by  the  arms  of  Oflfa  the  Mercian,  was  situate  here,  on  a  little  eminence 
near  the  junction  of  the  two  branches  of  the  Virniew,  at  the  western 
extremity  of  the  valley  of  Meivod.  The  scite  and  a  few  ruins  of  the 
foundation  are  still  visible;  the  burnt  tiles  used  in  the  edifice  had 
protuberances  in  the  form  of  the  present  slate  pins,  to  fasten  them  to 
the  roof.  It  is  said  that  Mervyn,  the  youngest  son  of  Roderic  the 
Great,  succeeded  to  the  Principality  of  Wales  in  the  year  877,  and  a 
palace  had  been  built  here  by  the  late  prince.  There  is  now  a  farm 
house  erected  on  the  scite  of  the  stately  castle  of  Mathrafal,  which 
occupied  nearly  two  acres,  guarded  on  one  side  by  the  river,  and  on 
the  other  by  a  vast  rampart  of  stone  and  earth,  with  a  deep  foss,  and 
a  high  keep  at  one  corner.  The  original  fortress,  according  to  the 
Welsh  historians,  was  built  by  Robert  Vipont  in  the  year  121 1,  and 
soon  after  besieged  by  Llewelyn  ab  lorwerth  and  his  confederate 
army  ;  but  King  John,  being  informed  of  their  intention,  collected  an 
army  and  marched  to  Mathraval,  in  time  to  raise  the  siege  and  to 
prevent  the  Welsh  possessing  themselves  of  it.  However  this  did  not 
suffice,  for  he  immediately  ordered  the  castle  to  be  burned  to  the 
ground,  and  then  returned  to  England.  The  situation  of  Mathraval, 
within  the  angle  of  two  rapid  rivers,  shewed  more  precaution  in  the 
founders  than  the  more  ancient  Britons  were  generally  possessed  of, 
who  most  commonly  erected  their  forts  and  camps  on  inaccessible 
rocks,  never  considering  the  necessity  of  water  for  the  supply  of  a 
garrison.  But  notwithstanding  the  convenience  of  water,  both  for  use 
and  defence,  Mathraval  never  could  have  been  a  place  of  safety  for  its 
occupiers;  as  it  was  immediately  commanded  by  the  gently  rising 
grounds  to  the  west.  We  have  very  little  of  it  in  history,  as  the 
princes,  soon  after  its  foundation,  transferred  their  residence  to  Castell 
Coch  ym  Mhywys  (now  Powis  Castle),  about  seven  miles  to  the  south 
— a  place  much  superior  in  every  point.  It  is  probable,  however, 
that  the  subsequent  princes  retained  a  predilection  for  the  former  seat 
of  their  predecessors,  as  several  of  the  dynasty  of  the  Convyns,  and 
one  even  from  Winchester,  wrere  inhumed  within  the  walls  of  the 
neighbouring  church  of  Saint  Mary,  in  Meivod. — Two  British  en- 
campments are  still  entire  on  hills  to  the  west  and  north-west,  in  view 
of  each  other,  which,  with  the  castle  of  Mathraval,  formed  an  equi- 
lateral triangle,  a  mile  to  each  line.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  in  Gwernddii  wrood,  may  be  seen  a  circular  entrenchment,  and 
in  the  field  beyond  a  round  moat,  supposed  to  have  been  a  winter 
station  of  the  Romans. — The  Eisteddfod,  or  triennial  assembly  of  the 
bards,  was  holden  at  the  ro\  al  palace  of  Mathraval  in  the  reigns  of 
the  ancient  princes  of  Powis. 

Meivod  is  one  mile  from  Mathraval,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the 
archdeaconry  of  all  Powysland.  It  is  a  neat  well-built  village,  situate 
in  a  fertile  vale,  in  a  most  romantic  situation,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Fyrnwy,  or  Yr  Afon  Gam,  "  the  meandering  stream,"  at  the  foot  of  a 

lofty 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  291 

lofty  hill  called  Main.  The  churchyard  is  large,  containing  about 
nine  acres,  in  the  centre  of  which  stands  its  venerable  church.  The 
present  church,  dedicated  to  Saint  Mary,  according  to  Caradoc  the 
Historian,  was  founded  about  the  year  1153.  It  was  apparently 
built  from  the  materials  of  two  former  churches,  part  of  whose  founda- 
tions are  still  visible  in  the  present  .churchyard.  One  was  dedicated 
to  St  Gwyddfarch,  an  anchorite  in  the  earliest  ages  of  Christianity, 
and  who  is  represented,  in  the  Genealogies  of  Saints,  as  the  son  of 
Amalarus,  a  prince  of  Poland:  the  spot  of  his  retirement  at  Meivod 
is  still  called  Gvvely  Gwyddfarch,  or  "  the  bed  of  Gwyddfarch,"  on  a 
rock  bearing  the  laame  of  Gallt  yr  Ancr,  that  is  "  the  steep  or  rock  of 
the  Anchorite."  The  second  church  was  dedicated  to  Tysilio,  the 
son  of  Brochwel,  Prince  of  Powys,  a  saint  and  writer  who  flourished 
about  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century :  he  wrote  an  Ecclesiastical 
History  of  Britain.  The  usual  spelling  of  the  name  of  this  parish  is 
Myfod,  and  according  to  the  Welsh  orthography  Meivod.  Mai-fod 
may  be  translated  "  a  summer  habitation,"  and  also  ."  a  low  cham- 
paign dwelling;"  JVleu-fod,  t(  a  place  of  appropriation  or  peculiar 
possession ;"  Ymwy-fod  as  "  Mesopotamia,"  or  "  between  rivers,"  or 
from  Meidwyfod,  "  an  hermitage."  In  the  twelfth  .century,  Cyndde- 
Iw,  a  native  of  this  parish,  in  one  of  his  poems,  describes  the  present 
church,  then  newly  founded,  as  situate  between  two  rivers,  which  in 
subsequent  times  were  joined  in  one  at  the  head  of  the  vale :  the 
united  stream  is  called  Fyrnwy,  rises  near  Bwlch-y-groes,  and  after  a 
changeable  course,  during  which  it  is  joined  by  the  Tannat,  falls  into 
the  Severn  at  Cymmerau,  near  Llandrinio,  about  12  miles  below,  or 
east  of  Meivod.  Mr.  Thomas  Pry ce,  of  Llanfyliin,  a  learned  anti- 
quary about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  in  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Josiah  Babington,  respecting  Welsh  antiquities,  says,  that  f{  Myfod 
has  a  stronger  claim  to  have  been  the  Mediolanum  of  the  Romans 
than  Llan-Fyllin,  as  asserted  by  Camden."  He  says,  "  Besides  the 
parish  church  now  standing,  I  myself  have  seen  the  ruins  of  two 
others.  I  have  also  seen  the  ruins  of  a  Crefydd-dy,  or  '  religious 
house/  Several  pavements  and  hearths  have  been  dug  up  in  the 
neighbouring  fields ;  one  I  know  at  a  small  distance  from  the  village, 
and  the  field  is  still  called  Maes-y-porth,  or  "  the  Gateway  Fielid." 
At  a  like  distance  is  Pentre-go,  "  the  Smithfield  of  Mediolanum;"  it 
has  two  lanas  (if  lana  means  a  brook)  ;  and  the  Italian  Mediolanum 
(Milan)  is  watered  by  two  channels,  the  Ticinus  and  Adder." 
Meivod  became  the  dormitory  of  the  princes  of  Powys  at  an  early 
period,  but  how  many  are  buried  there  cannot  be  ascertained.  Dr. 
Powell,  in  his  translation  of  Caradoc's  History,  mentions  only  two, 
Madoc  ap  Meredydd,  an  ally  of  Henry  the  Second,  who  died  at 
Winchester,  A.D.  1158,  in  that  monarch's  reign,  and  who,  having 
rebuilt  this  church,  was  brought  hither  for  interment,  as  was  (in 
1191)  GrufFydd  Maelor  his  son.  The  only  relics  of  monumental 

antiquity 


292  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

antiquity  are  two  silicious  free-stones,  at  present  lying  flat  near  one  of 
the  entrance  doors,  having  a  few  years  since  been  brought  from  a 
corner  of  the  church,  when  they  had  been  discovered  under  a  pew : 
they  have  some  rude  sculptures  in  basso-relievo,  though  too  rude  to 
be  attributed  to  any  of  the  princes.  By  bearing  the  figure  of  a  large 
sword,  mistaken  by  some  for  a  cross,  it  may  naturally  be  supposed  to 
have  belonged  to  a  crusader,  who  had  escaped  the  scimitar  of  the 
Saracens  in  Palestine.  Such  antique  tombstones  of  the  twelfth  and 
thirteenth  centuries,  bearing  the  figures  of  a  sword,  are  frequently 
met  with  in  many  parts  of  Wales.  In  the  township  of  Dyffryn  is  a 
British  encampment  of  some  strength,  on  Galt-yr-Ancr,  with  ten 
excavations  cut  in  the  solid  rock  to  retain  rain  water.  On  Galt-y- 
Main,  in  the  township  of  Main,  levels  and  shafts  have  been  worked  in 
search  of  lead  ore  ;  some  strings  of  potter's  ore  have  been  found:  the 
rocks  abound  with  barytes  and  the  terra  ponderosa  vitriolata;  and 
some  ancient  coins  have  been  found  in  this  place.  Nant-y-Mynach, 
in  this  parish,  is  situate  upon  the  rivulet  Brogan,  one  of  the  most 
meandering  streams  in  nature,  which  falls  into  the  Cain  at  Llanfechan. 
The  township  of  Tair-tref  takes  its  name  from  the  junction  of  the 
three  townships  of  Glascoed,  Dolobran,  and  Bryn-bwa.  In  the 
township  of  Trefnanney  is  Trefnanney  Hall  ;  a  gentleman's  seat, 
a  Ijo  ning  to  which  is  a  British  encampment,  called  The  Gaer.  There 
are  but  few  gentlemen  residing  on  their  own  estates  in  this  parish, 
though  there  are  several  ancient  residences,  now  inhabited  by 
respectable  farmers.  The  vicarage  house  is  situate  on  a  rising 
ground,  commanding  a  fine  view  of  the  village,  the  vale  beneath,  the 
wide  flowing  Fyrnwy,  and  the  Broniarth  hills,  rearing  their  lofty  and 
frequently  cloud-capped  tops  to  the  skies.  In  the  upper  part  of  this 
parish  are  two  mineral  springs,  called  Clawyd  Wells,  which  are  found 
efficacious  in  cutaneous  and  scrofulous  disorders.  Some  few  years 
ago,  iron-works  and  manufactories  of  flannels  were  carried  on  at 
Dolobran  to  a  great  extent ;  but  the  buildings,  together  with  appara- 
tuses, are  now  fast  falling  to  decay.  On  an  elevated  situation  is 
Dolobran  Hall,  formerly  belonging  to  the  family  of  Lloyd,  but  now 
the  property  of  Joseph  Jones,  Esq.  Clerk  of  the  Peace  for  the 
County.  Charles  Lloyd,  Esq.  banker,  of  Birmingham,  departed 
this  life  16th  January,  1828,  aged  80  years.  His  father,  Sampson 
Lloyd,  was  the  lineal  descendant  of  a  respectable  family  of  great 
antiquity  in  this  county,  and  who  were  for  several  generations  seated 
at  Dolobran.  About  the  year  1662,  the  great-grandfather  of  Mr. 
Lloyd  attached  himself  to  the  religious  body  called  Quakers.  In 
milder  times  his  high  character  and  connections  would  have  protected 
him  from  the  violence  directed  against  this  sect  :  and  his  refusal  to 
take  the  oaths  of  supremacy  and  allegiance  was  a  pretext  for  accusing 
him  of  disloyalty ;  his  estates  were  subjected  to  a  premunire,  and 
heavy  fines  were  levied  upon  his  property,  and  after  enduring  with 

patience 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  293 

patience  and  magnanimity  ten  years'  imprisonment  in  Welsh  Pool 
gaol,  during  which  time  his  noble  and  animating  example  served  to 
strengthen  several  who  had  embraced  and  suffered  for  the  same  faith, 
he  removed  to  Birmingham  in  the  year  1701 ,  and  engaged  extensively 
in  the  iron  trade. 

At  the  distance  of  about  ten  miles  from  Llanfyllin  we  arrive  at 

LLANYMYNEICH, 

which  is  very  closely  connected  with  North  Wales,  on  account  of  its 
situation  on    the  boundary,  but  it   contains    one   township,    Carreg 
Hwva,  which,  although  detached  from  it,  is  yet  within  the  county  of 
Denbigh.     The  church  is  dedicated  to  Agatha,  a  Romish  saint,  and, 
together  with  the  village,  stands  very  beautifully  situated  on  the  banks 
of  the  Fyrnwy.     In  the  chancel  is  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  a 
wife  and  daughter  of  George  Griffith,  Bishop  of  Saint  Asaph,  who 
had  been  rector  of  this  parish  whilst  canon  of  that  chapter. — The 
name  of  Llanymyneich  signifies,  according  to  some,  "the  Village  of 
the  Monks ;"    but  we  do  not  find  that  any  religious  foundation  was 
ever  established  here  or  in  the  neighbourhood.     The  name  also  signi- 
fies ' '  the  Village  of  the  Mines."      The  Montgomeryshire  branch  of 
the  Ellesmere  canal  passes  through   this  parish,    and    crosses    the 
Fyrnwy  at  the  new  bridge,  by  an  aqueduct,  which  was  contracted  for 
at  the  sum  of  £4500.      The  range  of  limestone  rock  commences  at 
Llanymyneich,  in  an  abrupt  precipice  900  feet  high.     At  present  the 
hill  near  here  is  valuable  for  the  plenty  of  copper  which  it  affords, 
besides  zinc,  lead,  calamine,  and  a  quantity  of  limestone,  sufficient  to 
supply  the  whole  of  this  county  and  the  greater  part  of  Shropshire. 
Its  copper  mines  seem  to  have  been  well  known  to  the  Romans,  who 
for  a  considerable  time  worked  them  to  advantage.      Some  Roman 
coins,  particularly  one  of  Antoninus,  Faustina,  and  others,  were  also 
found  here,  with  the  skeleton  of  a  man,  having  on  his  left  arm  a 
bracelet  of  glass  beads,  like  the  druidical  rings  or  beads  called  glain 
neidr  (the  ova  angumum  of  Pliny),  and  near  it  lay  a  battle  axe. — 
About  fifteen  years  after  the  first  discovery,  other  miners  found  several 
human  bones  there,  and  a  golden  bracelet  encircling  the  wrist  of  a 
skeleton,  besides  burnt  bones  and  ashes  found  on  several  parts  of  the 
hill.     On  the  slope  of  this  hill,  extending  to  the  top  from  the  bottom, 
runs  a  stupendous  rampart  of  loose  stones,  with  a  foss  at  the  foot  of  it, 
and  at  a   small  distance  are  two  others,  running  parallel,  cut  in  many 
places  through  the  solid  rock.      By  the  hill  runs  likewise  another 
rampart,  called  Clawdd  Offa,  or  "  Offa's  Dyke,"  thrown  up  by  the 
King  of  Mercia  in  763,  to  prevent  the  incursions  of  the  Welsh*  and 
form  their  boundary,  which  continued  so  till  the  conquest  in  1282. 
On  the  eastern  brow  of  the  hill  once  stood  a  cromlech,  measuring 
seven  feet  by  six,  and  about  eighteen  inches  thick  ;  it  is  called  by  the 
vulgar  Bedd  y  Cawr,  or  "  the  Giant's  Grave,"  and  under  it,  accord- 
ing 


~94  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

ing  to  immemorial  tradition,  a  giant's  wife  was  buried,  with  a  golden 
torques  about  her  neck ;  and  to  search  for  this  treasure,  three  brothers 
of  the  name  of  Paine,  who  lived  in  the  neighbourhood  some  years  ago, 
in  the  most  reprehensible  manner  overturned  the  stone  from  its  pe- 
destal, and  it  has  since  remained  prostrate. 

In  Llanymynech  Hill,  on  the  western  borders  of  Shropshire,  is  a 
considerable  excavation,  vulgarly  called  the  Ogo  (from  the  Welsh 
Ogof,  a  cave),  supposed  to  have  been  an  ancient  mine  of  the  Romans, 
as  very  numerous  coins  of  that  people  are  frequently  found  there.  It 
is  now  seldom  explored  farther  than  the  mouth,  which  is  of  consider- 
able extent,  dark,  and  dismal,  the  entrance  overhung  with  the  stump 
and  branches  of  a  wycli  elm,  and  great  fragments  have  in  many 
places  fallen  from  the  roof.  Superstition,  ever  given  to  people  dark- 
ness with  the  progeny  of  imagination,  has  assigned  inhabitants  here, 
such  as  knockers,  goblins,  and  ghosts ;  and  the  surrounding  peasantry 
aver,  with  inflexible  credulity,  that  the  aerial  harmonies  of  fairies  are 
frequently  heard  in  the  deep  recesses.  Some  years  ago,  all  the 
passages  of  this  subterraneous  labyrinth  were  carefully  explored  to 
their  extent  by  J.  F.  M.  Dovaston,  Esq.  of  West  Felton.  The 
entrance  for  about  15  yards  is  high,  but  afterwards  a  person  must 
stoop  very  low,  and  sometimes  even  crawl.  It  contains  many  sinuosi- 
ties, sometimes  but  a  yard  and  generally  about  three  yards  wide, 
having  many  turnings  and  passages  connected  with  each  other,  so 
that  a  ball  of  thread  or  chalk  is  necessary  for  the  greater  facility  of 
return.  None  of  the  paths  go  more  than  200  yards  from  the  places 
of  entry.  Great  quantities  of  human  bones  are  found  in  many  parts, 
particularly  where  the  cavern  becomes  wide  and  lofty.  This  renders 
it  probable  that  it  has  subsequent  to  the  Romans  become  either  a 
place  of  refuge  in  battle  or  a  depository  for  the  dead.  The  passages 
are  cut  through  the  rock,  which  is  of  red  lime-stone,  whereon 
frequently  appear  the  marks  of  chisels,  and  doubtless  it  has 
originally  been  a  ramification  of  rich  veins  of  ore;  for  every  where 
appear 

•     — — — —  fl  the  inner  vaults  of  this  rude  cavern, 

Green  with  ttie  copper  tinge,  where  pendant  glisten 
Curdled  stalactites,  like  frozen  snakes, 
Where  leathery  crust,  and  vegetable  film, 
Hoar  with  their  fuugous  fringe  the  dripping  roof." 

Long  passages  frequently  terminate  in  small  holes  about  the  size  to 
admit  a  man's  arm,  as  if  the  metal  ran  in  strings  and  had  been 
picked  out  quite  clean  with  hammers  and  long  chisels  as  far  as  they 
could  reach.  The  water  that  drops  in  some  parts  of  this  cave  is  of  a 
petrifying  quality,  and  forms  stalactites  resembling  very  long  icicles, 
which  on  being  touched  ring  with  a  brilliant  sound;  and  the  drops  of 
water  hanging  on  the  point  of  each  catch  the  light  of  the  candle,  and 
give  the  surrounding  space  a  glittering  illumination  extremely 
beautiful  and  in  a  variety  of  colours.  One  finger  bone  with  a  ring 

upon 


TOPOGKAPHICAL  NOTICES.  295 

upon  it  was  brought  away :  and  about  1750  some  miners  discovered 
several  human  skeletons  entire,  with  culinary  vessels,  hatchets,  and 
many  Roman  coins  ;  one  had  on  a  bracelet  of  glass  beads,  and  another 
a  very  curious  battle-axe  beneath  his  arm;  and  in  a  cave  at  some  little 
distance  were  found  the  bones  of  a  man,  woman,  and  child,  a  dog, 
and  a  cat.  Tradition  says  this  labyrinth  communicated,  by  subterra- 
neous paths,  with  Carreghova  Castle;  and  some  persons  aver  that 
they  have  gone  into  it  so  far  as  to  hear  the  rivers  Fyrnwy  and  Tanat 
rolling  over  their  heads,  and  that  it  leads  down  to  fairy-land.  Mr. 
Dovaston,  however,  threaded  every  passage,  and  marked  each  with 
chalk,  except  one  that  was  so  full  of  deep  water  that  he  could  not  get 
his  head  between  the  surface  and  the  roof.  It  is  probable  that  this 
mine  was  wrought  before  the  year  790,  when  the  Clawdd  Oflfa  was 
made;  for  that  ditch  proceeds  from  the  passage  through  the  hill 
called  Porth-y-Waen,  along  the  brow  or  summit  of  these  rocks  to  a 
place  called  Bvvlch  Mawr  (the  great  notch) ;  in  that  place  the  dyke 
leaves  its  direction  on  the  verge  opposite  Blodwel  Hall,  and  turns 
from  a  southward  course  to  eastward,  and  fences  the  south  end  of  the 
hill  in  which  this  copper  mine  lay  to  the  Welsh  side ;  and  it  seems 
that  a  battle  has  been  fought  here  in  disputing  for  this  mine,  or  that 
the  very  large  intrenchments  (of  which  there  are  three)  that  run 
parallel  with  that  of  Clawdd  Offa  eastwardly  were  made  to  defend 
this  rich  and  valuable  mine.  Persons  desirous  of  gratifying  their 
sight  would  do  well  and  wisely  to  ascend  from  the  mouth  of  the  Ogo 
up  to  these  ridges,  immediately  over  Blodwel  Hall,  where,  suddenly 
finding  themselves  on  the  precipitous  rocks  of  Blodwel,  a  scene  of 
absolute  sublimity  and  beauty  opens  at  once  on  the  astonished  and 
delightful  gaze,  perhaps  unparalleled,  certainly  unsurpassed,  in  all 
Wales :  the  summits  of  innumerable  mountains  are  seen  at  once 
rising  in  every  variety  of  ridge,  the  distant  in  softest  azure  and  the 
near  in  the  most  brilliant  verdure,  with  hanging  woods,  fertile  mea- 
dows, and  the  bright  rivers  Fyrnwy  and  Tanat  uniting  in  the  valley 
below,  and  sweeping  their  sunny  waters  to  join  the  Severn,  under  the 
abrupt  and  bold  rocks  of  the  magnificent  Breiddyn.  Turning  towards 
England,  a  perfect  contrast  is  presented  in  the  flat,  fertile,  and 
expansive  plain  of  Shropshire,  richly  wooded,  and  profuse  in  luxurious 
vegetation,  terminated  by  the  noble  Wrekin  and  the  faintly  feeble 
outline  of  the  very  distant  hills  of  Cheshire  and  Stafford.  The 
scene  all  around  may  be  safely  averred  to  be  one  that  the  dullest  mind 
cannot  view  without  excitement,  nor  the  finest  without  rapturous  and 
highly  increased  elevation.  On  the  same  hill,  and  a  little  below  this 
point  of  prospect,  is  the  cromlech  called  the  Giant's  Grave,  before 
mentioned.  On  the  north-east  end  are  four  large  stones,  which 
formerly  supported  on  their  points  a  fine  flat  stone  in  form  of  a 
brandart,  called  in  Welsh  "  trwbad ;"  but  they  are  now  thrown  down. 
Towards  the  south-west  proceed  two  rows  of  flat  stones,  parallel,  six 

feet 


206  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

feet  asunder  and  thirty-six  in  length.  On  digging  here  a  druid's 
belt  was  found,  and  several  other  things,  also  human  bones  with  the 
teeth  perfect.  Between  the  parallel  stones  a  stratum  of  rude  earth 
was  cut  through  about  an  inch  thick,  and  being  cast  on  the  bank 
some  dogs  present  eat  of  it  freely  :  it  had  the  appearance  of  mummy, 
and  smelt  fetid.  From  the  summits  above  may  be  seen  the  small  but 
graceful  lake  of  Llynckllys  (sunk  palace),  the  fine  and  venerable  tower 
of  Oswestry  church,  and  in  the  distance  the  column  and  elegant 
spires  of  Shrewsbury. 

About  two  miles  north  of  Llanymyneich,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Fyrnwy,  once  stood  the  castle  of  Carreg  Hwfa,  of  which  no  vestige 
remains  except  the  foss  on  the  east.  There  is  but  little  account  of 
this  place  in  history,  except  that  in  the  year  1 1 62  it  was  taken  and 
despoiled  by  two  cousins-german.  Owain  Cyveiliog  and  Owain  ap 
Madoc ;  it  continued  in  possession  of  the  latter  twenty-five  years, 
when  he  was  besieged  in  it  and  slain  in  the  night  by  Gwenwynwyn 
and  Caswallon,  sons  of  Owain  Cyveiliog,  his  former  colleague  in 
plunder  and  devastation.  Within  half  a  mile  of  the  castle  lies 
Gwern  y  vigin,  where  a  battle  was  fought  about  the  year  1202.  To 
the  south-east  is  Llwyn  y  Groes,  the  seat  of  John  Evans,  Esq.  M.  D. 
the  principal  resident  proprietor  in  the  parish,  and  son  of  the  worthy 
and  ingenious  author  of  the  Map  of  North  Wales,  which,  for  correct- 
ness and  elegance,  has  transmitted,  with  honour  his  name  to  posterity. 
To  the  south-west  lies  Carreg  Hwva  Hall,  formerly  the  country  seat 
of  Sir  Thomas  Jones,  Chief  Justice  of  the  Common  Pleas,  and  M.  P. 
for  Shrewsbury  in  1660,  and  now  (1830)  the  property  of  Sir  T.  J. 
Tyrwhitt  Jones,  Bart,  who  has  a  considerable  estate  in  this  parish. — 
Further  to  the  south-west,  on  the  confines  of  the  parish,  is  Pentre 
Heilyn,  formerly  the  seat  of  the  Heilyns,  who  took  this  for  their 
cognomen,  from  their  being  hereditary  cupbearers  to  the  princes  of 
Powis.  It  seems  they  were  also  pursebearers  and  ministers  of  finance, 
and  their  extravagance  of  the  public  money  gave  rise  to  the  proverb — 
Hael  Heilyn  o  god  y  wlad — ff  Heilyn  is  generous  out  of  the  public 
purse."  In  the  family  of  Heilyn  there  were  three  that  will  not  dis- 
grace our  Cambrian  biography.  The  first  was  Grono  ap  Heilyn, 
chosen  by  the  last  Llewelyn  to  treat  with  the  commissioners  of 
Edward  Longshanks  for  concluding  a  final  peace;  which  was  done, 
and  the  terms  observed  for  a  while,  until  the  oppression  of  the  Eng- 
lish became  no  longer  tolerable.  Thus  driven  to  the  last  extremity, 
despair  strung  Cambria's  bow  :  Snowdon  re-echoed  with  "  Death 
or  Freedom  :"  its  lord  fell  by  the  hands  of  an  assassin,  and  with  him 
expired  liberty.  The  second  was  Rowland  Heilyn,  alderman  and 
sheriff  of  London,  who  dying  in  the  year  1684  without  male  issue, 
one  of  his  daughters  marrying  a  Congreve,  the  estate  was  transferred 
to  that  family.  This  Rowland  Heilyn  was  a  man  of  singular  good- 
ness :  he  caused  the  Welsh  Bible  to  be  printed  at  his  own  charge,  in 

a  portable 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  297 

a  portable  volume,  for  the  benefit  of  his  countrymen,  which  was  before 
only  to  be  had  in  a  large  church  folio.  He  also  published  the 
Practice  of  Piety,  in  Welsh,  and  a  Welsh  Dictionary.  The  third 
was  Dr.  Peter  Heilyn,  nephew  to  the  above-mentioned  Rowland. 
The  doctor's  name  and  works  are  so  well  known  that  we  may  say  no 
more  respecting  him,  but  that  he  died  in  the  year  1662. 

Under  the  western  brow  of  this  hill  lies  Abertanat,  formerly  the 
seat  of  the  family  of  Tanat,  who  adopted  their  name  from  the  river 
Tanat,  which  falls  into  the  Fyrnwy  near  their  seat  at  Abertanat,  for 
the  same  reason  that  the  Mostyns,  the  Glynns,  Erddigs,  Stanleys,  &c. 
&c.  did,  namely,  to  save  the  redundancy  of  aps.  From  the  Tanads 
the  Abertanad  estate  descended  to  the  Godolphins  of  Godolphin 
(Coed-Dolffin),  in  Cornwall. — A  little  farther  towards  the  north 
stands  Blodwel,  formerly  a  frequent  bardic  theme  when  the  residence 
of  Gwervul  Hael.  It  is  now  the  property  of  the  Earl  of  Bradford. 

On  the  road  from  Welshpool  to  Machynlleth,  at  the  distance  of 
about  three  miles  and  a  half  from  the  former  place,  we  pass  on  our 
left  the  village  of  Castell  Caereineon,  in  a  romantic  situation  between 
lofty  hills.  The  parish  and  commot  are  supposed  by  some  to  have 
been  so  denominated  from  Eineon  Urdd  (or  Yrth),  tenth  son  of 
Cuiiedda  Wledig,  King  of  Cambria,  who  founded  Oswestry  in  567  ; 
others  supposed  it  to  be  so  called  from  Eineon  Evell,  son  of  Madog 
ap  Meredydd,  Prince  of  Powis,  who  built  a  castle  here  A.  D.  1155, 
on  the  site  of  Eineon's  camp,  which  castle  was  burnt  by  Owen  Cy- 
veiliog  in  1166,  and  not  a  vestige  of  which  is  now  to  be  seen.  It 
stood  on  an  eminence  near  the  village.  The  church  is  dedicated  to 
Saint  Garmon  or  Saint  Germain,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  of  the 
British  saints.-— Dolarddyn,  where  Henry  the  Seventh  is  said  to  have 
lodged  a  night,  is  in  this  parish ;  and  in  the  township  of  Trefnant 
there  is  a  British  encampment. 

About  four  miles  further  we  arrive  at  Llanvair  Caereineon,  or  Llan 
Fair  yn  nghaer  Eineon,  a  small  market  town,  pleasantly  situated 
between  hills  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Vyrnwy.  The  finny  tribes 
afford  considerable  profit  and  amusement  to  the  inhabitants,  who  are 
peculiarly  dexterous  in  the  use  of  the  spear  and  harpoon.  The  town 
itself  contains  nothing  very  interesting,  except  the  church,  dedicated 
to  Saint  Mary,  which  is  rather  an  antique  edifice.  The  market  house 
is  tolerably  handsome  for  a  structure  chiefly  composed  of  wood,  and 
is  situate  in  the  centre  of  the  street.  The  town  has  within  a  few  years 
past  undergone  considerable  improvements.  There  is  a  well  near  the 
church,  deemed  efficacious  in  scorbutic  complaints. 

About  five  miles  from  Llanfair  is  Llanervul,  having  its  church 
dedicated  to  Ervul  or  Ervil,  a  female  saint,  whose  history  is  not 
known.  A  farm,  now  let  for  about  £40  a-year,  was  left  by  a  lady 
descended  from  the  Herberts  of  Llysyn,  towards  the  support  of  a 
school;  in  which  the  poor  children  of  the  parish  are  taught  to  read 

and 


298  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

and  write.  The  ancient  chapel  at  Dolwen  is  now  in  ruins.  The 
saint's  feast-day  or  wake  (Dydd  Gwyl  Urvul  Santes)  used  to  be  cele- 
brated on  the  Sunday  following  the  Gth  of  July.  Gutto'r  Glynn,  a 
poet  of  the  fifteenth  century,  in  his  elegy  to  the  memory  of  Gwervul 
Hael  of  Blodvoel,  commemorates  this  female  saint  in  lines  of  which 
the  following  are  a  translation : — 

Next  to  Gwervul  of  Gwynva,  and  Urvul  the  good, 
Stands  Gwervul  of  Blodvoel  in  prudence  and  blood. 

Urvul  is  supposed  by  some  writers  to  be  the  same  as  Ursul  or  Ursula, 
daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Cornwall.  There  is  a  stone  monument  in 
the  church-yard,  which  is  supposed  by  some  to  have  been  erected  to 
her  memory,  but  what  remains  of  the  inscription  does  not  support 
this  conjecture.  It.  is  as  follows:  HIC  IN  TUMULO  JACIT 
R—STE-CE  FILIA  PATERNINI  IXIII.  IN  PA.  In 
AchaiCr  Bonedd  y  Saint  we  meet  with  Padarn  ap  Pesrwm  (or, 
according  to  others,  ap  Peredur)  ap  Emyr  Llydaw,  who  was  cousin  to 
Cadvan.  On  the  Drum  mountain,  in  this  parish,  are  three  pools,  viz. 
Llynn  y  Grinwydden,  having  no  fish  except  eels ;  Llynn  Hir,  contain- 
ing excellent  red  trout ;  Llynn  Gwyddior.  or  Cadivor,  which  formerly 
contained  an  abundance  of  fine  trout,  but  a  gamekeeper  having  thrown 
pike  into  it,  the  trout  are  considerably  diminished  in  number.  The 
lastmentioned  lake  is  on  the  borders  of  the  parish  of  Llanbrynmair. 
A  company  of  adventurers,  in  the  year  1797,  began  to  sink  for  coals 
at  Govylchau,  in  this  parish,  but  they  were  unsuccessful.  About  the 
same  time  a  few  specimens  of  copper  were  dug  up  at  Coed  Talog. 
At  Craig  y  Go,  in  the  same  neighbourhood,  are  ancient  traces  of 
mines,  supposed  to  be  of  Roman  origin  ;  and  not  far  off,  facing  Llan- 
mihangel,  is  a  cave  called  Ogov  Dolanog,  which  is  so  narrow  that  a 
man  cannot  go  far  into  it. — Mr.  William  Jones,  a  native  of  Llangadvan, 
in  his  History  of  the  Three  Parishes  of  Gartlibeibio,  Llangadvan, 
and  Llanervul,  already  mentioned,  informs  us,  that  near  Pont  y 
Llogel  there  are  two  earns  or  carneddau,  of  different  dimensions ; 
the  larger  one  about  sixty  feet  in  diameter :  the  greater  part  of  it  was 
carried  off  to  build  Llwydiarth  park  wall:  and  the  workmen  disco- 
vered a  stone  chest  (cistvaen)  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  heap,  which, 
when  opened,  was  found  to  contain  only  pieces  of  burnt  bones  and 
ashes.  About  a  dozen  more  earns,  each  from  fliirty  to  sixty  yards  in 
circumference,  are  to  be  met  with  in  these  parishes,  besides  a  great 
number  of  smaller  ones.  Some  of  them  are  covered  with  earth,  such 
as  those  at  Nant-bran  and  near  Tygwyn,  in  Llanervul.  Some  also 
are  conical,  like  that  at  Bwlch  y  Veden.  On  a  hill  near  Llanervul  is 
a  fortified  eminence,  called  Gardden,  a  diminutive  of  Garth,  a  pro- 
jecting hill  or  promontory,  where  armies  generally  made  intrench- 
ments  :  this  is  a  circular  rampart,  inclosing  an  area  of  about  seventy 
yards  in  diameter.  A  smaller  one  stands  on  Moelfeliarth ;  one  also 

in 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  299 

in  the  township  of  Maes  Llemysten,  on  the  top  of  a  precipice.  On 
the  summit  of  Moparth  is  a  large  ditch,  and  another  crosses  the  Vale 
of  Banwy,  near  Rhos  y  Gall.  The  most  ancient  mansion  house  in 
this  parish  is  Neuadd  Wen  :  at  one  time  it  was  the  seat  of  Meredydd 
ap  Cynan,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  who  served  the  Princes  of  Powis, 
and  was  termed  Lord  of  Rhiw-Hirieth,  Coed  Talog,  and  Neuadd 
Wen.  Adjoining  Neuadd  Wen  (formerly  called  Llys  Wgan)  lies 
the  capital  farm  of  Llysyn,  at  one  time  the  estate  of  leuan  ap  Bedo 
Gwyn.  This  property,  and  other  lands  in  the  vicinity,  were  purchased 
by  the  Herberts,  Lords  of  Chirbury,  and  made  the  residence  of  some 
branches  of  that  family,  ancestors  of  the  late  Earl  of  Powis.  The 
word  Llysyn  seems  to  be  a  contraction  of  Llys-dyddyn,  "  the  Court 
Farm ;"  manor  courts  having  been  probably  held  there.  The  Her- 
berts, when  they  settled  there,  formed  a  park,  which  they  enclosed 
writh  pales,  but  which  has  since  been  destroyed.  There  is  a  well  near 
the  church,  called  Ffynnon  Ervul,  which  is  arched  over,  with  a  chan- 
nel to  convey  the  water  to  a  spout. 

After  passing  over  a  newly-erected  bridge,  and  at  the  distance  of 
a  little  more  than  a  mile,  we  reach  Cann  Office,  a  single  public-house, 
which  tradition  says  had  its  name  from  Cannon's  Office;  for  in  the 
time  of  Cromwell  cannon  were  planted  before  the  house,  and  there 
are  still  remaining  marks  of  intrenchments,  on  which  trees  are  now 
planted.  Behind  the  house  is  a  barrow,  seemingly  of  great  antiquity, 
flat  on  the  top,  under  which  the  body  of  some  chieftain  is  supposed 
to  be  buried.  Several  copper  tools  have  been  discovered  here  and  in 
its  vicinity.  Near  this  place,  on  an  elevated  situation,  is  Llangadvan, 
having  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Cadvan.  "  The  rectory  or  glebe- 
house,"  says  Mr.  William  Jones,  "  was  burnt  down  by  the  rebels 
when  Vavasor  Powell  came  to  sequester  the  benefices  of  the  clergy  in 
Montgomeryshire,  about  the  year  1645,  and  has  never  since  been 
rebuilt."  Since  Mr.  Jones  wrote  his  historical  work  of  this  parish, 
however,  a  new  parsonage-house  has  been  built  here.  There  has 
been  a  small  abbey  in  the  township  of  Cyffin,  in  this  parish,  but 
whether  it  was  independent  or  the  abbot  was  a  suffragan  to  the 
Cistercian  Abbey  of  Strata  Marcel! ae  is  now  uncertain.  The  town- 
ships of  Cevn-Llys-ucha,  in  Llanerful,  and  Tir-y-Myneich,  in  Llan- 
brynmair,  belonged  to  this  monastery.  After  its  dissolution  they 
became  the  property  of  the  Vaughans  of  Llwydiarth,  by  a  marriage 
with  one  of  the  Purcells  of  Nantcribba.  It  stood  at  a  place  called 
Caermyneich,  but  there  are  no  remains  of  it  at  present.  Probably 
the  building  was  constructed  entirely  of  timber  (which  was  not 
uncommon  in  those  days,  when  the  country  was  one  huge  forest),  and 
might  have  been  burnt  down  or  removed  at  the  time  of  the  Reforma- 
tion. A  ford  below  it,  on  the  river  Fyrnwy,  is  called  Rhyd-y-Byde, 
probably  Rhyd-yr-Abadau,  "  Abbotsford.*"  It  is  conjectured  that 
the  other  townships,  viz.  Cyffin,  Cawndd,  and  Maes-Llemysten 

might 


300  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 

might  have  had  their  own  separate  chapels-of-ease,  or  mass-houses, 
which  in  all  likelihood  were  served  by  the  monks  from  the  abbey. 
Near  Ffynnon-Gadvan  the  Saint's  Well  was  lately  to  be  seen,  with  a 
heap  of  large  stones,  supposed  to  be  the  ruins  of  a  building  at  one 
time  erected  over  it. 

After  travelling  a  short  distance  along  a  pleasant  road  on  the 
banks  of  the  river,  we  come  to  Garthbeibio,  having  a  small  church 
on  the  right,  situated  on  the  side  of  a  hill :  the  church  is  dedicated  to 
Tydecho,  a  saint  who  flourished  about  the  close  of  the  fifth  and 
beginning  of  the  sixth  century.  The  parish  consists  of  only  one 
township,  which  is  situate  between  the  rivers  Twrch  and  Banwy. 
Tydecho  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  sons  of  Amwn  or  Annyn 
Ddu  ap  Emyr  Llydaw,  and  to  have  come  over  from  Armorica  with 
his  cousin  Cadvan :  his  feast  is  observed  on  Easter  Monday.  One  of 
the  incredible  fictions  related  respecting  him  was,  that  a  brook  called 
Llaethnant  (the  source  of  the  river  Dovey)  was  by  him  converted  into 
milk  for  the  use  of  the  poor ;  in  commemoration  of  which  miracle  it 
still  bears  the  name  of  Llaethnant,  "  the  Milk -stream."  The  parish 
derives  its  name  from  Garth,  "  an  encampment,"  and  Peibio,  "  a 
chieftain,"  whose  history  is  now  lost.  The  stream  of  the  Twrch  and 
Banwy  unite  at  a  small  distance  below  the  church.  In  this  parish  is 
a  spring  of  cold  water,  called  Ffynnon  Tydecho,  supposed  to  be 
efficacious  in  rheumatic  and  other  disorders ;  and  formerly  every  one 
who  either  bathed  in  or  drank  of  the  water  dropped  a  pin  into  the 
well,  and  it  was  accounted  sacrilege  to  take  any  of  the  pins  away. 

The  next  village  we  come  to  is 

MALLWYD,    OR    MAENLLWYD, 

"  the  Greystone  or  Rock,"  partly  in  Merionethshire  and  partly  in 
Montgomeryshire.  The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Tydecho. 
The  saint's  legend,  above  noticed,  is  beautifully  given  by  Davydd 
Llwyd  ap  Llewelyn  ap  Gruflfydd,  Lord  of  Mathafarn  (on  the  banks  of 
the  Dovey),  who  was  very  serviceable  to  Henry  the  Seventh,  having 
by  his  writings  induced  many  thousands  of  his  countrymen  to  resort 
to  the  standard  of  Sir  Rhys  ap  Thomas,  and  join  Henry,  then  Earl  of 
Richmond,  at  Milford :  it  is  said  that  Henry  slept  a  night  at  his 
house  on  his  way  to  Bosworth  Field.  The  legend,  as  related  by  the 
bard,  is  as  follows : — He  informs  us  that  Tydecho  had  been  an 
abbot  in  Armorica,  and  came  over  to  Britain  in  the  time  of  King 
Arthur ;  but  after  the  death  of  that  hero,  when  the  Saxons  overran 
most  part  of  the  kingdom,  the  saint  retired  to  this  spot,  and  led  a 
most  austere  life,  lying  on  the  bare  stones,  and  wearing  a  shirt  of 
hair;  yet  he  employed  his  time  usefully,  was  a  cultivator  of  the 
ground,  and  used  hospitality.  Prince  Maelgwyn  Gwynedd,  then  a 
youth,  took  possession  of  the  saint's  oxen,  and  carried  them  from  the 
team ;  next  day  wild  stags  were  seen  performing  their  office,  and  a 

grey 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  301 

grey  wolf  bar  row  ing  after  them.  Maelgwyn,  enraged  at  this,  brought 
his  milk-white  dogs  to  chase  the  deer,  while  he  sat  on  a  blue  stone 
to  enjoy  the  diversion;  but  when  he  attempted  to  rise  he  found  him- 
self immovable  and  fixed  to  the  rock,  so  that  he  was  under  the 
necessity  of  beseeching  the  saint's  pardon,  who,  on  proper  reparation 
being  made  to  him,  was  so  kind  as  to  liberate  him  from  his  unpleasant 
confinement.  Thus  far  the  legend.  It  is  not  improbable  that 
Maelgwyn  Gwynedd  was  prevailed  upon,  at  the  solicitation  of  the 
saint,  to  grant  this  place,  and  perhaps  some  of  the  other  churches 
dedicated  to  him,  certain  privileges,  such  as  sanctuary  for  man  and 
beast,  as  every  offender,  however  criminal,  was  sure  to  find  protection 
here;  it  was  always  exempted  from  all  punishment  for  fighting, 
burning,  and  killing.  The  lands  of  Tydecho  were  likewise  exempt 
from  mortuaries,  claims,  and  oppression.  This  village  is  small,  and 
situate  in  the  vale  of  Dovey.  In  Cae  Gwyn  is  a  well,  noted  for  its 
efficacy  in  complaints  of  the  eyes.  The  church  is  remarkable  for 
having  the  altar  in  the  middle  it :  this  has  been  its  situation  most 
probably  ever  since  the  erection  of  the  building,  but  why  it  was  so 
placed  cannot  at  this  distance  of  time  be  ascertained.  It  was 
removed  to  the  east  end  by  one  of  the  rectors,  but.  it  was  taken  to 
its  old  situation  by  Dr.  Davies,  author  of  the  Dictionary,  then 
incumbent,  in  opposition  to  the  orders  of  Archbishop  Laud.  Dr. 
Davies  was  a  profound  scholar,  and  assisted  Bishop  Parry  (his 
brother-in-law)  in  the  translation  of  the  folio  Welsh  Bible,  published 
in  1620:  he  died  in  the  year  1644,  and  was  buried  in  the  church. 
Dr.  Davies  was  the  son  of  a  weaver,  of  the  parish  of  Llanferres,  in 
Denbighshire,  of  the  tribe  of  Marchudd,  and  brought  up  under 
Bishop  Parry  in  the  school  at  Ruthin,  and  was  afterwards  his  chap- 
lain. In  addition  to  his  Welsh  Grammar  and  Dictionary,  he 
translated  the  Thirty-nine  Articles,  and  Parsons's  (the  Jesuit)  Reso- 
lution into  elegant  Welsh  prose.  He  built  three  public  bridges  at  his 
own  charge,  and  did  other  charities  at  Mallwyd,  where  he  resided. 
Dr.  Davies  was  an  useful  magistrate,  and  universally  beloved  and 
esteemed.  Thomas  ap  William,  the  Physician,  who  lived  at  Trefriw, 
near  Llanrwst,  had  begun  the  Welsh  and  Latin  Dictionary,  which  Dr. 
Davies,  at  the  request  ofthe  Gwydir  family,  completed  and  published. 
In  the  churchyard  of  Mallwyd  is  a  yew-tree,  that  tradition  says  is 
above  700  years  old;  and  it  is  not  easy  to  imagine  a  spot  where  a 
yew-tree  could  have  witnessed  fewer  vicissitudes  in  the  objects  around 
during  that  length  of  time.  The  rivers,  the  rocks,  and  the  mountains 
are  immutable ;  the  woods  are  the  lineal  descendants  of  those  that 
flourished  when  the  yew  was  planted;  and  the  houses,  probably, 
differ  little  in  number.  This  yew-tree  has  nine  distinct  trunks,  one 
in  the  centre  and  eight  that  surround  it,  and  the  circumference  of 
their  united  branches  is  computed  at  upwards  of  two  hundred  feet. 

A  short 


302  TOPOGRAPHIC  AT,  NOTICES. 

A  short  distance  further,  we  pass  through  the  village  of  Cemmaes : 
it  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  south  of  the  Dovey,  on  the  great  road 
from  Bala  to  Machynlleth.  About  one-third  of  the  land  of  this 
parish  is  waste  or  common,  and  is  claimed  by  the  landed  proprietors 
as  sheepwalks. 

Going  towards  Machynlleth,  on  our  right,  we  pass  Llanwrin. 
The  village  is  situate  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  Dovey,  and  is  the 
only  parish  on  that  side  within  the  county  of  Montgomery:  it  is  about 
three  miles  from  Machynlleth,  and  contains  about  2000  acres  of 
enclosed  and  cultivated  land,  and  as  many  or  more  uninclosed  and 
uncultivated.  Mathafarn,  the  seat  of  Davy  dd  Llwyd  ap  Llewelyn  ap 
Gruflfydd,  the  bard  and  seer  before  noticed,  who  flourished  from 
1470  to  1490,  is  on  the  banks  of  the  Dovey,  iu  this  parish.  The 
Earl  of  Richmond,  in  his  march  from  Milford,  it  is  already  stated, 
lodged  one  night  with  his  friend  Llwyd  at  Mathavarn:  in  his 
anxiety  for  the  issue  of  his  hazardous  enterprize,  he  privately 
requested  the  opinion  of  his  host,  who  was  esteemed  by  his  contem- 
poraries as  a  most  distinguished  prophet.  The  seer  is  said  to  have 
cautiously  replied,  that  a  question  of  such  importance  could  not  be 
immediately  answered,  and  that  he  would  give  his  reply  in  the 
morning.  He  was  greatly  perplexed  by  the  question,  and  his  wife 
observed  an  unusual  and  inexplicable  gravity  in  his  manner  during 
the  remainder  of  the  evening:  she  enquired  into  the  cause,  and 
upon  being  informed,  she  exclaimed,  with  much  astonishment, 
"  How  can  you  possibly  have  any  difficulty  about  your  answer  ?  Tell 
him  that  the  issue  of  his  enterprize  will  be  most  successful  and 
glorious.  If  your  prediction  be  verified,  you  will  receive  honours 
and  rewards ;  but  if  it  fails,  depend  upon  it,  he  will  never  come  here 
to  reproach  you."  In  November,  1644,  the  Parliamentary  forces 
burnt  Mathafarn,  and  reduced  this  part  of  the  county  to  subjection  to 
the  Commonwealth,  or  the  protectorate  of  Oliver  Cromwell.  About 
the  same  time,  a  military  force  visited  Bala,  Dolgellau,  Towyn, 
Merioneth,  &c.  Mathavarn  is  now  the  property  of  Sir  Watkin 
Williams  Wynn,  Bart. 

Penegos  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Cadvarch,  who 
flourished  about  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century  :  it  is  situate  on  an 
eminence.  This  parish  is  long  and  narrow,  and  very  mountainous : 
in  a  small  field  near  the  church  there  is  a  spring,  which  is  esteemed 
very  efficacious  in  rheumatic  complaints.  In  the  mountains  of 
Dylifau  and  Esgair-Galed  lead  ore  is  found.  According  to  tradition, 
this  parish  derives  its  name  from  a  petty  prince  in  Wales  called 
Egwest,  who  was  beheaded  near  the  church;  but  this  evidently 
appears  to  be  a  Monkish  legend.  The  name  at  one  time  was 
probably  Pen-y-Groes,  "  the  Hill  of  the  Cross." 
At  the  distance  of  a  mile  and  half  we  come  to 

MACHYNLLETH, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES,  303 

MACHYNLLETH, 

having  its  church  (lately  rebuilt)  dedicated  to  Saint  Peter.  The 
town  is  well  built,  and  preferable  in  that  respect  to  most  in  North 
Wales,  the  streets  being  wide  and  spacious :  it  is  situate  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  river  Dovey,  and  about  two  miles  from 
the  shipping  port  of  Dervven  Las.  It  is  supposed  to  have  been  the 
Maglona  of  the  Romans,  and  where,  in  the  name  of  Honorius,  a 
lieutenant  was  stationed  to  awe  the  mountaineers.  On  the  high- 
est part  of  the  hill  was  the  main  fort,  built  in  a  quadrangular 
form,  and  encompassed  with  a  strong  wall  and  broad  ditch  of  an  oval 
form,  excepting  towards  the  valley,  where  it  extended  in  a  direct 
line.  On  the  outside  of  the  river  Dovey  the  foundation  of  many 
houses  may  be  discovered,  and  on  a  low  mount  stood  a  small  fort, 
supposed  to  have  been  built  of  bricks,  from  the  number  found  at 
different  times.  Alt  the  outward  walls  were  built  of  a  rough  hard 
stone,  carried  thither  by  water  from  Tal-y-Gareg,  distant  about  seven 
miles.  From  the  fort  to  the  water  side  is  a  hard  broad  way  of  peb- 
bles and  other  stones,  continued  in  straight  lines  through  the  mea- 
dows and  marshy  grounds  for  200  yards  in  length,  and  twelve  broad. 
This  fort  is  thought  to  have  been  destroyed  previous  to  the  building 
of  Pen-yr-allt  church,  as  we  find  in  the  walls  of  that  building  several 
bricks  mixed  with  the  stones.  Some  silver  coins  of  Augustus  and 
Tiberius  have  been  found  near  the  main  fort.  Owain  Glyndwr 
summoned  a  parliament  at  Machynlleth  at  the  close  of  the  year  1402, 
wherein  he  was  formally  inaugurated  Sovereign  of  Wales;  and  an 
old  house,  now  divided  into  several  tenements,  is  shewn  as  being  that 
in  which  the  parliament  was  holden.  One  of  those  who  attended  this 
assembly  was  Davvdd  Gam,  a  chieftain  of  the  county  of  Brecknock, 
who  came  with  a  design  of  murdering  Owain  :  his  plot  being  disco- 
vered, he  was  put  in  prison,  but  was  soon  liberated,  through  the 
interest  of  his  friends  and  the  promise  of  future  fidelity :  this, 
however,  he  broke,  and  in  revenge  Owain  ravaged  his  land.  In  the 
reign  of  Henry  the  Fifth  this  Davydd  Gam  attended  that  monarch  in 
his  French  expedition,  and  took  a  signal  part  in  the  celebrated  battle 
of  Agincourt.  Having  been  employed  to  reconnoitre  the  enemy,  he 
reported  that  there  were  enow  to  be  killed,  enow  to  be  taken  prisoners, 
and  enow  to  run  away.  He  was  killed  in  bravely  defending  his 
sovereign  at  a  time  when  he  was  in  great  personal  danger :  but  was 
knighted  on  the  field  before  he  expired.  levan  Llawdden,  an 
eminent  poet,  ^  of  the  vale  of  Llychwr,  in  the  county  of  Caermarthen, 
and  who  flourished  from  1430  to  1470,  spent  a  great  part  of  his  life  as 
minister  of  the  church  of  Machynlleth.  In  his  old  age  he  retired  to 
the  place  of  his  nativity,  where  he  died.  Llywarch  Hen,  the  princely 
and  aged  bard,  having  lost  all  his  sons  and  friends  in  the  wars  with 
the  Saxons,  retired  to  a  hut  at  Aber  Ciog,  now  called  D<6l-Giog,  near 

this 
p  p 


304  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

this  town,  to  soothe  with  his  harp  the  remembrance  of  his  misfor- 
tunes, and  vent  in  elegiac  numbers  the  sorrows  of  his  old  age. 
Being,  from  princely  eminence,  reduced  to  a  state  of  poverty  and 
distress,  he  is  said  to  have  died  there  at  the  great  age  of  150  years, 
about  the  year  6*34,  and  to  have  been  buried  at  Llanfawr,  near  Bala, 
in  the  county  of  Merioneth,  where,  in  the  west  window  of  the  church, 
is  a  stone  with  a  suitable  inscription.  His  poems  were  published  in 
London  in  1792,  by  Dr.  W.  O.  Pughe.  The  late  Rev.  Dr.  Davies, 
Head-Master  of  the  Macclesfield  Free  Grammar  School,  was  a  naiive 
of  this  town.  Howel  Swrdwal,  an  excellent  Welsh  bard,  was  minister 
hereabout  A.  D.  1450.  The  proper  pronunciation  of  this  place  is 
Man-cyn-llaith,  "  the  place  at  the  upper  end  of  the  flat  or  low 
land." ' 

On  our  return  to  Llanfair,  we  proceed  south-westerly  about  four 
miles,  and  come  to  Llanllugan,  probably  Llan  Lleiain,  "  the  Nun's 
Church,"  where  there  was  a  nunnery  of  the  Cistercian  order,  founded 
about  the  year  1239.  There  are  no  remains  of  the  nunnery  at 
present,  except  some  painted  glass  now  placed  in  the  chancel  window 
of  the  church.  The  tithes  of  several  neighbouring  parishes  were 
appropriated  to  its  support. 

WELSH   POOL,    OR,    Y    TRALLWNG, 

is  a  large  and  populous  town,  and  the  appearance  of  opulence  is  very 
predominant  throughout  the  place,  perhaps  owing  to  the  trade  in 
Welsh  flannels,  which  is  carried  on  here  to  a  very  great  extent  :  it 
may  be  truly  said  that  the  corner  stones  whereon  its  prosperity  is 
founded  are  the  flannel  trade  and  the  canal.  In  the  centre  of  its 
principal  street  is  the  new  town  and  county  hall,  erected  by  subscrip- 
tion of  the  landed  interest  of  the  county,  assisted  by  a  donation  from 
the  corporation  of  nearly  four  hundred  pounds.  It  was  erected  in  the 
bailiwick  of  the  late  Richard  Tudor,  of  Garth,  and  Law  ton  Parry,  of 
this  town,  Esqrs.  about  the  year  1796:  above  stairs  are  apartments 
for  public  business,  and  for  the  flannel  market,  held  every  other 
Thursday;  below  are  the  courts  for  the  distribution  of  justice,  in 
which  the  assizes  for  the  county  are  held  twice  a  year,  also  the  special 
sessions  for  the  borough ;  and  a  court  of  record  for  the  recovery  of 
debts  is  held  every  other  Tuesday.  It  has  an  elegant  front,  with 
colonnades  and  pilasters  of  stone,  the  whole  forming  an  ornament  to 
the  town,  and  exhibiting  a  proof  of  the  liberality  and  spirit  of  the 
county.  In  the  court  are  the  royal  arms  and  a  time-piece,  the  gift  of 
the  late  Richard  Edmunds,  Esq.  of  Chancery  Lane,  London,  and  of 
Edderton  House,  in  the  parish  of  Forden,  in  this  county.  The  build- 
ing was  greatly  enlarged  at  the  expense  of  the  corporation  in  the  year 
1324,  when,  in  the  September  of  that  year,  the  Powis  Eisteddfod,  a 
grand  musical  meeting,  was  held  here,  under  the  patronage  of  Lord 
Clive,  on  which  occasion  the  musical  and  poetical  talents  of  the  prin- 
cipality 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  305 

cipality  were  called  forth,  as  in  olden  time,  and  the  flower  of  the 
English  vocal  and  instrumental  performers  gathered  around  him. 
Powis  Castle  and  its  dependencies  were  on  this  occasion  most  hospita- 
bly and  liberally  opened  for  the  reception  of  numbers  of  noble  and  distin- 
guished persons,  who,  attracted  by  the  performances,came  from  all  parts 
of  the  united  kingdom,  and  gave  an  additional  brilliance  and  interest  to 
an  event  so  truly  worthy  of  Cambria's  royal  ages.  The  zeal  and 
anxiety  which  Lord  Clive  exhibits  for  the  prosperity  and  happiness  of 
the  principality,  and  for  the  restoration  of  its  ancient  taste  and  gran- 
deur, were  eminently  conspicuous  in  the  management  of  the  Eistedd- 
fod, one  of  those  princely  and  patriotic  occasions  on  which  persons  of 
superior  rank  and  influence  become  still  more  elevated:  since,  in 
benefiting  all  around  them,  they  cannot  fail  to  add  appropriate  lustre 
to  their  own  character  and  fame.  The  church  of  Welsh  Pool, 
dedicated  to  Saint  Mary,  is  a  gothic  structure,  erected  on  the  site  of 
the  old  church  about  the  year  1774,  singularly  sittuated  on  a  hill, 
supported  by  a  strong  wall  fifteen  feet  high.  It  is  curious  to  observe, 
that  in  the  summer  months  this  wall  is  covered  with  the  choicest 
flowers  of  nature — the  admiration  of  all  travellers.  Part  of  the 
church-yard  is  called  the  Judge's  Hill,  from  one  of  the  Welsh  judges 
(who  died  when  on  the  Chester  circuit)  being  buried  here;  this  part 
of  the  church-yard  is  nearly  on  a  level  with  the  roof  of  the  church. 
The  church  has,  amongst  its  ornaments,  a  beautiful  chalice  of  pure 
gold,  containing  the  measure  of  a  wine  quart,  with  a  Latin  inscription 
indicating  it  to  be  the  gift  of  Thomas  Davies,  Esq.  in  the  year  166*2, 
who  held  the  office  of  Governor-General  of  all  the  English  Colonies 
on  the  West  Coast  of  Africa.  This  chalice  is  formed  of  guinea-gold 
to  the  value  of  £168,  bestowed  upon  this  church  as  a  sacred  and 
grateful  offering  to  God  for  his  preservation  in  that  obnoxious  climate. 
There  is  a  new  organ,  the  gift  of  Lord  Clive.  In  the  chancel,  under 
the  communion  table,  is  the  vault  of  the  noble  family  of  Powis ;  and 
an  ivy  tree  grows  from  the  top  of  this  lofty  building  down  to  the 
bottom.  Near  the  church,  which,  with  the  church-yard,  has  recently 
been  much  improved,  is  the  newly-erected  vicarage.  In  the  principal 
street  stands  the  public  record  office,  where  the  records  of  the  county 
are  kept ;  and  from  the  bottom  of  the  principal  street  to  the  river 
Severn  is  a  beautiful  wide  public  road,  lined  on  each  side  with  elm 
trees,  planted  about  forty  years  ago.  On  the  left  is  a  large  mound 
planted  with  large  and  venerable  trees,  supposed  to  have  been  the 
burial-place  of  some  chieftain.  Tradition  says  that  the  old  town 
stood  below  the  present  church  on  the  Salop  road;  and  this  is 
generally  believed,  as  several  persons  who,  within  these  few  years 
back,  were  employed  in  cutting  the  foundations  of  some  new  houses 
near  the  canal,  found  a  great  quantity  of  human  bones,  supposed  to 
have  been  the  burial  place,  and  a  little  lower  down,  on  the  left-hand 

of 
p  p  2 


306  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

of  the  road,  a  regular  pavement,  similar  to  a  street,  was  about  the 
same  time  discovered. 

When  Cromwell  destroyed  this  town  and  Oswestry  by  fire,  jn  one 
day,  it  must  have  been  chiefly,  if  not  entirely,  built  of  wood ;  for  in 
those  days  the  country  was  so  full  of  large  timber  that  the  best  and 
most  clefty  was  used  in  building.  The  precincts  of  the  borough 
include  the  out-skirts  of  several  of  the  neighbouring  parishes.  It  is 
governed  by  two  Bailiffs  (who  act  as  Magistrates,  and  are  chosen 
annually),  a  Recorder,  a  Town  Clerk,  and  has  two  Serjeants  at  Mace. 
The  maces  carried  by  the  latter  when  in  attendance  on  the  Magistrates 
are  the  gift  of  Edward  Vaughan,  of  Llwydiarth,  Esq.  some  of  the 
members  of  which  family  formerly  represented  the  county.  It  would 
seem  from  ancient  records,  that  this  town  has,  from  a  very  early 
period,  been  an  English  settlement ;  as,  in  the  corporation  charters, 
grants  of  various  lands  are  observed  to  have  been  made  to  the  inhabit- 
ants for  their  fidelity  to  the  Kings  of  England,  especially  in  the 
troublesome  times  of  Edward  the  First.  The  names  of  many,  and 
language  of  most,  of  the  inhabitants  are,  indeed,  pure  English  to  this 
day :  whilst,  a  few  miles  above,  the  Welsh  language  is  universal. 
William  Morgan,  D.D.  the  eminent  Divine,  was  Vicar  of  the  parish, 
afterwards  he  had  Llan  Rhaiadar  Mochnant,  then  he  was  made 
Bishop  of  Llandaffin  1595,  and  was  translated  to  St.  Asaph  in  1601, 
where  he  died  in  1604.  He  had  the  principal  hand  in  the  translation 
of  the  Welsh  Bible  which  was  printed  in  1588.  This  edition  was 
revised  by  Richard  Parry,  D.D.  Lord  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph,  in  1604, 
corrected  by  Dr.  John  Davies,  his  Chaplain,  and  reprinted  in  1620, 
and  is  the  version  now  used,  with  some  slight  variations.  Morgan 
was  of  the  tribe  of  Nefydd  hardd,  or  the  handsome.  About  half  a 
mile  from  the  town,  the  Severn  continues  to  increase  its  importance, 
and  is  navigable  for  small  barges  at  Pool  Quay,  three  miles  from  the 
town,  where  it  is  joined  by  a  rivulet  called  Gleddin ;  from  thence, 
taking  its  direction  northwards,  receiving  in  its  course  Vyrnwy  and 
Tannat,  it  empties  itself  into  the  channel  below  Bristol,  two  hundred 
miles  from  Welsh  Pool.  Independent  of  this  conveyance,  a  canal  is 
made  which  joins  the  Ellesmere,  passing  through  Llanymynech, 
Pool,  and  Berriew,  to  Newtown. 

"  Welsh  Pool,"  says  Mr.  Pennant,  "  is  a  good  town,  and  is  seated 
in  a  bottom  not  far  from  the  castle."  This  place  owned  the  same 
lord  as  the  castle.  GrufFydd  did  homage  for  the  lordship  of  Powys 
at  Chester  (in  1355)  to  Edward  Prince  of  Wales,  by  the  title  of  Lord 
of  Pool :  his  title  was  also  Frenchified  into  De  la  Pole:'  "  Betwixt 
the  town  and  Castell  Coch,"  observes  Leland,  "  is  a  pretty  llyn  or 
pool,  whereof  the  town  taketh  its  name,"  viz.  Tre'r  Llyn,  "  the  Pool 
Town."  Along  a  pleasant  road,  one  mile  from  hence,  is  Castell  Coch, 
or  Powys  Castle,  or  Castell  Coch  yn  Mhowys,  formerly  the  chief 
mansion  of  the  Convinian  Welsh  princes  of  Powys;  from  them  it 

went, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  307 

went,  by  marriage  with  the  last  Welsh  heiress,  Hawys  Gadarn,  to  the 
Charltons  of  Apley ;  from  them  (by  marriage)  to  the  Greys ;  and 
from  the  Greys  (by 'sale)  to  the  Herberts,  in  the  possession  of  whose 
descendants  it  still  remains.  This  mansion  is  of  very  ancient  origin : 
Blethyn  ap  Convyn  is  said  to  have  founded  it  about  the  year  1 108,  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  the  First ;  it  is  called  "  Red  Castle,"  from  the 
colour  of  the  material  used  in  its  original  structure.  The  castle  has 
recently  undergone  external  and  internal  improvements  at  great 
expense,  the  front  thereof  having  been  considerably  raised  and  several 
new  rooms  added.  The  furniture  in  several  of  the  rooms  is  in  the 
ancient  style  of  elegance,  and  in  some  of  them  the  antique  tapestry  is 
yet  remaining.  In  a  detached  building,  more  modern  than  the  castle, 
is  a  collection  of  60  or  70  pictures.  Some  of  these  are  by  the  first 
masters,  as  Poussin,  Claude,  Bassano,  \Veiger,  Canaletti,  Cuyp, 
&c. ;  the  Virgin  and  Child,  by  Carlo  Dolce ;  three  Owls,  by  Rubens; 
and  an  ancient  painting  in  fresco,  from  the  ruined  city  of  Pompeii; 
also  the  portrait  of  the  late  Lord  Clive,  by  Dance.  In  an  adjoining 
closet  is  the  model  of  an  elephant,  covered  with  a  coat  of  mail,  with 
two  Indians  upon  its  back,  brought  from  India  by  the  present  Earl  of 
Powys.  In  the  centre  of  the  building,  through  a  small  court,  is  a 
covered  walk,  supported  by  four  or  five  pillars :  opposite,  on  entering, 
is  a  figure  of  Hercules,  and  on  the  left  a  handsome  staircase,  whose 
walls  and  ceiling  were  painted  by  Lanscrome  in  1705.  The  ceiling 
represents  the  coronation  of  Queen  Anne;  the  figures  are  well  formed, 
particularly  a  horse  and  a  man  in  armour.  The  walls  are  mytholo- 
gical ad  allegorical,  consisting  of  the  figures  of  Neptune,  Amphitrite, 
Apollo,  Venus,  Poetry,  Painting,  Music,  Dorcas  cutting  the  Thread 
of  Life,  &c.  &e.  At  the  bottom  of  the  staircase  is  a  curious  marble 
figure  of  Cybele  sitting  and  holding  a  Globe,  and  is  about  three  feet 
high,  placed  on  a  pedestal  of  the  same  height,  brought  from  the  ruins 
of  Herculaneum.  On  the  upper  part  of  the  staircase  is  painted  the 
figure  of  Aurora,  by  the  same  artist.  On  the  left-hand  is  a  small 
parlour;  on  the  right  a  room,  with  the  pictures  of  Saint  Catherine 
receiving  the  ring  from  Christ,  and  Sampson  betrayed  by  the  Philis- 
tines, both  excellent  paintings.  Above  stairs,  in  the  tapestry  room, 
over  the  door,  is  a  fine  painting  of  Cleopatra  dissolving  the  Pearl ; 
and  another,  well  executed,  of  Venus  and  Cupid;  also  a  Salutation, 
very  fine,  and  said  to  have  cost  500  guineas.  The  tapestries  of  the 
sexagon  bed-chamber  represent  several  parts  of  Nebuchadnezzar's 
life.  Here  is  also  a  noble  gallery,  117  feet  by  20  ;  in  the  window  of 
which  is  an  elegant  inlaid  marble  table,  very  large,  representing 
birds,  &c.  also  busts  of  the  twelve  Caesars,  brought  from  Italy, 
larger  than  life,  the  vests  of  composite  marble  of  a  yellowish  cast; 
besides  a  curious  copper  bust  of  the  famous  Lord  Herbert  of  Chir  '- 
bury.  Out  of  the  gallery  is  a  state  room,  intended  for  King  Charles, 
whose  ciphers  are  in  gold  letters  in  the  doors  and  window  panels; 

but 


308*  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

but  the  state  bed,  having  gone  to  decay,  has  been  removed.  In  the 
drawing  room,  which  is  of  considerable  dimensions,  is  a  handsome 
ceiling  of  plaster  of  Paris,  representing  the  twelve  signs  of  the  Zodiac, 
with  Phoebus  in  his  chariot  in  the  centre;  at  the  corners  are  the 
coronet  and  arms  of  the  family.  In  a  small  breakfast  parlour  are 
several  panels  painted  with  different  subjects  on  canvas,  particularly 
one  of  David  playing  on  the  Harp  before  Saul ;  the  expression  of 
jealous  rage  in  the  countenance  is  remarkably  well  executed.  The 
ball-room  is  spacious,  but  detached  from  the  house.  Lord  Lyttelton 
appears  to  have  been  particularly  delighted  with  this  place,  and 
observes  that  £3000  judiciously  laid  out  would  render  Powys  Castle 
the  most  august  place  in  the  kingdom.  Gardens  have  been  laid  out 
with  parallel  terraces  and  squared  slopes;  the  ancient  water- works 
and  clipped  shrubs  are  removed;  the  park,  formed  of  spacious  and 
verdant  lawns,  with  swelling  hills,  extends  to  Welsh  Pool,  and  is 
excellently  wooded.  At  the  top  of  this  park  are  distant  views  of 
Plinlimmon,  Cader  Idris,  Snowdon,  Aran-Mowddvvy,  &e.  and  an 
index  is  placed  pointing  to  each  of  them;  a  road  is  tastefully  con- 
ducted to  the  castle,  which  is  occasionally  seen  and  lost  in  the 
approach.  The  first  Lord  Powys,  created  so  by  Charles  the  First, 
obtained  this  castle  (on  which  17  manors  in  this  county  are  still 
dependant)  by  purchase  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  In 
October,  1644,  Powys  Castle  was  attacked  and  taken  for  the  parlia- 
ment by  Sir  Thomas  Myddelton,  and  its  owner,  Percy  Lord  Powys, 
taken  prisoner,  and  all  his  estates  sequestered,  on  account  of  his 
attachment  to  the  king's  party;  but  he  obtained  re-possession  by 
compounding  for  them,  and  they  have  continued  with  his  descendants 
ever  since. 

About  two  miles  from  Welsh  Pool,  on  the  banks  of  the  Severn,  in 
the  township  of  Gungrog  Vawr,  in  this  parish,  is  Ystrad  March  ell 
(Strata  Marcella,  Alba  Domus  de  Marcella,  or  Pola),  an  old  monas- 
tery. It  is  stated  by  one  writer,  that  a  Cistercian  Abbey  was  founded 
here  to  th«  honour  of  God  and  the  Blessed  Virgin,  A.  D.  1 170,  by 
Owain  Cyveiliog,  the  son  of  Gruffydd ;  but,  according  to  others,  it 
was  founded  by  Madog,  another  son  of  Gruffydd.  In  the  beginning 
of  the  reign  of  Kins  Edward  the  Third,  the  Welsh  monks  were 
removed  from  this  place  into  English  abbies,  English  monks  were 
introduced  here,  and  the  abbey  was  made  subject  to  the  abbot  and 
convent  of  Buildwas,  in  Shropshire.  According  to  Dugdale,  it  was 
endowed  (26th  Henry  VIII.)  with  £64.  14s.  2d.  per  annum.  The 
abbey  was  constituted  chiefly  of  timber.  It  is  at  present  the  property 
of  the  Powis  family.  Grants  of  several  tracts  of  land  in  Cyveiliog 
and  elsewhere  were  made  to  this  abbey  by  Gwenwynwyn,  son  of 
Owain  Cyveilios:,  which  ultimately  became  vested  in  the  Pughs  of 
Mathavarn,  and  afterwards  passed  by  sale  to  the  Wynns  of  Wynnstay. 
Mr.  Pennant  says,  "  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  abbey  was 

founded 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  309 

founded  by  Owain  Cyveiliog,  and,  as  Tanner  observes,  in  1 170  ;  his 
son,  Gwenwynwyn,  in  1201,  gave  to  God,  the  glorious  Virgin  his 
mother,  and  the  monks  of  Strach  march  el,  for  the  repose  of  his  so  il, 
all  the  pasturage  in  the  province  of  Cyveiliog.  Tanner  suspects  that 
Madog  ap  Gruffydd  Maelor  re-founded  this  monastery:  but  by  his 
charter  it  should  seem  he  only  gave  to  it  a  piece  of  land  on  which  to 
found  a  cell,  or  some  appendage  to  it;  and  this,  he  says,  was  done  at 
the  request  of  four  abbots,  among  whom  is  mentioned  Philip,  himself 
actual  abbot  of  Strachmarchel,  a  proof  that  the  house  was  then 
existing."  Cynddelw  Brydydd  Mawr,  bard  to  Madog  ap  Meredydd, 
Prince  of  Povvis,  and  to  Prince  Davydd  ap  Owain  Gwynedd,  gave  so 
much  offence  to  the  monks  of  this  abbey  (probably  by  his  writings, 
which  are  supposed  to  have  reflected  upon  their  indolence,  luxurious 
mode  of  life,  pretended  miracles,  and  other  impositions  upon  the  cre- 
dulity of  the  lower  classes  of  mankind),  that,  when  he  was  upon  his 
death-bed,  they  sent  one  of  the  monks  of  their  society  to  inform  him 
that  his  bodv  would  not  be  admitted  for  Christian  burial  within  the 
precincts  of  this  abbey.  Cynddelw  wrote  some  lines  in  answer,  the 
purport  of  which  was,  that  as  he  was  not  conscious  of  having  com- 
mitted any  heinous  offence  against  God  or  man,  it  would  have  done 
the  members  of  the  abbey  more  credit  to  have  forgiven  his  transgres- 
sion, whatever  it  was,  and  to  have  ordered  that  his  body  might  be 
interred  in  their  cemetery,  rather  than  have  carried  their  enmity  so 
far  as  to  refuse  him  that  small,  that  last  boon  which  he  should  require 
grave  for  his  ashes. 


My  soul,  ye  Monks,  ye  would  not  save, 
Since  thus  ye  grudge  my  corpse  a  grave.* 


Cynddelw  died  about  A.  D.  1170.  Adda  Vras,  a  bard  and  pre- 
tended prophet  of  Is  Conwy,  was  buried  in  this  abbey  about  A.  D. 
1250,  as  was  also  Gutto  'r  Glynn,  bard  to  the  abbot  of  Llan- 
Egwest,  or  Valle  Crucis  Abbey.  The  latter  wrote  a  pathetic  elegy 
on  the  death  of  Lly  welyn  Moel  y  Pantri,  a  native  of  Llansilin,  Den- 
bighshire, who  was  interred  by  the  side  of  his  brother  bard,  Adda 
Vras,  about  the  year  1400.  The  two  first  lines  begin  thus-^- 

That  noble  bard  is  doom'd  io  dwell 
Wilhiti  Strat  Marcel's  narrow  cell. 

This  elegy  is  still  preserved  in  MS.     The  abbot  who  presided  at  the 
abbey  when  Lly  welyn  Moel  was  buried,  bore  the  name  of  Riffri. 

Nearly  opposite,  at  the  distance  of  about  a  mile,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Severn,  on  an  elevated  situation,  is  Buttington,  having  its  church 
dedicated  to  All  Saints;  notwithstanding  the  festival  or  wake  is  held 
on  the  first  Sunday  after  Old  Midsummer  Day.  The  only  thing 
worth  notice  is  the  chancel  window,  which  formerly  consisted  entirely 

of 

*  See  Myvyrian  Archaiology,  p,  263, 


310  TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES. 

of  painted  glass. — There  are  some  remains  of  encampments  on  the 
rising  grounds,  which  are  supposed  to  be  of  Danish  construction. 
Ofta'sDyke  passes  through  this  parish.  In  A.D.  894  the  Danes, 
under  Hesten,  after  traversing  a  great  part  of  England,  took  their 
station  here.  The  generals  of  King  Alfred  instantly  surrounded  and 
besieged  them  so  closely,  that  the  pagans  were  obliged  to  eat  their 
own  horses  for  subsistence.  At  length,  actuated  by  despair  and 
famine,  they  attempted  to  force  their  way  through  fhe  Saxon  army, 
but  were  defeated,  with  such  dreadful  slaughter,  that  very  few  escaped 
to  their  own  country.  The  Breidden  and  Moel  y  Golfa  hills  are  in 
this  parish  :  on  the  summit  of  the  former  is  an  ancient  British  camp 
of  Caractacus  :  and  on  the  centre  of  the  mountain  a  column  is  erected 
to  commemorate  Admiral  Rodney's  celebrated  victory  over  the  French 
fleet  in  the  West  Indies,  on  the  12th  of  April,  1782.  On  the  top  of 
this  hill  was  a  large  lake  never  known  to  be  dry,  until  the  scite  was 
lately  drained  for  the  purpose  of  planting.  It  is  also  remarkable  for 
a  very  fine  view,  which  perhaps  affords  one  of  the  most  delightful 
prospects  that  is  anywhere  to  be  found  on  the  confines  of  Wales. 
From  here  are  plainly  seen  the  vales  of  the  Severn,  Vyrnwy,  and 
Tanat,  and  (from  its  superior  height)  the  view  extends  over  as  far  as 
Plinlimmon,  Cadair  Idris,  and  Aran-ben-Llyn,  whose  pointed  tops 
finely  diversify  the  extensive  line  of  horizon.  Breiddyn,  or  Craig- 
Breddyn,  is  mentioned  by  Mr.  Evans  in  his  Specimens  of  Welsh 
Poetry,  as  a  favourite  situation  of  Llewelyn  the  Great,  about  1 240. 
Buttington  is  called  by  the  Welsh  Tal  y  Bont,  i.  e.  "  The  Foot  of  the 
Bridge,"  from  a  bridge  crossing  the  Severn  near  it.  Some  of  the 
richest  land  in  the  county  lies  in  this  parish,  particularly  along  the 
banks  of  the  Severn. 

GUILSFIELD,    OR  CEGIDFA, 

"  a  place  abounding  with  Hemlock,"  is  situate  about  3  miles  north 
of  Welsh  Pool.  It  is  a  neat  well-built  village,  situate  in  the  most 
fertile  part  of  the  county,  on  the  banks  of  a  rivulet  called  Bele,  and 
surrounded  by  several  'plantations  and  woods  far  surpassing  any  in 
Montgomeryshire.  In  the  centre  of  the  village  stands  the  ancient 
church,  rearing  its  lofty  tower  above  several  venerable  elm  and  yew 
trees ;  it  is  dedicated,  according  to  Mr.  Carlisle,  to  All  Saints,  but 
according  to  Mr.  Pennant  to  Saint  Giles,  and  was  first  built  about  the 
year  1170.  It  is  a  gothic  structure,  and  contains  many  monuments  to 
the  memory  of  the  several  families  hereinafter-mentioned,  viz.  Eger- 
ton  of  Trelydan  Hall,  Owen  and  Lloyd  of  Trawscoed,  Edwards 
of  Burgedin,  Mytton  of  Garth,  and  one  to  Brochwel  Griffith,  of 
Broniarth,  grandson  to  Dr.  John  Griffith,  Bishop  of  Saint  Asaph,  by 
whose  death  the  family  name  became  extinct.  On  the  family  seat  of 
the  Lloyds,  of  Llan-er-Brochwel,  is  a  small  brass  plate  in  memory  of 
Richard  LJoyd,  Esq.  who  died  in  1802.  There  were  formerly  several 

good 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES,  311 

good  paintings  on  glass,  which  modern  hands  have  destroyed :  the 
only  one  now  remaining  is  a  beautiful  representation  of  the  Virgin 
and  Child,  in  one  of  the  north  windows ;  the  expression  in  their  coun- 
tenances is  very  fine.  The  church-yard  contains  many  tombstones 
worth  attention. 

The  Manor  of  Broniarth,  in  this  parish,  contains  about  800  acres  of 
unenclosed  land,  very  hilly,  on  the  top  of  which  is  a  large  pool,  called 
LlynBroniarth,  abounding  with  fish,  belonging  to  the  lord  of  the  manor 
(Major Gore).  The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  MS.  supposed  to  be 
a  transcript  of  Bishop  Fleetwood's : — "  Myvott,  Pool,  and  Gulsfield  : 
these  three  rectories  belong  to  Christ  Church,  in  Oxford,  (a  dono 
Henry  VIII.)  leased  by  the  College  to  Sir  James  Palmer  for  lives, 
assigned  over  by  his  son,  the  Earl  of  Castlemain,  to  my  Lord  Powys : 
they  did  belong  to  the  Monastry  of  Strata  Marcelli."  The  Township 
of  Broniarth  extends  to  the  bridge  over  the  river  Vyrnwy,  within  a 
short  distance  of  the  village  of  Meivod.  Sir  John  Oldcastle,  who  was 
accused  of  being  a  Lollard,  secreted  himself  in  an  obscure  part  of  this 
township,  where  he  was  discovered  by  Sir  Edward  Charlton,  Lord 
Powys,  and  delivered  over  to  the  fury  of  the  inquisition  of  those  times. 
George  Griffith,  D.D.  made  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph  at  the  Restoration, 
was  born  at  Broniarth  Hall,  in  this  township.  Lord  Cobham,  "  says 
Lord  Orford,"  was  the  first  author,  as  well  as  first  martyr,  among 
our  nobility  :  a  man  whose  virtues  made  him  a  reformer,  whose  valor 
a  martyr,  whose  martyrdom  an  enthusiast.  He  was  suspended  by  a 
chain  fastened  round  his  waist  over  a  slow  fire :  this  torturing  death 
he  bore  with  constancy ;  and  with  his  last  breath  conjured  Sir  Thomas 
Erpingham,  that  if  he  should  see  him  rise  from  the  grave  in  three  days, 
he  would  then  intercede  with  the  king  in  favour  of  his  brethren,  the 
Lollards.  The  lordship  of  Broniarth  (according  to  Mr.  Yorke)  was 
granted  to  the  family  of  Tanad,  of  Aber-Tanad,  the  fifth  of  Henry 
the  Fifth,  for  the  assistance  they  gave  in  the  apprehension  of 
Oldcastle.  In  it  is  a  field  called,  to  this  day,  Lord  Cobham's  garden. 
Sir  Gruffudd  Fychan,  Lord  of  Byrgedwyn  (Burgedin),  Treflydan 
(Trelydan),  Garth,  and  Caerfawr,  in  the  opening  of  the  fifteenth 
century,  with  his  elder  brother  leuan,  are  parties  to  a  deed  in- the 
possession  of  the  late  Devereux  Mytton,  of  Garth,  Esq.  (1797): 
whereby  Edward  Charleton,  Lord  of  Powys,  granted  them  several 
privileges  for  assisting  in  taking  Sir  John  Oldcastle,  in  the  third  of 
Henry  the  Fifth,  when  the  king  himself  was  absent  in  France.  From 
Dafydd  Lloyd,  eldest  son  of  Sir  Gruflfudd,  were  descended  the  Lloyds 
of  Llai,  of  Marrington,  &c. ;  from  Cadwaladr,  the  second  son,  the 
Lloyds  of  Maesmawr,  of  Rhandir,  and  Humphrey  ap  Roger  of 
Treflydan ;  Reinallt,  his  third  son,  according  to  the  ancient  Welsh 
custom,  under  his  claim  as  the  youngest,  had  the  family  house  at 
Garth.  His  grandson,  John  ap  Gruffudd  ap  Reinallt,  was  the  first 
who  took  the  name  of  Wynn.  "  Humphrey  Wynn,  son  of  John 

Wynn 


312  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Wynn  of  this  house,  was  living  in  the  year  1560."  The  sixth  in 
descent  from  Humphrey  married  Dorothy,  daughter  of  John  Powel, 
Esq.  of  Worthen,  and  had  issue  an  only  daughter  Dorothy,  married 
to  Richard  Mytton,  Esq.  of  Pont-is-Cowryd,  a  branch  of  the 
Mvttons  of  Halston,  in  the  county  of  Salop.  At  the  upper  end  of 
this  township  is  a  small  piece  of  land  enclosed  with  a  stone  wall,  and 
planted  with  poplar  trees,  called  "  the  Quakers'  burial  ground," 
belonging  to  the  Society  of  Friends,  but  it  has  not  been  used  as  a 
burial-ground  within  the  memory  of  man. 

Rhyd  Esgyn  ;  i.  e.  "  the  Ford  of  Ascent  or  Attack."  This  town- 
ship consists  of  the  richest  land  in  the  county;  it  is  situate  on  the 
Severn,  and  is  one  of  the  few  places  at  which  this  river  is  fordable 
hereabouts.  Immediately  opposite,  to  the  south-east,  is  a  strong 
British  encampment,  with  vast  ramparts  of  loose  stones.  About  two 
miles  north  of  Guilsfield,  on  a  hill  called  Gaervawr,  is  a  small  British 
encampment ;  but  by  some  it  is  supposed  to  be  a  Roman  encampment. 
There  can,  however,  be  little  doubt  that  a  battle  was  fought  between 
the  British  and  Romans  in  the  plains  of  Varchoel,  as  part  of  a  Roman 
ensign  has  been  found  there.  At  the  upper  end  of  this  parish  is 
a  hill,  comprising  nearly  60  acres,  called  Mo?l-y-Garth,  which  runs 
in  a  direction  contrary  to  all  other  hills  (it  is  believed)  in  the  king- 
dom. The  township  of  Llan-er-Brochwel,  or  Llanerch-Brochwel ; 
i.e.  "The  portion  or  demesne  of  Brochwel:"  the  mansion  house  of 
this  name  stands  at  the  commencement  of  this  township,  and  is  sup- 
posed to  have  be^n  formerly  the  residence  of  Brochwel,  a  descendant 
of  one  of  the  Powisian  princes.  There  are  a  few  houses  in  this  town- 
ship, called  Bwlch  Aeddan,  derived  from  Bvvlch,  "  a  pass  between 
the  hills,"  which  was  entrenched  in  former  times,  and  Aeddan,  "  a 
chieftain,"  who  probably  raised  the  fortifications.  The  township  of 
Tref-Edryd  is  the  uppermost  and  most  mountainous  in  the  parish  :  it 
is  separated  only  by  the  south  branch  of  the  Vyrnwy  from  the  ancient 
castle  of  Mathrafal. 

At  the  distance  of  three  miles  and  a  half  from  Welsh  Pool,  on  the 
road  to  Montgomery,  we  pass  the  village  of  Forden,  near  which  is 
Nant-y-Criba,  the  seat  of  the  present  Viscount  Hereford  (now 
tenanted  by  Colonel  Davies,  of  Marrington),  near  which  is  a  British 
encampment,  the  only  remains  whereof  is  a  large  tumulus.  The 
Danes  wintered  in  this  neighbourhood  in  the  year  894.  The 
encampments  are  visible  on  the  Long  Mountain  and  near  Buttington. 
At  the  Gaer,  in  the  township  of  Thornbury,  is  a  Roman  camp  on  the 
Severn;  with  British  encampments  to  the  south-west,  on  the  rising 
grounds.  The  House  of  Industry  of  the  United  District  of  Mont- 
gomery and  Pool,  which  is  an  expensive  fabric,  erected  about  the 
year  1795,  is  situate  in  this  parish. 

About  two  miles  and  a  half  further  we  arrive  at 

MONTGOMERY, 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICE?.  313 

MONTGOMERY, 

situate  on  a  gentle  ascent;  at  the  back  of  which  is  another,  called  the 
Town  Hill,  whereon  stood  the  castle,  from  the  ruins  of  which  a  fine 
view  presents  itself  of  the  vales  of  the  Severn  and  Chirbury,  Powis 
Castle,  and  Marton  Pool.      The  town  is  clean  and  well-built,  and 
inhabited  chiefly  by  persons  of  moderate  fortune,  who  lead  a  life  of 
retirement.      This  town  in  the  year  1700  was  little   more   than  a 
village,  though  now  capable  of  affording  all  the  comforts   of   life, 
without  any  of  the  bustle  of  larger  towns.     It  is  situate  in  a  fertile 
vale,  decorated  with  lively  scenery,  indicating  population  and  fertility. 
The  town  is  represented  in  Parliament  by  one  member ;  the  bailiffs  are 
the  returning  officers :    it  was  incorporated   in  the  reign  of  King 
Henry  the  Third,  and  is  governed  by  a  high  steward,  two  bailiffs, 
and  twelve  burgesses  or  commqn-councilmen.    The  towns  of  Machyn- 
lleth,  Llanidloes,  Llanfylliu,  and  Welsh  Pool  were  formerly  contri- 
butory  boroughs.      The  church    of   Montgomery   is    a    handsome 
cruciform  structure,  dedicated  to   Saint  Nicholas,  and  ornamented 
with  a  handsome  monument  of  Richard  Herbert,  Esq.  father  of  the 
celebrated  Lord  Herbert,  first  Lord  Herbert  of  Chirbury.      He  is 
represented  in  armour;  and  near  him  is  a  recumbent  figure  of  his 
wife  Magdalene,  daughter  of  Sir  Richard  Newport,  of  High  Ercall. 
In  front  are  statues  of  their  numerous  offspring.     The  monument  was 
erected  by  his  lady,  who  survived  him  several  years.      After  dis- 
charging her  duty  to  her  children,  she  married  (at  the  end  of  twelve 
years)  Sir  John  Danvers,  brother  to  Henry  Earl  of  Danby,  and  died 
in  1627.     The  house  called  Black  Hall,  once  the  residence  of  the 
Herberts,  stood  at  the  lower  end  of  the  town,  but  it  has  long  since 
been  destroyed  by  fire;  a  deep  fosse,  however,  shews  its  ancient  scite. 
The  lodge  in  Lymore  Park,  a  short  distance  from   the   town,  was 
enlarged  after  this  accident,  and  now  presents  a  venerable  wooded 
front.     The  remains  of  the  castle,  situate  on  an  eminence  north  of  the 
town,  show  the  original  to  have  been  a  very  grand  building,  but  at 
present  so  much  demolished   that  the  foundation  cannot  be  traced 
with  any  degree  of  accuracy  ;  it  stood  on  a  rock  quite  precipitous  on 
one  side,  and  sufficiently  high  to  command  the  whole  place;  but  now 
the  only  remains  are  the  small   part  of  a  tower  at  the  south-west 
corner,  with  a  few  low  and  broken  walls.      In  the  year   1094  this 
castle  was  taken  by  the  Welsh ;    and  many  were  the  skirmishes  at 
different  times  for  the  possession  of  the  place.      In  the  year  1231  it 
was  taken  and  burnt  by  Llewelyn  Prince  of  Wales,  who  inhumanly 
put  the  whole  garrison  to  the  sword.     By  whom  it  was  again  re-edified 
subsequent  to  this  period  is  uncertain;    but  that   it  did  not  long 
remain  in  its  ruined  condition  is  clear,  from  the  circumstances  of  a 
conference  being  held  there  in  1268,  when  a  peace  was  concluded 
between  England  and  Wales,  through  the  mediation   of  Ottoboni, 
Pope  Clement's  Legate  in  Britain.     After  this,  no  event  of  material 

consequence 


314  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

consequence  immediately  connected  with  the  history  of  this   place 
happened  till  the  era  of  the  civil  wars  in  the  reign  of  Charles  the 
First,  when  Lord  Herbert,  the  then  proprietor  of  the  castle,  garri- 
soned it  for  the  king ;  but  was  so  much  intimidated  at  the  approach  of 
the  parliamentary  forces,  that  he  wrote  to  their  general,  Sir  Thomas 
Myddelton,  declaring  his  readiness  to  join  the  republican  standard, 
which  he  accordingly  did.     The  advance  of  the  royal  forces  under 
Lord  Byron,  however,  soon  after  rendered  it  prudent  for  Sir  Thomas 
to  retire  to  Oswestry,  leaving  only  a  very  small  garrison  in  the  castle; 
but  having  been  there  reinforced  by  Sir  William  Brereton,  Sir  John 
Meldrum,  and  Sir  William  Fairfax,  he  again  marched  back  to  its 
relief,  when  a  most  desperate  engagement  ensued,  in  which    the 
royalists,  though  much  superior  in  numbers,  were  completely   de- 
feated.    The  castle  subsequently  met  with  the  same  fate  as  most  of 
those  which  had  at  any  time  declared  for  the  king,  being  dismantled 
by  order  of  the  House  of  Commons,  and  never  again  repaired.     The 
town  was  anciently  surrounded  by  a  wall,  evident  marks  of  which 
still  remain.     In  Leland's  time  great  part  of  this  wall  was  standing ; 
and  that  writer  mentions  four  gates  then  in  ruins,—"  Kedewen  Gate, 
Chirbury  Gate,  Arthur's  Gate,  and  Kerry  Gate;"   and  also  some 
remains  "  of  broken  turrets,"  of  which  the  white  tower  was  "  the 
most  notable ;"  but  only  a  few  traces  of  these  are  now  left.      On  the 
same  side  of  the  town  as  the  castle,  but  at  a  short  distance,  is  a 
stupendous  encampment,  which  probably  has  been  a  British  post: 
the  situation  is  on  the  summit  of  a  lofty  hill,  sufficiently  defended  on 
one  side  by  its  abrupt  ascent,  and  on  the  more  accessible  parts  by 
deep  fosses,  which  run  directly  across  it ;  the  approach  was  further 
defended  by  four  shorter  fosses,  having  two  entrances  communicating 
with  the  main  work.     In  the  vale  between  this  hill  and  that  on  which 
the  castle  stood  are  the  remains  of  a  small  fortification,  which  Mr. 
Evans  conjectures  to  have  been  the  site  of  the  fortress  built  by 
Baldwyn,  because  "  partaking  of  the  Norman  manner  in  design  and 
shape."     A  grant  of  Edward  the  First  was  given  to  Bogo  de  Knovill, 
Constable  of  the  Castle,  allowing  him  to  sell  certain  wood  on  Corndon 
Forest,  for  repairing  the  walls  and  fosses  round  the  town  and  castle  ; 
and  a  grant  for  the  same  purpose  was  given  by  Edward  the  Third, 
permitting  a  toll  for  seven  years  on  several    articles  which  were 
brought  there  for  sale,  among  others  squirrel    skins.      The    first 
burgess  that  was  summoned  to  parliament  was  in  the  27th  of  Henry 
;he  Eighth.     The  name  of  William  Herbert  is  first  on  the  list  in  the 
•  ear   1542.      The  County  Gaol  here  is  a   new    and    commodious 
structure ;  as  is  also  the  Town  Hall,  which  stands  in  the  centre  of  the 
principal  street.     This  latter  is  a  handsome  brick  building,  erected 
on  arches;  underneath  is  the  market-place,  above  is  a  large  room  for 
public  business,  and  courts  of  justice,  in  which  the  business  of  the 
Corporation  is  transacted  and  the  Quarter  Sessions  for  the  County 
held.  Near 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  315 

Near  this  town  is  the  famous  mountain  called  Cefn  Digol,  cele- 
brated for  having  been  the  spot  where  the  last  contested  battle  was 
fought  between  freedom  and  oppression,  or  where  the  heroes  of  the 
fallen  principality  gave  their  expiring  groans  :  it  was  a  desperate 
engagement,  in  which  Madog,  prince  of  this  country,  was  defeated 
and  slain. 

About  three  miles  east  of  Montgomery  is  Chirbury,  which,  although 
not  in  the  county  of  Montgomery,  is  situate  so  near  to  the  borders  of 
Wales,  and  so  connected  by  historical  events,  that  it  is  requisite  here 
to  give  an  account  of  it.  It  is  a  handsome  village,  and  here  was 
formerly  a  castle  and  monastery,  supposed  to  have  been  built  by 
Ethelfleda,  a  Mercian  lady,  and  it  gives  the  title  of  baron  to  the  Fowls 
family,  having  been  so  first  attached  in  the  person  of  the  celebrated 
Edward  Lord  Herbert  of  Chirbury.  Chirbury  Priory  was  founded 
in  the  reign  of  King  John,  for  monks  of  the  order  of  Saint  Bennet ; 
and  at  the  general  dissolution  it  was  granted  to  Edward  Hopton  end 
his  wife  Elizabeth,  but  the  rectory  and  parsonage  were  soon  afterwards 
bestowed  on  the  Grammar  School  in  Shrewsbury.  In  the  7th  of 
Edward  VI.  this  hundred  was  given  by  the  crown  to  Edward  Herbert 
and  his  heirs ;  but  Charles  the  First,  in  the  3d  year  of  his  reign, 
permitted  Sir  Edward  Herbert  to  dispose  of  it  to  William  Neye  and 
Thomas  Gardiner,  Esqrs.  of  Chirbury.  Chirbury  was  called  by  the 
Welsh  Llan  Ffynnon  Wen,  "  the  Church  of  the  White  Well.5'  By  a 
composition  between  friar  Philip  and  the  rector  of  Montgomery,  the 
right  of  burials  and  christenings  was  reserved  to  the  church  of  Chir- 
bury. The  same  year  the  prior  had  a  grant  of  the  tithes  of  Mont- 
gomery wood  and  mill.  In  1280  the  prior  and  convent  removed  to 
Snede,  the  place  of  their  first  constitution  and  abode,  it  being 
represented  that  Chirbury  was  not  a  proper  place  for  celebrating 
divine  mysteries  ;  but  this  removal,  it  was  observed,  was  not  to  affect 
the  souls  of  those  buried  at  Chirbury,  to  whom  they  were  bound  to 
do  the  same  services  as  before  the  removal ;  neither  were  the  religious 
to  be  deprived  of  any  of  their  rights  at  Chirbury.  This  house  main- 
tained a  prior  and  six  monks,  and  its  revenues  were  near  £80.  The 
last  prior  was  Oliver  Middleton,  of  Middleton  Hall,  in  this  parish, 
who  had  a  pension  for  life  of  £8  per  annum. 

Between  Hope's  Gate  and  Lady  House  (both  of  which  are  in  the 
parish  of  Worthen,  in  the  county  of  Salop),  adjoining  the  turnpike 
road,  is  a  British  tumulus,  upon  which  several  oak  trees  seem  to 
flourish,  and  to  protect  the  ashes  of  some  warriors,  whose  history  is  as 
silent  as  their  dust. 

In  the  township  of  Marton  is  a  very  fine  sheet  of  water,  called 
Marton  Pool,  covering  near  fifty-four  acres  of  land  ;  the  depth  is  in 
some  places  very  great,  and  the  circumference  is  nearly  a  mile  and 
half,  and  it  abounds  with  very  large  fish,  and  out  of  it  run  three 
rivulets. 

In 


316 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 


In  the  vicinity  of  Montgomery  is  the  parish  of  Churchstoke,  called 
by  the  Welsh  Yr  Ystoc,  having  its  church  dedicated  to  St.  Nicholas. 
Part  of  this  parish  is  in  the  county  of  Salop  ;  the  tithes  belong  to  the 
hospital  of  Clun.  The  vale  of  Churchstoke  is  watered  by  two 
streams,  called  the  Camlet  and  the  Ceibutrach,  besides  other  smaller 
brooks,  which  all  unite  within  the  parish,  and  proceeding  through  the 
much-admired  Marrington  Dingle,  enter  the  Severn  to  the  north  of 
Forden.  In  it  are  several  tumuli  or  barrows,  and  the  remains  of  an 
old  fortification  called  Symmond's  Castle.  In  the  memoranda  of  the 
civil  war  in  North  Wales,  written  in  the  time  of  Mr.  William  Morris, 
of  Llansilin,  and  published  by  the  Rev.  Walter  Davies,  in  his  History 
of  Llansilin,  in  the  Cambro-Briton,  vol.  1,  p.  464,  there  appears  the 
following  paragraph: — "February  23,  1646.  The  Montgomery- 
shire forces  began  to  fortify  Llansilin  Church,  for  the  straightening 
and  keeping  in  of  the  Chirk  Castle  men,  where  Sir  John  Watts  was 
governor,  who  shortly  alter  deserted  the  castle,  and,  marching 
towards  the  king's  army  with  all  his  garrison,  were  taken  by  the  men 
of  Montgomery  Castle,  after  a  hot  bickering  in  Churchstoke  Church, 
the  first  day  of  March,  1646." 

About  four  miles  west  of  Bishop's  Castle,  Shropshire,  is  the  small 
village  of  Hyssington.  The  incumbent  of  Churchstoke  presents  to 
the  curacy  of  Hyssington,  and  the  tithes  are  appropriated.  Prior  to 
the  Reformation  they  belonged  to  the  priory  of  Chirbury,  and  after- 
wards they  became  the  property  of  Edward  Powell,  Esq  The 
present  church  was  built  within  the  precincts  of  a  castle  now  in  ruins. 
Upon  one  of  the  bells  is  the  following  inscription  in  antique  charac- 
ters:— "  Sancta  Ethelreda  ora  pro  nobis."  The  parish  of  Hyssington 
is  within  the  manor  of  Halcetor:  it  was  formerly  dependant  on  the 
priory  of  Chirbury. 

Corndon  hill,  in  the  parishes  of  Churchstoke  and  Hyssington, 
rises  to  a  considerable  height,  and  out  of  its  quarries  are  dug  vast 
quantities  of  slabs,  flags,  &c.  On  the  top  of  the  hill  are  four  car- 
neddau,  forming  a  circle  of  near  90  feet. 

Five  miles  from  Welsh  Pool,  on  the  road  to  Newtown,  we  leave  on 
our  right  Berriew,  or  Aber  Rhiw.  The  parish  is  very  large,  and 
abounds  with  gentlemen's  seats.  The  church,  dedicated  to  Saint 
Beuno,  has  lately  been  re-built,  and  is  a  very  handsome  structure. 
About  a  mile  from  the  church,  near  the  river  Severn,  is  Maen  Beuno 
(Beuno's  Pillar),  a  large  stone  commemorating  the  patron  saint.  In 
Bishop  Fleetwood's  MSS.  we  find  the  following  note: — "  R.  de 
Berrew  concessa  per  Anianum  Ep'um  Asaph,  Abbot  et  Conventii  de 
Pola,  A.D.  1265:  passed  from  the  Crown  about  30th  Anno  Regn. 
Elizabetha,  now  in  the  inheritance  of  John  Blayney,  Esq."  Vaynor 
Park  and  Glansevern  were  formerly  the  property  of  the  family  of 
Devereux,  Viscount  Hereford :  the  former  is  now  in  the  possession  of 
Mrs.  Winder,  the  Jatter  of  William  O\ven;  Esq.  Barrister-at-law  and 

King's 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  317 

King's  Counsel.  Near  the  village  is  Rhiewport,  the  seat  of  Wythen 
Jones,  Esq.  The  Montgomeryshire  Canal  passes  near  to  the  village 
of  Berriew,  and  crosses  the  Severn  over  a  large  aqueduct;  and  a  ne<v 
and  handsome  bridge  has  lately  been  built  over  the  same  river,  at 
the  joint  expense  of  those  gentlemen  whose  property  lies  in  its 
vicinity. 

In  a  valley  not  far  from  this  place  is  Bettws  Church,  situate  on 
the  banks  of  the  rivulet  Bechan.  It  is  called  Bettws-y-Cedwg,  and  is 
dedicated  also  to  Saint  Beuno,  and  formerly  belonged  to  Llanlligai?, 
a  Cistercian  nunnery,  founded  about  1239,  and  valued  at  the  dissolu- 
tion at  £22.  i4s.  Od.  The  steeple  is  very  handsome,  and  was  built 
by  John  Meredith  in  1531. 

On  the  right  of  our  road  from  Welsh  Pool  to  Neutown,  in  this 
parish,  is  Castle  Dolforwyn,  or  "  the  Meadow  of  the  Virgin,"  about 
three  miles  from  the  latter  place.  The  undulations  of  surface  which 
this  tract  exhibits  are  beautiful  to  the  admirers  of  landscape,  but  too 
abrupt  in  the  opinion  of  agriculturists;  the  soil,  however,  is  grateful, 
and  yields  good  grain.  The  castle  stands  on  a  woody  steep  on  the 
north-west  bank  of  the  river  Severn,  and  commands  the  whole  of  the 
surrounding  country :  it  was,  according  to  some,  built  by  Bleddyn  ap 
Cynvyn  between  1065  and  1073;  according  to  Dugdale,  it  was  the 
work  of  Davydd  ap  Llewelyn,  a  prince  who  reigned  from  the  year 
1240  to  1246  ;  but  it  is  referred  by  a  Welsh  writer,  John  Dafydd 
Rhys,  to  a  much  earlier  date.  It  was  of  a  quadrangular  form,  of  no 
great  extent,  being  about  fifty  yards  long  and  twenty  feet  wide,  with 
walls  nearly  four  feet  thick :  a  small  part  of  the  north  wall  with  some 
trifling  remains  of  the  interior  are  yet  left,  but  the  south  and  east 
walls  are  entirely  demolished,  and  the  other  parts  now  standing  are  in 
so  shattered  a  condition  that  a  strong  wind  would  probably  level  the 
whole  with  the  ground.  The  princes  of  Wales,  in  their  contests  with 
the  Saxons  and  Normans,  seem  to  have  made  no  use  of  this  fortress; 
and  it  could  not  long  be  tenable  for  want  of  water.  Some  antiquities 
and  several  coins  have  been  dug  out  of  the  ruins :  but  the  date  of  the 
coins  is  not  known  :  they  were  formerly  preserved  at  Gregynos:,  the 
seat  of  Charles  Hanbury  Tracy,  Esq.  in  the  adjoining  parish  of 
Tregynon. 

On  our  left  we  cross  the  Severn,  over  a  wooden  bridge,  to  the 
parish  of  Llandyssil,  having  its  church  dedicated  to  Tysilio,  a  saint 
who  lived  about  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century. 

On  the  left  of  our  road  is  Llanmerewig,  or  Llan-yn-Merewig, 
"  the  church  or  village  on  the  Deer's  hill :"  in  the  Myvyrian  Archai- 
ology  it  is  called  Llamyr-ewig,  "  the  Deer's  Leap,"  to  which  a  silly 
legend  is  attached ;  but  the  derivation  of  which  more  probably  is 
Bre-ewig,  "  the  Hill  of  the  Hind  or  Deer."  The  church  is  dedi- 
cated to  Llwchaiarn,  a  saint  who  lived  about  the  beginning  of  the 
seventh  century. 

On 


318  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

On  the  left  of  Llanmerewig  is  Llanllwchaiarn  (also  called  Uwch- 
Affes),  having  its  church  likewise  dedicated  to  the  before-mentioned 
Saint.  It  is  a  modern  building  on  the  banks  of  the  Severn,  about  a 
mile  north-east  of  Newtown.  On  the  south-east  side  of  the  parish 
are  the  vestiges  of  a  Roman  road ;  and  at  a  short  distance  from  the 
church  on  the  south  side,  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Severn,  are  the 
remains  of  a  small  intrenchment. 

NEWTOWN,  OR  TRENEWYDD, 

was  formerly  called  Llan-Fair-Ynghedewain,  or  "  Saint  Mary's  in 
the  Cantref  of  Cydewain."  It  is  a  well-built  town,  situate  in  a 
beautiful  vale,  enriched  by  the  Severn,  and  bounded  on  each  side  of 
the  river  by  moderate  hills  generally  mantled  with  wood,  which  can- 
not fail  to  render  it  a  delightful  situation  for  a  residence.  It  is  not  an 
incorporated  town.  Camden  observes  "  Caersws  was  at  one  time  a 
market-town  and  borough  privileged;  but  having  fallen  into  decay, 
Newtown  was  built  about  four  miles  lower  down  the  river,  and  was 
called  by  the  Welsh  Y  Dre  Newydd,  or  Newtown,  in  reference  to  the 
older  one  Caer  Sws,  or  Caer  Llews."  Of  late  years,  from  the  extra- 
ordinary increase  of  its  population  owing  to  the  improving  state  of  its 
flannel  manufactures,  it  has  become  a  flourishing  town  of  consider- 
able wealth  and  consequence.  The  flannels  made  in  this  town,  which 
exceed  in  quantity  all  that  are  manufactured  in  the  rest  of  the  county, 
are  sent  down  to  Welsh  Pool  for  sale  to  a  market  held  there  for  that 
purpose  every  other  Thursday.  Several  new  manufactories  have 
lately  been  erected  on  the  Severn,  whose  course  forms  the  arch  of  a 
circle  on  the  northern  skirt  of  this  place.  The  town-hall  is  an  old 
brick  building  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  street.  The  church 
(dedicated  to  Saint  Mary)  is  an  antique  edifice,  consisting  of  a  nave 
and  chancel,  having  in  the  latter  a  marble  table,  and  in  the  wall 
contiguous  a  small  monument  for  Sir  John  Pryce,  Bart.  Near  it  is  an 
elegant  gilt  partition  in  the  church,  containing  various  curious 
devices,  and  an  antique  font,  reported  to  have  been  brought  from 
Abbey  Cwm  Hir;  also  a  beautiful  screen,  brought  from  thence  by 
Sir  Matthew  Pryce.  Newtown  Hall,  formerly  the  seat  of  the  Pryces, 
now  of  their  descendant  and  representative,  the  Rev.  G.  A.  Evors,  is, 
at  present,  owing  to  the  increase  of  houses,  situate  within  the  town. 
Its  former  owner,  Sir  John  Pryce,  was  a  gentleman  of  worth,  but  of 
extraordinary  eccentricity.  The  family  was  settled  at  Newtown  Hall 
about  the  time  of  Henry  the  Sixth,  and  was  of  great  antiquity.  Their 
ancestor  Rhys  was  an  Esquire  of  the  Body  to  Edward  the 
Fourth.  The  male  Hue  of  Newtown  ended  in  Sir  Edward  Manley 
Pryce,  Baronet,  who  died  a  bachelor.  His  father,  Sir  John  Powell 
Pryce,  married  a  Manley  of  Manley.  This  gentleman  was  accus- 
tomed to  follow  the  hounds  many  years  after  he  had  totally  lost  his 
sight,  and  would  run  the  risk  of  some  dangerous  leaps.  Sir  John 

Pryce, 


TOPO,GRAPHICA,L  NOTICES.  319 

Pryce,  grandfather  to  the  last  Baronet,  married  three  wives:  his 
first  a  Powel,  grand-daughter  of  Sir  John  Powel,  one  of  the  Justices 
of  the  King's  Bench  in  the  reign  of  James  the  Second,  who  eminently 
signalized  his  integrity  and  resolution  in  the  case  of  the  seven  bishops. 
To  the  memory  of  his  second  wife,  a  Morris,  Sir  John  Pryce  wrote 
an  elegy  of  a  thousand  lines,  still  extant;  in  which  he  affirms,  that 
with  his  last  breath  he  would  lisp  Maria's  name ;  but  he  forgot  his 
vow,  and  was  soon  smittten  with  the  charms  of  a  Widow  Jones, 
This  lady  would  not  give  her  hand  to  Sir  John  until  he  had  entombed 
her  predecessors,  who  had,  till  that  time,  lain  in  state  and  chemical 
preparations  in  his  bed-chamber.  He  survived  this  wife  also,  and  on 
her  death  he  wrote  to  Bridget  Bostock,  the  Cheshire  Pythoness,  to 
know  if  she  could  not  restore  her  to  life. 

KERRY,    Oil    CERI, 

is  a  small  village  three  miles  south-east  of  Newtown,  pleasantly  situate 
on  a  gentle  eminence  in  the  vale  of  Kerry,  encompassed  by  hills,  rich 
vallies,  fruitful  fields,  good  pastures,  and  extensive  plantations  both 
useful  and  ornamental.  The  name  implies  "  the  Mountain  Ash," 
with  which  the  district,  probably,  in  former  times,  abounded.  It  is 
the  opinion  of  some  etymologists,  that  the  word  Ceri  is  a  cor- 
ruption of  Caeriau,  i.  e.  "  Fortified  Places,"  the  remains  of  which  are 
numerous  in  this  parish,  particularly  one  called  The  Moat,  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  the  church,  which,  from  its  unfinished  state,  is 
believed  to  be  one  attempted  to  be  erected  by  Henry  III.  The 
ancient  name  of  the  church  was  Llanfihangel-yn-Gheri,  or  "  the 
Church  dedicated  to  Saint  Michael."  The  wake  is  kept  on  the 
Monday  succeeding  Michaelmas-day.  The  chapel  of  Gwernygo, 
which  was  formerly  supported  by  the  tithes  of  that  township,  is  now 
in  ruins,  and  the  township  (being  tithe-free)  pays  a  modus  of  four 
pence  to  the  vicar  of  Ceri.  In  the  centre,  and  along  a  gradual  ascent 
to  the  opposite  declivity,  are  erected,  in  one  tolerable  street,  the 
houses  which  constitute  the  village,  having  its  venerable  church  con- 
tiguous with  the  principal  habitations,  and  situate  nearly  in  the  centre 
of  the  parish.  This  church  was  rebuilt,  according  to  Giraldus  Cam- 
brensis,  in  the  year  1176;  the  superstructure  consists  of  a  quadran- 
gular tower  or  belfry,  terminating  in  regular  turrets,  from  whence  may 
be  had  an  extensive  view  of  the  country,  finely  diversified  with  wood, 
water,  and  their  picturesque  concomitants;  the  internal  part  has  two 
aisles,  divided  by  three  or  four  heavy  gothic  arches,  and  opposite  are 
some  pointed  windows:  of  its  monuments  only  one  claims  attention, 
which  is  of  white  marble,  and  erected  in  the  chancel,  to  perpetuate 
the  memory  and  donations  of  Richard  Jones,  Esq.  late  of  Greenwich, 
in  the  county  of  Kent,  formerly  a  purser  in  the  royal  navy,  but  a 
native  of  this  parish.  He  was  born  at  Black  Hall,  about  two  miles 

from 


320  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

from  the  village,  in  1723,  and  died  November  3d,  1788.     The  school 
house  is  situate  in  the  centre  of  the  street,  and  supported  by  bene- 
factions, and  principally  that  of  Mr.  Jones,  the  annual  interest  whereof 
amounts  to  £154.     There  are  at  present,  on  the  foundation,  in  the 
daily  school,  120  boys  and  girls,  educated  and  partly  clothed.     The 
Sunday  school  is  open  to  all  the  children  of  the  parish,  and  to  en- 
courage their  attendance,  they  are  allowed  bread  and  cheese  by  the 
will  of  the  founder.     The  parish  of  Ceri  must  have  formed  part  of 
the  property  which  was  given  by  Elystan  Glodrydd,  Lord  of  Ferregs 
and  Maelienydd,  to  his  second  son  Morgeneu.     Llewelyn  ap  lorwerth 
gave  the  Lordship  of  Ceri  and  Cydewain  as  a  marriage  portion  with 
his  daughter,  Gwladus,  the  widow  of  Reginald  de  Breos,  Lord  of 
Brecknock,  to  Reginald  Mortimer,  Lord  of  Maelienydd,  who  (about 
the  year  1242)  built  the  castles  of  Cefn  Llys  and  Cnwclas.     Ac- 
cording to  Matthew  Paris,  Ceri   was  the  scene   of  the  successful 
resistance  of  Llewelyn  ap  lorwerth  to  King  Henry  the  Third.     The 
English  monarch,  after  his  irruption  into  the  borders,  led  his  army 
into  the  vale  of  Ceri,  to  a  place  corruptly  called  Cridia,  having  in  his 
march  compelled  the  Welsh  to  raise  the  siege  of  Montgomery.     At 
Ceri  much  time  was  lost  in  cutting  down  a  wood  of  vast  extent,  which 
frequently  protected  the  Welsh  from  the  incursions  of  the  English,  in 
the  centre  of  which  was  a  fort  or  castellated  mansion,  serving  the 
inhabitants  as  a  place  of  security  against  the  sudden  attacks  of  the 
English.      This  mansion   King  Henry  took  and  demolished;    but 
finding  the  site  of  it  very  strong  and  almost  inaccessible,  he,  by  the 
advice  of  Hubert  de  Burgh,  laid  the  foundation  of  a  castle  on  the 
same  spot :  but  Llewelyn  so  harassed  the  English  during  its  erection, 
by  intercepting  their  convoys  and  cutting  off  their  foraging  parties, 
that  Henry,  after  three  months'  labour  and  much  expence,  was  glad 
to  agree  to  a  truce,  the  conditions  of  which,  on  his  part,  were,  the 
levelling  of  the  works  which  he  had  constructed,  called  Hubert's 
Folly  ;  and  on  the  part  of  the  Welsh  prince,  to  pay  three  thousand 
marks  for  the  materials,  and  consenting  to  do  homage  for  the  lordship 
of  Ceri.     William  de  Breos,  Lord  of  Brecknock,  was  taken  prisoner 
at  Ceri  in  one  of  these  rencounters,  for  whose  liberation  Henry  made 
no  stipulation.     Ceri  belongs  to  the  see  of  Saint  David's,  which  is 
probably  owing  to  the  activity  and  courage  of  Giraldus  Cambrensis, 
also  the  adjoining  parish  of  Mochtref,  and  likewise  probably  great 
part  of  the  county  of  Radnor.     Giraldus,  at  that  time  Archdeacon  of 
Brecknock,  having  heard  that  the  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph  had  claimed, 
and  had  called  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Powys  and  Cydewain  to  assist 
him  in  taking  possession  of  the  church  of  Ceri  by  force,  if  necessary, 
he  (Giraldus)  summoned  the  clergy  of  Radnor  to  meet  him  at  Ceri, 
and  prevailed  also  upon  Eineon  Glyd  and  Cadwallon,  two  reguli  of 
that  county,  to  furnish  him  with  a  body  of  horse,  and  support  him  in 
defending  the  rights  of  the  see  of  Saint  David's.     Thus  assisted,  he 

arrived 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  321 

arrived  at  Ceri  before  the  bishop,  tolled  the  bells,  and  said  mass.  On 
the  bishop's  approach,  he  prohibited  his  entrance  to  the  church  unless 
he  came  as  a  friend.  On  the  bishop's  persisting  to  take  possession  of 
the  church,  Giraldus,  accompanied  by  the  rest  of  the  clergy,  met  him 
in  procession  with  tapers,  and,  carrying  the  cross,  threatened  him 
with  excommunication,  upon  which  he  departed  much  mortified. 
The  usual  traces  of  entrenchments  and  fortified  places  still  remaining 
in  the  parish  prove  it  to  have  been  a  scene  of  warfare  in  former  ages, 
and  are  strong  evidences  of  the  truth  of  the  preceding  history.  But 
the  almost  total  change  of  the  language  from  that  of  Welsh  to  English 
within  the  last  century,  prevents  any  advantage  being  derived  from 
tradition  respecting  the  history  and  antiquities  of  this  parish. — 
Trefen,  in  this  parish,  was  the  residence  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Jones, 
a  very  eminent  lecturer  at  Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  and  who  was 
born  at  Berriew  on  the  23d  of  January,  1756. 

The  parish  of  Mochdrev,  or  Mochtref,  was  anciently  a  part  of  the 
cwmwd  of  Ceri.  The  same  district  constituted  also  the  lordship  and 
manor  of  Kerry.  The  etymology  of  Mochdrev  is  very  uncertain. 
It  is  a  perpetual  curacy ;  the  patron  is  the  prebendary  of  Mochdrev, 
to  whom  the  great  tithes  belong.  It  is  valued  in  the  king's  books  at 
£L  8s.  and  it  was  one  of  the  twenty-four  prebends  with  which 
Thomas  Beke,  Bishop  of  Saint  David's  about  the  year  1287,  endowed 
the  college  of  St.  Mary's  at  Abergwyli  in  Carmarthenshire.  This 
was  afterwards  transferred  by  Henry  VIII.  to  the  dissolved  house  of 
the  mendicant  friars  at  Brecon,  called  the  College  of  Christ  Church. 
The  church,  dedicated  to  All  Saints,  is  a  plain,  simple  building,  with 
a  wooden  tower.  The  village  consists  of  a  few  straggling  houses 
adjoining  the  church,  and  is  distant  from  Newtown  about  two  miles 
and  a  half.  The  whole  parish  is  very  uneven,  but  picturesque:  its 
form  is  semicircular,  surrounded  by  high  hills.  It  was,  at  no  very 
distant  period,  like  the  neighbouring  parish  of  Kerry,  and  the  Severn 
vale,  covered  with  wood.  As  Mochdref  and  Kerry  formed  one 
cwmwd,  and  were  always  united  under  the  same  reguli,  they  under- 
went the  same  changes,  and  the  historical  notices  referring  to  the  one 
generally  apply  to  both.  From  an  anonymous  poem  in  the  Myvyrian 
Archaiology,  which  contains  the  characteristics  of  many  parts  of 
Wales,  it  may  be  gathered  that  the  inhabitant  of  Mochdrev  were  in 
former  times  noisy  and  quarrelsome,  and  that  Ceri  was  famous  for 
mead-horns.  As  the  mead-horns  have  disappeared,  and  a  happy 
change  has  taken  place  in  the  circumstances  of  the  people,  who  as 
borderers  were  always  exposed  to  hostile  excursions,  it  might  be 
expected  that  peace  and  security  would  be  followed,  as  in  fact  they 
have  been,  by  the  happiest  effects.  Mochdrev  and  Ceri  are  the  only 
parishes  in  the  county  of  Montgomery  which  belong  to  the  see  of 
Saint  David. 

,About  six  miles  from-  Newtown,   on  the  road  to  Llanidloes,  is 

Llandinam. 
Q  q  2 


322  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

Llandinam.  The  church  is  dedicated  to  Lloriio,  a  saint  of  the 
congregation  of  Illtyd,  in  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century.  It  is 
situate  on  an  eminence,  beyond  which  there  is  a  remarkable  intrench- 
ment,  called  Y  Gaer  Vechan,  which  name  may  signify  "  the  lesser 
city/'  or  "  the  lesser  fortification." — Penhalog,  otherwise  Banheglog 
or  Banadlog,  is  a  chapel-of-ease  to  Llandinam,  and  has  been  recently 
rebuilt  and  neatly  fitted  up  for  the  performance  of  Divine  Service. 

At  a  short  distance  is  the  parish  of  Llanwnog,  having  its  church 
dedicated  to  Gwynog,  a  saint  of  the  congregation  of  Catwg,  in  the 
middle  of  the  sixth  century.  Part  of  the  window  above  the  altar  in 
this  church  is  painted  glass,  on  one  pane  of  which  is  represented 
St.  Gwynog,  attired  in  his  episcopal  robes,  with  a  mitre  on  his  head, 
his  name  being  written  underneath  in  old  Saxon  characters. 

Caersws,  now  only  a  small  hamlet,  situate  on  the  Severn  about  five 
miles  above  Newtown,  appears  to  have  been  a  town  of  considerable 
antiquity,  as  already  noticed  in  treating  of  the  Roman  stations  in  this 
county. 

At  the  distance  of  nine  miles  from  Newtown  we  arrive  at 

LLANIDLOES, 

or  the  church  of  Idloes,  a  saint  who  lived  about  the  middle  of  the 
sixth  century.  It  is  a  small  town,  pleasantly  situated  near  the  Severn, 
with  a  few  spacious  streets,  which  are  built  generally  very  irregular, 
and  the  whole  town  contains  very  few  good  houses.  This  place,  like 
most  towns  in  North  Wales,  is  built  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  indicating 
a  Roman  origin,  having  its  market-house  in  the  centre.  Of  public 
buildings,  the  principal  is  its  ancient  church,  the  body  resting  on  five 
arches,  surrounded  with  neat  pillars,  ending  in  capitals  of  palm  leaves: 
these,  the  inhabitants  affirm,  were  brought  from  Abbey  Cwmhir,  in 
Radnorshire.  There  is  a  date  on  the  roof  of  1542;  after  which  soon 
followed  the  dissolution  of  monasteries  in  Great  Britain.  Llanidloes 
has  a  considerable  market  for  yarn  and  flannels,  which  are  manufac- 
tured to  a  great  amount,  and  carried  to  Welsh  Pool  for  sale.  The 
town  was  once  a  contributory  borough  with  Welsh  Pool  and  Llan- 
fyllin.  Near  the  town  are  several  extensive  sheepwalks ;  and  in  the 
neighbourhood  an  excellent  quarry  of  coarse  slate.  The  river  Cly- 
wedog  falls  into  the  Severn  near  the  town.  In  the  vicinity  is  Berth- 
llwyd,  an  old  mansion  belonging  to  the  ancient  family  of  Lloyd;  and 
on  the  north  side  is  a  small  lake,  called  Llyn-yr-Afanc,  or  "  Lake  of 
Beavers,"  which  animals  are  said  to  have  been  very  numerous  here. 

About  five  miles  from  Llanidloes,  on  the  road  to  Aberystwith,  is 
Llangurig,  having  its  church  dedicated  to  Curig,  a  saint  who  came 
into  Wales  about  the  seventh  century.  The  village  is  situate  near 
the  Wye,  on  the  south-eastern  side  of  Pumlumon,  in  a  very  barren 
and  mountainous  part  of  the  county. 

Llanbrynmair,  or  "  the  church  on  the  hill  of  Saint  Mary,"  to  whom 

the 


TOPOGRAPHICAL    NOTICES.  323 

the  church  is  dedicated.  The  hills  and  mountains  in  this  parish  are 
very  extensive,  and  are  used  for  the  pasture  of  horned  cattle  and 
sheep.  In  the  township  of  Pennant  is  a  very  fine  waterfall,  called 
Ffrwd-Fawr  (the  great  water-spout  or  catacract),  which  is  much 
admired,  particularly  after  heavy  rain,  when  an  immense  body  of 
water  falls  45  yards  perpendicular.  A  tradition  prevails,  that  at  a 
place  called  Tal-Erddig  was  formerly  a  chapel-of-ease,  but  there  are 
no  remains  of  it  at  present.  The  road  from  Newtown  to  Machynlleth 
passes  through  the  village,  which  is  situate  nine  miles  east  of  the 
latter  town.  This  is  considered  the  best  and  most  romantic  road  for 
travellers  to  take  on  their  journey  in  the  summer  months  to  Aberyst- 
with,  for  whose  accommodation  a  large  new  inn  has  lately  been  built. 
Humphrey  David  ap  Evan,  parish-clerk  of  Llanbrynmair  about  the 
year  1 600,  was  an  excellent  Welsh  bard. 

In  the  township  of  Rhiw  Saeson,  i.  e.  "  the  Clift  or  Ascent  of  the 
Saxons,"  is  Rhiew  Saeson  House,  which  gives  name  to  the  township. 
It  was  formerly  the  property  of  the  fami-ly  of  Owen,  who,  with  the 
Pryces  of  Newtown,  were  descendants  of  Elystan  Glodrydd,  head  of 
one  of  the  five  royal  tribes  of  Wales.  In  the  last  century  the  mansion 
and  estate  were  conveyed  by  sale  to  the  Wynns  of  Wynnstay.  Some 
attribute  the  great  number  of  English  surnames  in  the  parish  of 
Llanbrynmair  and  the  neighbourhood  to  a  regiment  of  soldiers  who 
were  quartered  at  Machynlleth  during  the  Protectorate,  and  dis- 
banded at  the  Restoration.  In  whatever  manner,  however,  or  period, 
these  English  settlers  came  to  Cyfeilioc,  their  descendants  still  retain 
their  surnames,  though  they  have  changed  their  language,  several  of 
them  scarcely  knowing  a  word  of  English.  Some  of  the  foreign 
names  here  are  Webster,  Baxter,  Tibbot,  Swancoat,  Jervis,  Meddins, 
Bebb,  Stubb,  Tanner,  Jerman,  &c.  William  Baxter,  author  of  the 
Glossarium  Antiquitatem  Romanantm,  was  of  this  tribe,  and  was 
born  at  Llan  Uugan,  in  this  county.  In  the  township  of  Tafel  Wern, 
in  this  parish,  was  the  mansion  of  Owain  Cyveilioc  and  Gwenwynwyn, 
Princes  of  Powys.  It  is  called  Wai wern  Castle,  and  a  tumulus  still 
shews  its  site,  about  two  miles  from  the  church. 

Dar  Owain  ("  the  Oak  of  Owain")  is  situate  about  six  miles  east  of 
Machynlleth,  betwen  the  Llanbrynmair  and  Mallwyd  roads.  The 
wake,  or  feast  of  dedication  to  Tudyr,  the  patron  saint,  is  annually 
observed  on  the  25th  day  of  October,  or  the  first  Sunday  after.  The 
diversion  is  kept  on  Monday  by  what  is  called  Curo  Tudyr,  or  "  the 
Beating  of  Tudyr,"  which  is  done  in  this  manner  :  one  of  the  lads 
carrying  a  long  pole  or  branch  of  a  tree  upon  his  shoulder,  the  other 
lads  beat  it  with  their  clubs.  About  the  distance  of  half  a  mile  west 
of  the  church,  on  the  top  of  a  hill  called  Fron  Goch,  in  the  township 
of  Caer  Seddfan,  are  the  remains  of  an  ancient  camp,  and  on  the  top 
of  another  hill  opposite  to  it  on  the  north  side,  being  part  of  a  farm 
called  Berllan  Deg,  "  the  Fair  Orchard/'  several  warlike  instruments 

of 


324  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

of  brass  were  discovered  some  years  ago.  According  to  Ect on,  Dar- 
owen  vicarage  was  erected  by  Bishop  Robert  Parsons,  A.  D.  1545,  at 
the  request  of  Richard  ab  GrufFydd,  rector. 

Carno  is  situate  about  nine  miles  west  of  Newtown,  and  eight  miles 
north  of  Llanidloes.  The  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  John  the 
Baptist.  Carno  mountain  is  rendered  remarkable  by  several  battles 
fought  there  and  on  the  hills  contiguous,  particularly  in  the  year  949, 
when  levaf  and  lago  defeated  the  sons  of  Howell  dda,  and  wasted 
Dyfed.  Likewise,  in  the  year  1097  according  to  some  authors, 
according  to  others  1082,  when  a  bloody  and  decisive  battle  was 
fought  on  the  mountains  of  Carno  between  the  Princes  of  North  and 
South  Wales,  wherein  Trahairn  ab  Caradoc,  prince  of  the  latter,  was 
slain,  and  GruflTydd  ab  Cynan  put  in  possession  of  the  throne.  The 
word  Carno  is  probably  derived  from  Carnau,  the  large  heaps  of 
stones  on  the  neighbouring  mountains. 

Llanwddin,  or  Llanowddin,  is  twelve  miles  west  by  north  of  Llan- 
vyilin,  and  nearly  the  same  distance  north  from  Llanvair  Caereineon. 
The  church,  which  is  dedicated  to  Saint  John  the  Baptist,  and  which 
formerly  belonged  to  the  Knights  Hospitallers,  is  situate  between 
mountains  near  the  river  Vyrnwy,  in  the  most  retired  part  of  the 
county,  and  nearly  at  its  northern  extremity.  This  parish  derives  its 
name,  according  to  tradition,  from  a  giant  called  Wddyn,  or  Owddin, 
or  Wothin,  who  was  born  here.  There  is  a  place  on  the  hills  called 
Gwely  Wddin,  "  Wothin's  Bed,"  at  which  place,  according  to  an 
idea  entertained  by  the  country  people,  great  treasures  are  concealed, 
but  that  every  attempt  to  discover  them  are  said  to  have  been  frus- 
trated by  tremendous  storms  of  hail  and  thunder.  Others,  however, 
with  more  reason,  say  that  this  Wddyn  or  Owddin  was  an  anchorite, 
and  his  cell  in  the  rocks  is  still  called  Gwely,  or  "  the  Bed."  His 
path,  when  he  paid  his  visit  to  his  neighbouring  saint  Monacella,  at 
Pen-Nant-Melangell,  being  divided  only  by  a  mountain  five  miles 
over,  is  still  traced  and  called  by  his  name.  If  Owddyn  was  contem- 
porary with  Monacella,  he  must  have  lived  in  the  seventh  century. 
The  superstitious  tradition  that  vast  treasures  are  concealed  about  this 
hermit's  cell  caused  Hennings,  a  German,  who  superintended  Lord 
Powis's  mines  at  Llangynog,  and  who  had  an  annual  allowance  of 
£100  to  make  new  trials  for  ores,  to  expend  his  last  £100  at  the  bed 
of  Owddyn,  but,  as  might  have  been  expected,  without  any  success. 
The  following  note  was  taken  from  a  MS.  belonging  to  the  Right 
Reverend  J.  Griffith,  D. D.  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph  in  1660 .-—"Some 
part  of  this  parish,  viz.  Tre'r  Llanelid,  &c.  belongs  to  the  Society  of 
Saint  John  of  Jerusalem,  and  was  of  late  part  of  the  estate  of  Edward 
Lord  Herbert  of  Chirbury,  now  in  jointure  to  his  widow,  the  Countess 
Dowager  Inchiquin,  who  allows  ten  pounds  for  serving  the  cure;  the 
reversion  belongs  to  Francis  Herbert,  Esquire."  The  townships  of 
Rhiwargor  and  Marchnant  Ucha,  though  in  this  parish,  belong  to  the 

rectory 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  325 

rectory  of  Llanrhaiadr-yn-Mochnant.  A  quarry  of  excellent  blue 
slates  has  lately  been  discovered,  and  is  now  worked  .with  great  suc- 
cess, at  a  place  called  Gallt  Forgan,  in  this  parish. 

Hirnant  ("the  extensive  Dingle")  hath  its  church  dedicated  to 
St.  Illog.  The  village  is  six  miles  north-west  of  Llanvyllin.  There 
is  a  tumulus  on  the  summit  of  an  eminence  called  Carnedd  Illog,  sup- 
posed to  have  been  placed  there  in  honour  of  the  titular  saint ;  here  is 
also  a  well,  called  Ffynnon  Illog,  which  is  much  resorted  to  for  its 
mineral  powers,  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  it  has  ever  been  of  real 
efficacy  in  any  disorder.  There  are  two  intrenchments  on  opposite 
hills  on  the  borders  of  this  parish,  one  on  the  northern  side  bordering 
on  Pennant  parish,  the  other  on  the  southern  side  bordering  on  Llan- 
rhaiadr  parish,  of  about  four  hundred  yards  in  length,  but  not,  as  they 
usually  are  in  this  country,  of  a  circular  form :  the  northern  is  not 
nearly  so  visible  as  that  to  the  south,  which  is  called  Clawdd  Mawr, 
and  which  is  now  about  three  yards  high.  The  time  or  cause  of  their 
erection  does  not  appear  to  have  been  ascertained :  they  are  about  two 
miles  distant. 

Pennant  Melangell  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Monacella, 
or  Melangell.  The  village  is  situated  in  a  hollow  between  mountains, 
and  is  about  1 3  miles  south-east  of  Bala  and  ten  north-west  of  Llan- 
fyllin.  The  river  Tanad  rises  in  this  parish,  and  falls  into  the 
Vyrnwy,  near  Llanymynech,  on  the  confines  of  Salop.  The  legend  of 
Monacella,  or  Melangell,  the  female  patron  saint,  is  rudely  sculptured 
in  the  gallery  of  the  church  ;  and  several  of  her  relics  are  still  shewn 
to  the  credulous  who  happen  to  visit  this  sequestered  spot.  The  cell 
of  Diva  Monacella  is  in  a  rock  near  the  church.  The  history  of 
Melangell  is  thus  related  by  Mr.  Pennant: — ef  According  to  the 
legend,  she  was  the  daughter  of  an  Irish  monarch,  who  had  deter- 
mined to  marry  her  to  a  nobleman  of  his  court;  but  the  princess 
having  vowed  celibacy,  fled  from  her  father's  dominions,  and  took 
refuge  in  this  place,  where  she  lived  fifteen  years  without  seeing  the 
face  of  man.  Brochwel  Yscythrog,  Prince  of  Powys,  being  one  day 
a  hare-hunting,  pursued  his  game  till  he  came  to  a  great  thicket, 
when  he  was  amazed  to  find  a  virgin  of  surprising  beauty  engaged  in 
deep  devotion,  with  the  hare  he  had  been  pursuing  under  her  robe, 
boldly  facing  the  dogs,  who  had  retired  to  a  distance,  and  were 
howling,  notwithstanding  all  the  efforts  of  the  sportsmen  to  miake 
them  seize  their  prey;  and,  wonderful  to  relate,  when  the  huntsman 
blew  his  horn,  it  stuck  to  his  lips.  Brochwel  heard  her  story,  and 
gave  to  God  and  her  a  parcel  of  lands  to  be  a  sanctuary  to  all  that 
fled  there.  He  desired  her  to  found  an  abbey  on  the  spot:  she  did 
so,  and  died  abbess,  in  a  good  old  age.  She  was  buried  in  the 
neighbouring  church,  called  Pennant,  and  from  her  distinguished  by 
the  addition  of  Melangell.  Her  tomb  was  in  a  little  chapel  or 
oratory  adjoining  to  the  church,  and  now  used  as  a  vestry-room. 

This 


326  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

This  room  is  still  called  Cell-y-Bedd,  "  the  cell  of  the  grave.*  She 
thus  became  the  patroness  of  hares,  which  from  that  circumstance 
were  called  <  Wyn  MelangelP  (Monacella's  Lambs).  So  strong  was 
the  superstition  about  two  centuries  ago,  that  no  person  would  kill  a 
hare  in  the  parish;  and  even  later,  when  a  hare  was  pursued  by  dogs, 
it  was  firmly  believed  that  if  any  one  cried  '  God  and  Saint  Mona- 
cella  be  with  thee/  it  was  sure  to  escape.— In  the  church-yard  is  a 
stone,  with  the  figure  of  an  armed  man:  it  once  covered  the  remains 
of  the  eldest  son  of  Owairi  Gwynedd,  viz.  lorwerth  Drwyndwn,  or 
Edward  with  the  broken  Nose,  who  was  set  aside  and  prevented  from 
succeeding  to  the  throne  on  account  of  this  blemish.  He  fled 
hither  from  the  cruelty  of  his  brother  Davydd  ap  Owain  Gwynedd, 
this  place  being  at  that  time  one  of  the  most  celebrated  sanctuaries  in 
Wales.  On  his  shield  is  inscribed  "  Hie  jacet  Etward."  Tradition 
says  he  was  killed  not  far  from  hence,  at  a  place  called  Bwlch  Croes 
lorwerth.  This  valley  is  extremely  picturesque,  being  inclosed  by 
hills  on  all  sides,  except  at  its  entrance.  The  upper  end  is  bounded 
by  two  vast  precipices,  down  which  at  times  fall  two  great  cataracts ; 
and  between  them  juts  the  great  and  rude  promontory  of  Moel  Ddii 
Mawr,  "  the  great  round  Black  Mountain,"  which  also  divides  the 
precipices  into  equal  parts.  Pennant  means  "  the  upper  end  of  the 
dingle." 

Llanvihangel  yn  Gwynva,  otherwise  Llanvihangel  y  Gwynt. — The 
church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Michael :  the  village  is  about  four  miles 
south-west  of  Llanfyllin.  Llwydiarth,  a  large  old  house,  seated  on  a 
hilly,  naked  country,  is  in  this  parish  :  it  was  at  one  time  the  property 
of  the  Vaughans,  some  of  whom  were  representatives  in  parliament 
for  the  county ;  from  them  it  came  by  marriage  into  the  possession  of 
Sir  W.  W.  Wynn.  This  parish  is  extremely  hilly  and  mountainous. 
It  is  called  Llanvihangel  y  Gwynt,  or  "  The  Stormy,"  to  distinguish 
it  from  Llanvihangel  Ynghentyn,  the  Welsh  name  for  Alberbury,  on 
the  confines  of  the  county  of  Salop. 

Llanwyddelan  is  four  miles  south  of  Llanvair  and  six  north  of 
Newtown.  The  church  is  dedicated  to  Gwyddelan,  or  Gwendolina, 
a  saint  of  whom  little  is  known.  This  parish  exhibits  an  undulated 
surface.  The  Roman  road  from  Chester  to  Caersws  is  supposed  to 
have  gone  through  the  western  -extremity  of  this  parish ;  it  entered 
through  the  pass  of  Bwlch  Cae  Haidd,  crossed  the  two  Rhiws,  and 
through  the  parishes  of  Llanllugan,  Llanfair,  Llanerfyl,  Llanfihangel, 
and  Llanfyllin,  to  the  vale  of  Mochnant,  where  Sir  Richard  Colt 
Hoare,  in  his  edition  of  Giraldus,  has  placed  the  long-lost  Medio- 
lanum.  The  appendages  of  the  Roman  road  in  this  parish  are, — 
first,  Adfa,  or  the  place  of  rendezvous  for  the  British  freebooters  to 
assemble  to  attack  the  passing  Roman  caravans;  secondly,  two 
exploratory  posts,  one  at  Pen  y  Gaer,  an  intrenched  encampment,  and 
the  other  at  Luest  Cerrig,  or  Cameddau.  one  on  each  side  of  the 

Roman 


TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES.  327 

Roman  road,  and  both  of  them  in  view  of  the  passes,  Bvvlch  Cae 
Haidd  and  Cefn  Coch  ;  and  when  the  caravans  appeared  in  either  of 
the  passes,  the  usual  signal  was  given,  and  the  two  exploratory  com- 
panies hastened  to  meet  at  Adfa  to  prepare  for  the  attack. 

Manavon,  or  Man-afon,  "  a  place  near  the  river." — The  church  is 
dedicated  to  Saint  Michael.  This  parish  is  in  most  places  very 
mountainous  and  unfit  for  cultivation,  and  the  climate  is  very  cold. 
In  the  hamlet  of  Dol-Gynfelyn  were  lately  the  ruins  of  a  small  chapel- 
of-ease,  which  is  deemed  a  reason  why  the  inhabitants  thereof  have 
no  seats  in  the  church  of  Manafon.  The  Rev.  Walter  Davies  is 
Rector  of  this  parish  :  he  is  a  gentleman  who  has  a  just  claim  to  the 
gratitude  of  his  countrymen,  for  having  devoted  the  greater  part  of 
his  time  and  talents  in  useful  researches  to  elucidate  the  history  of 
his  native  country,  and  for  the  manner  in  which  he  has  distinguished 
himself  as  a  bard,  historian,  and  antiquary. 

Tregynon  (Cynan's  Town)  is  situate  on  the  high  road  from  New- 
town  to  Llanfair,  at  an  equal  distance  from  both :  it  is  called,  in  the 
Myvyrian  Archaiology,  Llandregynon.  The  church  is  said  to  be 
dedicated  to  Knonkell,  a  saint  not  noticed  in  the  British  catalogue, 
probably  Congcen  or  Cyngen  is  intended.  The  church  is  of  modern 
date,  well  pewed,  and  far  surpassing  in  neatness  many  in  Wales.  In 
the  church  yard  lie  the  remains  of  Arthur  Blayney,  of  Gregynog,  Esq. 
and  by  his  side  his  faithful  agent  and  servant,  Thomas  Colley,  Esq. 

Llanvechan,  or  Llan  Fechan  ("  the  Small  Church"),  or  Llan  yn 
Mechain  ("  the  Church  or  Village  in  the  District  of  Mechain"). — 
The  church  is  dedicated  to  Garmon,  or  Germain,  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  of  the  British  saints.  The  village  is  situated  in  the 
centre  of  a  beautiful  valley,  of  a  circular  form,  which  is  about  three 
miles  in  diameter,  divided  by  the  river  Cain,  whence  Mechain,  or 
Mach  Cain,  i.  e.  "  the  Tract  of  Cain."  The  well  of  the  patron  saint, 
called  Ffynnon  Armon,  is  near  the  church,  and  lately  the  veneration 
of  its  water  was  such,  that  the  parish  clerk  always  supplied  the 
church  font  with  it  for  baptisms.  Bryn  Gwyn,  formerly  a  seat  of  the 
Kynaston  family,  afterwards  of  that  ofMostyn,  now  of  Martin  Wil- 
liams, Esq.  ;  Bodynfol,  a  seat  formerly  of  the  Trevor  family,  now  of 
R.  M.  B.  Maurice,  Esq. ;  and  Bron  Gain,  a  seat  formerly  of  the 
ancient  family  of  Griffith  ;  were  all  in  this  parish.  There  are  several 
British  encampments  in  the  neighbourhood,  particularly  at  Moel- 
dinam,  which  Mr.  Edward  Lhuyd,  by  the  similarity  of  the  name, 
would  have  to  be  the  Roman  Mediolanum.  The  village  is  about  nine 
miles  north  of  Welsh  Pool. 

Llansantffraid.—  The  church,  dedicated  to  St.  Fraid  (in  English 
St.  Bride  or  St.  Bridget),  is  situate  on  an  eminence  commanding  a 
beautiful  view  of  the  vale  beneath,  through  which  runs  the  river 
Virniew.  A  tract  in  this  parish  goes  by  the  name  of  Gwinllan,  or 
'*  the  Vineyard."  If  the  Romans  attempted  the  culture  of  the  vine 

here. 


328  TOPOGRAPHICAL   NOTICES. 

here,  it  is  no  proof  of  the  sagacity  generally  attributed  to  that  people, 
for  it  is  the  coldest  part  of  the  parish.  There  are  numerous  encamp- 
ments, intrenchments,  and  tumuli,  in  this,  as  in  most  other  parishes 
on  the  marches  or  borders  of  England.  The  church-yards  in  this 
part  of  Wales  abound  with  yew-trees,  which  are  supposed  to  have 
been  cultivated  more  generally  here  than  in  the  interior  of  Wales  or 
in  England,  in  order  to  supply  contending  parties  in  days  of  yore  with 
strongly-elastic  bows.  This  parish  is  called  Llan  Sant  Fraid  in 
Mechain,  to  distinguish  it  from  other  parishes,  whose  churches  are 
under  the  patronage  of  the  same  saint. 

Llandysilio  is  a  small  village,  consisting  of  only  a  few  houses,  on 
the  road  from  Welsh  Pool  to  Oswestry,  at  the  eastern  extremity  of  the 
county  near  the  river  Vyrnwy,  and  not  far  from  its  junction  with  the 
Severn.  The  canal  passes  through  the  parish  at  no  great  distance 
from  the  church.  It  is  a  very  fertile  spot,  and  is  inhabited  by  large 
and  very  respectable  landed  proprietors  and  tenantry.  The  church  is 
dedicated  to  Tysilio,  son  of  Brochwel  Prince  of  Powys,  a  saint  and 
writer,  who  flourished  about  the  middle  of  the  seventh  century. 

Llandrinio  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Trinio,  a  saint  who  lived  in 
the  beginning  of  the  sixth  century.  It  is  the  adjoining  parish  to 
Llandysilio,  and  is  situate  on  the  borders  of  Shropshire,  at  the 
eastern  extremity  of  the  county,  in  an  angle  near  the  conflux  of  the 
rivers  Vyrnwy  and  Severn.  The  parish  is  considered  to  be  one  of  the 
most  fertile  divisions  in  Wales,  the  lands  adjacent  to  the  above  rivers 
being  covered  with  a  rich  sediment  every  time  they  are  overflowed. — 
There  is  a  free  school  in  this  parish,  which  is  endowed  with  about 
£60  per  annum  in  land  for  the  instruction  of  children  who  are  natives 
of  the  hundred  of  Deuddur.  The  master  has  a  good  house,  and  is 
perpetual  curate  of  a  chapel  of  ease  called  New  Chapel  (Y  Capel 
Newydd  yn  Mhenrhos  neu  yn  Neuddwr),  the  patron  of  which  is 
Major  Gore.  The  chapel  was  founded  by  one  of  the  family  of 
Derwas,  then  of  Penrhos,  towards  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century. 
The  church  is  dedicated  to  the  Holy  Trinity.  Penrhos  was  the 
residence  of  the  late  John  Owen,  Esq.  a  gentleman  who  did  great 
acts  of  charity,  not  only  in  his  neighbourhood,  but  at  a  distance 
wherever  his  extensive  property  lay.  It  is  now  an  appendage  to 
Porkington.  There  are  several  British  encampments  in  this  neigh- 
bourhood. 

Alberbury,  called  by  the  Welsh  "  Llan  fi  ban  gel  yn  Nghentyn,"  is 
parlly  in  the  hundred  of  Deuddwr,  in  the  county  of  Montgomery,  and 
partly  in  the  hundred  of  Chirbury,  in  the  county  of  Salop.  It  is  a 
rectory,  belonging  to  All  Souls'  College,  Oxford,  and  the  members 
and  head  of  that  college  are  the  patrons.  The  church  is  in  the 
diocese  of  Hereford,  and  is  dedicated  to  St.  Michael.  The  ancient 
mansion  or  castle  of  Alberbury  was  small,  but  very  strong ;  a  square 
tower  and  some  walls  vet  exist.  Leland  says  it  was  the  castle  of 

J  Fulk 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES.  329 

Fulk  Fitzwarine,  on  whose  father,  Guarine  de  Metz,  a  noble  Lorainer, 
William  the  Conqueror  had  bestowed  this  manor.  Fulk  was  founder 
of  the  abbey  of  Alberbury,  which  stood  on  the  banks  of  the  Severn. 
He  founded  it  in  the  time  of  Henry  the  First,  and  it  was  a  cell  of  the 
Benedictines  of  Grammont  in  France.  Being  an  alien  priory,  Henry 
Chichley,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  begged  it  of  Henry 'the  First 
towards  the  endowment  of  his  new  college  of  All  Souls,  to  which  it 
has  ever  since  belonged,  together  with  the  presentation  to  the  vicar- 
age. This  religious  house  was  also  called  Album  Monasterium. — 
Wattlesbury  Castle,  an  old  house  noticed  by  Mr.  Pennant,  with  a 
square  tower  of  far  more  ancient  date,  before  mentioned,  lies  on  the 
Roman  road  from  Llanrhaiadr-yn-Mochnant.  Mr.  William  Mytton 
conjectures  that  the  site  might  have  been  a  station  of  a  party  of 
Vandals,  sent  into  Britain  by  the  Emperor  Probus,  and  that  the  word 
is  corrupted  from  Vandlesburgh,  a  name  given  to  it  by  the  Saxons, 
there  being  a  rampart  of  that  name  in  Lincolnshire,  derived,  as  it  is 
supposed,  from  the  same  cause.  One  Edric  possessed  it  at  the  time 
of  the  conquest,  and  Roger  Corbet,  son  of  Corbet,  a  noble  Norman, 
succeeded  him.  It  was  afterwards  bestowed  on  a  younger  son  of  the 
Corbets  of  Cause  Castle,  and  was  for  a  long  time  in  the  possession  of 
that  family.  At  length  it  descended  into  the  line  of  Gwenwynwyn, 
Lord  of  Powys,  whose  descendant,  Fulk  Mowddwy,  died  in  possession 
of  it  in  the  second  year  of  Henry  V.  Sir  Hugh  de  Burgh  succeeded, 
in  consequence  of  his  marriage  with  Elizabeth,  sister  to  Fulk  ;  and  by 
the  marriage  of  Angharad,  one  of  De  Burgh's  four  grand-daughters, 
it  devolved  to  the  Leightons,  and  is  now  the  property  of  their  de- 
scendant, Sir  Baldwin  Leighton,  Bart.  A  little  farther  is  Loton,  the 
seat  of  the  family  of  Leighton,  which  is  of  Saxon  origin,  and  takes  its 
name  from  Leighton,  a  parish  in  the  county  of  Salop. 

A  little  to  the  east  of  Alberbury  is  Rowton,  the  seat  of  the  Lysters, 
a  family  long  resident  here,  Prior  to  their  possession  it  belonged  to 
the  Lord  Strange,  ofKnockin,  who  possessed  a  castle  there,  which 
was  demolished  in  1266  by  Llewelyn  ap  Gruffydd,  but  was  rebuilt 
soon  after  by  John  Lord  Strange.  Near  this  spot  is  supposed  to 
have  stood  the  Roman  Rutunium,  .but  no  traces  of  it  now  remain, 
though  the  modern  name  preserves  part  of  the  ancient  one. 

Near  Woollaston,  half-way  between  Welsh  Pool  and  Shrewsbury,  is 
a  mound  or  tumulus  of  considerable  magnitude,  very  perfect,  and 
hitherto,  we  believe,  unnoticed  by  the  antiquarian. 

In  the  parish  of  Alberbury  was  born  old  Thomas,  son  of  John  Parr, 
of  Winnington,  in  the  reign  of  Edward  the  Fourth,  A.  D,  1478. 
When  80  years  old  he  married  his  first  wife  Jane,  and  in  the  space  of 
32  years  she  had  but  two  children  by  him,  both  of  them  short-lived, 
the  one  living  about  a  month,  and  the  other  only  a  few  years.  At  the 
age  of  120  he  became  enamoured  of  Katherine  Milton,  whom  he 
married,  and  she  had  children  by  him.  Two  months  before  his 

death 


330  TOPOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES. 

death  he  was  brought  by  Thomas  Earl  of  Arundel  to  Westminster; 
where  he  slept  away  most  of  his  time,  and  is  thus  characterised  by  an 
eye  witness : 

From  head  to  heel  his  body  had  all  over 
A  quickset,  thickset,  nat'ral  hairy  cover. 

Change  of  air  and  diet,  better  in  itself  but  worse  for  him,  with  the 
trouble  of  many  visitants,  are  conceived  to  have  accelerated  his  death, 
which  happened  at  Westminster,  November  15th,  1632,  aged  one 
hundred  and  fifty-two  years. 

In  the  year  1806,  His  late  Most  Gracious  Majesty  King  George 
the  Fourth  (when  Prince  of  Wales)  came  to  Loton  Park,  on  a  visit  to 
Sir  Robert  Leighton,  from  whence  he  walked  into  the  Principality, 
the  distance  of  about  half  a  mile,  to  an  oak  tree  on  the  road  side, 
where  he  plucked  a  branch  from  the  same,  placed  it  in  his  hat,  and 
then  returned;  on  which  occasion  he  was  greeted  by  an  immense 
number  of  truly-loyal  Welshmen,  proud  to  see  their  Prince  among 
them.  The  tree  is  now  enclosed  with  a  handsome  railing,  and  called 
te  the  Prince's  Tree ;"  and  a  brass  plate  is  fixed  thereon,  with  a 
suitable  inscription,  commemorating  the  event. 

Near  this  place,  at  the  foot  of  the  Breiddin  Hills,  is  the  chapel  of 
Crus;gin  (Criggion),  a  modern  brick  building,  situate  on  the  banks  of 
the  Severn. 

The  remaining  parishes  in  this  county  are  Aber-havesp,  "  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Havesp,"  where  it  discharges  itself  into  tho 
Severn :  the  church  is  dedicated  to  Saint  Cynog,  who  suffered 
martyrdom  about  the  end  of  the  fifth  century. — Trefeglwys,  "  the 
Church  Town,"  hath  its  church  dedicated  to  Saint  Michael.  It  is 
situated  on  the  river  Trannon,  about  eight  miles  west  of  Newtown, 
and  five  north  of  Llanidloes. — Penstrywed  or  Penystrywad  (Street, 
Strata),  i.  e.  "  the  head,  top,  or  end  of  the  paved  road,"  leading  to 
Caersws.  The  church  is  dedicated  to  St.  Gwrgi,  or  Gwrci. 

The  following  bards  and  other  eminent  persons  were  natives  of 
or  residents  in  Montgomeryshire: — Owain  Cyveiliog,  1160;  Sippyn 
Cyveiliog,  1400;  Rhys  Carno,  1480;  Sion  Ceri,  1520;  Hugh 
Arwystl,  1550;  Robert  Morgan,  Bishop  of  Bangor,  1666;  Rev. 
Richard  Williams,  Vicar  of  Machynlleth ;  Thomas  Price,  of  Llan- 
fyllin,  antiquary;  Sampson  Lloyd,  of  Dolobran;  Grono  ap  Heilyn ; 
Rowland  Heilyn,  Sheriff  of  London,  died  1634;  Dr.  Peter  Heilyn, 
nephew  to  Rowland,  and  an  author,  1662;  Davydd  Llwyd  ap  Lle- 
welyn ap  Gruflfydd,  poet  and  seer  ;  Rev.  Dr.  Davies,  Head- Master  of 
Macclesfield  Grammar  School:  Howel  Swrdwal,  an  excellent  bard, 
Minister  of  Machynlleth  about  1450;  George  Griffith,  D.D.  Bishop 
of  Bangor;  Lord  Herbert  of  Chirbury,  historian;  George  Herbert, 
his  son;  Sir  John  Pryce,  Baronet,  a  poet;  Rev.  Thomas  Jones, 
Lecturer  and  Head  Tutor  at  Trinity  College,  Cambridge;  Mr. 
William  Jones,  of  LJangadfan,  historian;  Rev.  John  Jenkins,  Vicar 
of  Kerry. 

INDEX 


INDEX  TO  THE  HISTORICAL  PART. 


&BERFFRAW  destroyed  by  the  Irish,  pag*  48. 

Adelred,  King  of  the  West  Saxons,  vanquished  by  the  Britons,  13. 

Aedan  ap  Blegorad,  having  slain  his  competitor  Conan,  ia  proclaimed  Prince  of  North 

Wales,  58.     Is  slain  with  his  four  sons  in  battle,  66. 
Alan  II.  King  of  Little  Britain,    assisted   Cadwalader,  8.      Advised  him    to  obey  the 

vision,  9. 
Alfred,  King,  an  encourager  of  learning,  and  founder  of  the  University  of  Oxford,  27. 

Routs  the  Danes,    ibid.      Makes  them  forswear  the  sight  of  English  ground,   28. 

He  causes  the  laws  of  Dyfnwal  Moelmud  and  Queen  Marsia  to  be  translated  into 

English,  &c.  36. 
Alfred  (son  of  Edelred)  proposed  to  be  sent  for  to  be  king  over  the  English,  71.    Opposed 

by  Earl  Godwyn,  ib.     Had  his  eyes  put  out,  ib. 

Anarawd,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  succeeds  his  father  Robert,  31.     Dies;  his  issue,  38. 
Anglesey  wasted  by  the  men  of  Dublin,  38.     Ravaged  by  Madoc  ap  Meredith,  Prince  of 

Powys,  but  all  his  men  were  cut  off,  160. 
Anlaf,  King  of  Norway,  swears  never  to  molest  England,  55. 
Arthur,  King  of  Britain  —  his  sepulchre  found  in  the  Isle  of  Afalon,  187;  the  inscription 

upon  it,  188. 
Arthur,  eldest  son  of  King  Henry  the  Seventh,  created  Prince  of  Wales,  and  dies  at 

Lud!ow,285. 
Athelstane,  though  illegitimate,  the  worthiest  prince  of  the  Saxon  blood,  40.     His  victory 

over  the  Danes,  Scots,  and  Normans,  ib.     Re.iiovcs  the  Britons  to  Cornwall;  dies,  41. 
Auiate  and  all  his  Danes  receive  baptism,  41. 

Baldwin,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  the  first  that  made  his  visitation  in  Wales,  189. 

Bede  :  his  education  and  writings,  14. 

Bible:  how,  when,  and  by  whom  translated  into  Welsh,  A.D.  1536,  287. 

Blethyn  and   Rhywalhon,  princes    of  North   Wales,  assist   Edric  against  the  king    of 

England,   84.      A  rebellion   formed    against    them    by     Meredith    and    Ithel    ap 

Gruffydd,  ib.      Battle  wherein   Rhywalhon   and   Ithel   were   slain,  ib.      Blethyn 

murdered  by  Rhys  ap  Owen  ap  Edwyn,  86. 
Britain:  how  and  when  forsaken  by  the  Roman  forces,  1.      Invaded  by  the  Scots  and 

Picts,  ib. 
Britons:  their  sad  complaints  to  ^Etius,  thrice  consul,  2.     The  reason  of  their  weakness,  ib. 

Their  message  to  the  Saxons,  4.    The  Britons  of  Straclwyd  and  Cumberland  settle  in 

North  Wales,  32. 

Brochwel,  once  Prince  of  Powys,  a  great  defender  of  the  Monks  of  Bangor,  20. 
Bruce,  William  de,  Lord  of  Brecknock,  under  pretence  of  friendship,  barbarously  murders 

Sitsylht  ap  Dyfnwal,  his  sous,  and  followers,  186. 

Cadelh,  Prince  of  South  Wales,  dies;  his  issue,  37. 

Cadelh  ap  Gruffydd  takes  Carmarthen,  and   beats  the  Normans  and   Flemings,  152. 

Narrowly  escapes  being  murdered,  156.     Gone  upon  a  pilgrimage,  157. 
Cadwgan  murdered  by  Madawc,  129. 
Cadwalader,  the  last  King  of  Britain  of  the  British  race,  7.      Retires  to  Alan,  King  of 

Little  Britain,  ib.      Directed   in  a  vision  to  go  to  Rome,  and  was  there  shorn  a 

monk,  8. 
Cadwalader,  with  his  brother  Owen  Gwynedd  from  North  Wales,  in  conjunction  with 

several  South  Wales  lords,  made  a  horrible  slaughter  of  the  Normans  and  Flemings, 

and  drove  them  out  of  South  Wales,  145,  146. 
Cadwalader  forced  to  flee  from  his  brother  Owen  to  Ireland,  151.      Returns  with  Irish 

forces,  concludes  a  peace  with  his  brother,  made  prisoner  by  the  Irish,  rescued  by  his 

brother,  151.      Escapes  out  of  prison,  157.    Flies  to  England,  ib.     His  death  and 

issue,  182.  Canterbury 


INDEX  TO  HISTORICAL  PART. 

Canterbury  redeemed  by  the  citizens  from  being  burnt  by  tbe  Danes  for  £3000,  61. 
Betrayed  afterwards  to  them,  and  burnt,  62. 

Canute  the  Dane  chosen  king,  and  his  cruelty  to  the  English  hostages,  63.  Returns  to 
England,  ib.  The  Northumbrians  submit  to  him,  ib.  Besieges  London,  and  in 
routed  by  Edmund,  64.  Combats  Edmund,  and  agreed  to  divide  England  between 
them,  65.  Generously  punishes  the  murderers  of  Edmund  Ironside,  ib.  Marries 
Emma,  Edeldred's  widow,  66.  Requires  a  subsidy  of  the  English,  67.  Made  a 
pompous  journey  to  Rome,  68.  Makes  the  Scots  do  him  homage,  ib.  Dies,  and  i* 
succeeded  by  his  son,  Harold  Harefoot,  69. 

Caradoc,  King  of  North  Wales,  fights  and  is  slain  by  the  Saxons,  18.     His  pedigree,  ib. 

Celibacy,  enjoined  the  clergy  in  a  synod  held  at  Lundon,  121. 

Christian  faith  pure  in  the  British  church, 200. 

Charles,  eldest  son  of  King  Charles  the  First,  created  Prince  of  Wales,  288. 

Civil  wars  in  Wales;  and  Edwal,  son  of  Meyric,  the  indisputable  heir,  set  up  in  North 
Wales,  57. 

Clare,  Earl  of,  possessed  himself  of  divers  strongholds  inCaerdigan,  162. 

Clynnocfawr,  an  abbey  in  Arfon,  9.  When  and  by  whom  built,  10.  Endowed  by 
Prince  Anarawd,  33. 

Commotions  in  England,  146. 

Conan  :  war  between  him  and  his  brother  Howel,  19.     Dies,  ibid.     His  pedigree,  20. 

Conspiracy  against  William  the  Conqueror,  by  the  English  and  Welsh,  detected,  and  the 
conspirators  executed,  86. 

Constable,  Walter,  marries  Nest's  daughter,  and  has  the  lordship  of  Brecknock,  112.  A 
strange  passage  related  by  him  to  Henry  the  First,  concerning  GrufFydh  ap  Rhys,  ib. 

Crogens  used  as  a  term  of  reproach  by  the  English  to  the  Welsh,  202.  No  reason  for  it, 
ib. 

Cynric,  Prince  Owen's  son,  slain,  150. 

Danes  began  to  disturb  England,  18.  They  prevail  and  winter  in  England,  24.  They 
take  and  destroy  Winchester,  25.  Kill  Osbright  and  Elba,  Kings  of  Northumber- 
land, 26.  Slew  Edmund,  King  of  the  Angles,  ib.  Fought  five  battles  with  Ethel- 
dred  and  Alfred,  ib.  They  won  London  and  Reading,  28.  Routed  by  the  West 
Saxons,  ib.  Are  defeated  by  Alfred,  and  receive  the  Christian  faith,  31.  They 
harass  North  Wales,  33.  Forced  to  retreat  from  before  Exeter,  and  spoil  the  sea- 
coast  of  Wales,  35.  Receive  a  great  overthrow,  ib.  They  grow  powerful,  not  only 
in  England,  but  also  in  Ireland,  37.  Thrice  overthrown  by  the  English,  38.  Com. 
pletely  overthrown  at  Tottenhale,  39.  Routed  by  King  Edward,  40.  Driven  out 
of  the  kingdom  by  King  Edmund,  44.  Force  the  English  to  pay  the  Dane-gelt,  55. 
Make  a  terrible  havoc  in  Wrales,  and  had  tribute  paid  them,  56.  Make  fresh  devas. 
tations  in  Wales  and  England,  59.  They  are  massacred  by  the  English,  59.  Force 
the  English  nobility  to  buy  their  peace  for  £30,000,  60.  They  beat  Wolfkettel,  61. 
Slew  Ethelstan  and  ransacked  the  country,  61. 

Dafydh  ab  Owain  killed  his  brother  Howel  in  battle,  177.  Proclaimed  Prince  of  North 
Wales,  ib.  Secures  his  brother  Maelgon,  reduces  Anglesey,  and  banishes  his  bre- 
tin  en,  183.  Sends  a  band  of  Welsh  to  accompany  King  Henry  into  Normandy,  184. 
Is  dispossessed  by  his  eldest  brother's  son,  Lhewelyn  ab  lorwerth,  193.  Ungrateful 
to  Prince  Lhewelyn  for  his  liberty,  196. 

Dafydh  ap  Llewelyn,  Prince  of  Wales,  did  homage  at  Gloucester  to  the  King  of  England, 
232.  Is  excommunicated  by  the  Bishop  of  Bangor  for  detaining  his  brother  Griffith 
in  prison,  whom  he  refused  to  deliver  at  the  King's  request,  233.  Submits  to  the 
King  of  England,  234.  Engages  the  Pope  on  his  side  against  the  King,  but  he  proves 
false,  236.  Fights  the  English  often,  with  various  success,  237.  Dies  without  issue, 
239. 

David's,  Saint,  burnt  by  the  West  Saxons,  18.      Destroyed  by  the  Danes,  38.     Again 
destroyed  by  the  Danes,  58.     Destroyed  by  strangers,  89.    The  cathedral  sacri- 
legiously robbed,  92.     Made  subject  to  the  See  of  Canterbury,  120. 
Dunstan,  Saint,  Bishop  of  Canterbury  j  his  prediction  and  death,  52. 

Easter,  the  Britons  and  Saxons  quarrel  about  the  observation  of  it,  16. 

Edeldred  married  Emma,  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Normandy,  and  tbe  reason  of  it,  59. 

The  consequence  of  the  marriage,  ib.    Flics  with  his  wife  and  children  into  Nor- 

martdy,  62.    Returnt,  ib.     Hi*  death,  63. 


INDEX  TO  HISTORICAL  PART. 

Edgar  advanced  to  the  kingdom  in  his  brother  Edwin's  room,  47.  Wastes  North  Wales, 
and  agrees  for  a  yearly  tribute  of  three  hundred  wolves,  ib.  Regulates  drinking 
vessels,  because  of  the  Danes'  excess,  48.  Ilowed  in  his  barge  by  six  kings,  on  the 
river  Lee,  50. 

Edgar  Edeling  declared  king,  83.  Forced  into  Scotland,  84.  Received  to  King  Wil- 
liam's mercy,  86. 

Edmund,  King  of  England,  his  death,  and  the  uncertain  manner  of  it,  44. 

Edmund  Ironside  slain  by  Edric's  son,  65. 

Edwal  Foel  and  his  brother  Elis  fight  the  English,  and  are  slain,  41.     Their  issue,  ib. 

Edward  sent  for  from  Normandy,  and  made  king,  71.    The  Confessor's  death,  81. 

Edward  1.  King  of  England,  invades  Wales  and  prevails,  253.  Insists  upon  Prince 
Lhewelyn's  submission  without  reserve,  259.  Sets  Prince  Lhewelyn's  head  upon  the 
tower  of  London,  265.  Subdues  all  Wales,  ib.  Kept  his  Christmas  at  Aberconwy, 
271.  In  necessity  would  taste  no  wine,  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  soldiers,  272.  Cuts 
down  all  the  woods  in  Wales,  and  builds  Beaumaris  Castle,  272. 

Edward  of  Caernarvon,  first  Prince  of  Wales  of  the  English  blood,  266.  Received 
homage  at  Chester  of  all  the  freeholders  of  Wales,  273.  Goes  further  into  the 
country  for  that  purpose,  ibid. 

Edward,  eldest  son  to  King  Edward  II.  created  Prince  of  Wales,  274.  His  character  and 
death, ib. 

Edward,  son  to  Henry  VI.  created  Prince  of  Wales,  284.     Murdered,  ib. 

Edward,  eldest  son  to  Edward  IV.  created  Prince  of  Wales,  284. 

Edward  IV.  inclined  to  favour  the  Welsh,  284 

Edward,  son  to  Richard  III.  created  Prince  of  Wales,  285. 

Edward,  son  to  Henry  VIII.  created  Prince  of  Wales,  286. 

Edwyn,  King  of  England,  vicious,  dispossessed,  and  dies,  47. 

Egbert,  sole  monarch  of  the  Saxons,  21.  Calls  the  country  England,  ib.  He  fights  and 
routs  the  Danes,  22. 

Eineon  invites  the  Normans  into  Wales,  and  persuades  them  to  stay,  94. 

Elfleda,  a  Mercian  Queen,  her  valiant  acts  both  against  the  Danes  and  Welsh,  39.  Her 
death,  ibid.  Left  a  daughter,  Alfwyen,  disinherited  by  King  Edward,  ib. 

Ethelbald,  King  of  Mercia,  invades  Wales,  14.  In  conjunction  with  Cudred,  overthrows 
the  Britons,  ib. 

Ethelwulph,  King  of  the  West  Saxons,  paid  Peter-pence  to  Rome,  25.  Learned  and 
devout,  ib. 

Eyes  of  several  plucked  out,  a  barbarous  custom,  144. 

Flanders,  a  part  of  it  drowned,  prejudicial  to  the  Welsh,  122. 
Flemings  settled  in  part  of  Wales,  ib. 

Galtio  routs  the  Scots  and  Picts,  1.     Builds  a  wall  across  the  land,  ib. 

Gam,  Sir  David,  imprisoned  by  Owen  Glyndwr,  and  released  282.  Revolts  from  Owrn, 
ib.  His  answer  in  France  to  Henry  V.  concerning  the  French  army,  283.  Mortally 
wounded  at  Agincourt,  ib.  Knighted  and  died,  284. 

Gavel-kind,  that  custom  in  Wales,  19. 

Geoffrey  of  Monmouth,  made  Bishop  of  Saint  David's,  157. 

Glamorgan,  the  winning  of  the  lordship  of  out  of  the  Welshmen's  hand,  and  description 
of  the  same,  95,  &c. 

Godwyn,  Earl,  rebels  against  King  Edward,  74.  Invades  the  land,  and  is  reconciled  to 
the  king,  75.  Dies  suddenly  sitting  at  the  king's  table,  76. 

Gray,  Reginald,  Lord  of  Ruthin,  taken  prisoner  by  Owain  Glyndwr,  and  ransomed,  278. 

Gruffydd  ap  Llewelin  declared  Prince  of  North  Wales,  70.  His  country  invaded  by  the 
English  and  Danes,  who  were  routed  by  him,  ib.  Reduced  all  Wales  under  his 
subjection,  ib.  Routs  Howel,  Prince  of  South  Wales,  at  Pencadair,  71.  Taken 
prisoner  by  the  Irish  under  the  command  of  Conan  ap  lago  ap  Edwal,  and  recovered 
by  his  own  men,  72.  Overcomes  the  army  of  Gruffydd  ap  Rhydderch,  and  slays 
him,  77,  Concludes  a  peace  with  Harold,  King  Edward's  geneial,  78.  His  palace 
at  Ruddland  burnt  by  the  English,  78. 

Gruffydd,  Prince,  murdered  by  Harold's  contrivance  after  he  had  reigned  thirty  years,  79. 

Gruffydd  ap  Conan  confirmed  in  the  principality  of  Wales,  91.  Refused  at  first  an 
accommodation  with  King  Henry ;  at  last  sues  and  obtains  peace,  133.  Caressed  by 

the 


INDEX  TO  HISTORICAL  PART, 

the  king,  and  promises  to  deliver  up  Gruff) dd  ap    Rhys,   134.      Dies,  147.      Hi* 

issue,  ib. 
Gruffydd,  the  son  of  Rhys  ap  Tudor,  lays  claim  to  South  Wales,  134.      Flies  to  North 

Wales,  ib.      Wished  with  his  brother  Howel  to  withdraw  into  South   Wales,    134. 

Forced  to  bid  open  defiance  to  the  King  of  England,  135.      The  Flemings  and  Welsh 

lords  join  together  to  oppose  him,  ib.     He  takes  Caermarthen,  136.     Invited  to  the 

government  of  Caerdiganshire,  ib.      Succeeds,   137.     Wars   at  Aberystwith,    138. 

Insidiously  dispossessed  of  his  estate,  143.     Dies,  147. 
Gruffydd,  son  to   Lord  Rhys,   succeeded    his   father,  195.      Plagued  with  his  brother 

Maelgon,  196.     A  hopeful  prince  j  dies,  200. 
Gruffydd    ap  Conan  ap  Owen    Gwynedd    buried    in    a  monk's  cowl  j   the   superstition 

of  it,  199. 
Gruffydd,  Prince  David's  brother,  endeavouring  to  make  his  escape  out  of  the  tower  of 

London,  breaks  his  neck,  235.     His  body  recovered  and  conveyed  to  Conway,  and 

honourably  buried,  242. 
Gruffydd    Llwyd,  knighted  by  King  Edward  the  First,  rebels,  274.      Treats    with  Sir 

Robert  Bruce  for  succour  against  the  English,  ib.      Overruns  North  Wales  and  the 

Marches,  and  is  taken  prisoner,  ib. 

Gurmundus,  a  Norwegian,  from  Ireland  invades  Britain,  6. 
Gwenwynwyn  worsted  by  the  English,  198.     Refuses  homage  to  Prince  Llewelyn,  201. 

At  last  consents  to  it,  ib.     Detained  prisoner  at  Shrewsbury,  204       Set  at  liberty  and 

regains  his  country,  206.     Revolts  from  Prince  Llewelyn,  and  is  dispossessed,  217. 

Harold  succeeds  Canute  his  father  in  England,  69.  Dies,  and  is  succeeded  by  Hardi- 
canute  his  brother,  71. 

Harold's  favour  with  the  king,  envied  by  his  brother  Tosty,  who  barbarously  murdered 
Harold's  men  at  his  house  in  Hereford,  and  his  saying,  80.  Is  made  king,  81. 
Slain,  83. 

Hasting,  a  Dane,  invades  France,  34.     Lays  siege  to  Limogis,  ib.     His  cruelty,  ib. 

Henry  the  First:  his  partiality  in  favour  of  the  Normans,  121.  Makes  his  brother 
Robert  prisoner,  and  puts  out  his  eyes,  ib.  Kind  to  Cadwgan,  the  father  of  Owen, 
125.  Invades  Wales  with  three  armies,  132.  Overcomes  the  French  king,  141. 
Lost  his  children  at  sea,  and  marries,  ib.  Invades  Wales,  ib.  In  danger,  142. 
Agrees  with  Meredith  ap  Blethyn  and  returns,  ib.  His  death  and  successor,  145. 

Henry  the  Second  sends  the  Flemings  into  West  Wales,  151.  Invited  to  the  conquest  of 
Wales,  ib.  Repulsed  and  in  danger  of  his  life,  160.  Concludes  a  peace  with  Prince 
Owen,  161.  Quarrels  and  concludes  a  peace  with  France,  171.  Invades  Wales,  and 
brings  Prince  Rhys  to  do  him  homage,  172.  Invades  Wales  again  with  a  most 
potent  army,  173.  Returns  without  any  thing  memorable,  and  in  revenge  puts  out 
the  eyes  of  the  hostages,  174.  Makes  a  third  expedition  into  Wales  to  as  little 
purpose,  174.  Passes  through  Wales,  receiving  homage  of  Prince  Rhys,  in  his  way 
to  the  conquest  of  Ireland,  ISO.  Returns  through  Wales,  and  inclined  to  leave  it  in 
a  peaceable  condition,  182.  Engaged  in  a  civil  war  against  his  son  Henry,  183. 
Makes  a  peace  with  France,  and  his  children  forced  to  submit,  184,  Dies,  189. 

Henry  the  Third,  King  of  England,  invades  Wales,  and  is  worsted,  223-  Invades  Wales 
again,  226.  Makes  John  of  Monmouth  his  general  against  the  Welsh,  but  with  ill 
success,  228.  Laments  the  death  of  the  Earl  of  Pembroke,  229.  Invades  Wales, 
and  makes  Prince  David  submit,  234.  Invades  Wales,  236.  Fights  with  the  Welsh 
with  no  success,  and  invites  the  Irish  into  Anglesea,  237.  Oppresses  Wales,  and 
returns  dissatisfied,  237.  Wastes  the  borders,  246.  Requires  a  subsidy  to  subdue 
Wales,  247.  Dies,  250. 

Henry,  eldest  son  to  Henry  the  Fourth,  created  Prince  of  Wales,  276. 

Henry  the  Sixth  makes  unmerciful  laws  against  the  Welsh,  281, 

Henry  Duke  of  York  created  Prince  of  Wales,  285. 

Henry  the  Seventh  grants  the  Welsh  a  charter  of  liberty*  and  directs  a  commission  to 
enquire  into  the  birth  and  quality  of  his  grandfather,  Owen  Tudor,  286. 

Henry  the  Eighth  incorporates  the  Welsh  with  the  English,  286. 

Henry,  eldest  son  of  King  James,  created  Prince  of  Wales,  288. 

Howel  Dda  preferred  to  be  prince  of  all  Wales,  42.  His  laws,  ib.  Goes  to  Rome  to  bav« 
them  confirmed,  43.  His  death  and  issue,  45. 

Howel  ap  levaf  expelled  his  uncle  lago,  and  took  the  government  of  Wales  upon  him,  50. 


INDEX  TO  HISTORICAL  PART. 

At  last  agrer,  51.     Kills  Edwal  Fychan,  and  the  reason  of  it,  61.      Overthrows  the 
Danes,  rb.       Invades  England  and  is  slain,  53.       He  is  succeeded  by  his  brother 

Cadwallon,  ib. ;  who  was  quickly  slain,  54. 
Howeland  Meredith,  Llewelyn's  murderers,  invite  the  Irish  Scots  into  South  Wales,  68. 

Slay    Rhydderch  and  take  the  government,  69.      Meredith  slain  by  the  sons  of 

Conan  ap  Sitsylht,  ib. 
Howel   attempts  the  recovery  of  South  Wales,  and  is  overcome  and  slain  by   Prince 

Griffith,  near  Tywyhead,  73. 
Howel  ap  Grono  driven  out  of  Rydcors  Castle  by  the  Normans,  120.     Basely  betrayed  to 

them  and  murdered,  121. 
Howel  ap  Owen  Gwynedd  won  the  castle  of  Gwys,  154.     With  his  brother  Conan  quarrel 

with  their  uncle  Cadwalader,  besiege  and  take  the  castle  of  Cynfael  from  him,  154. 

Makes  Cadwalader  his  prisoner,  and  possesses  his  land,  ib.       He  lost  all  his  country 

to  Cadel,  Meredith,  and  Rhys  ap  Griffith,  who  put  the  garrison  of  Llanrhystyd  to 

the  sword,  156. 

Tago  ap  Edwal  recovers  his  right  to  North  Wales,  68.  Slain  in  battle  against  Gruffyddap 
Llewelyn,  75. 

Ifor  sent  into  Britain  with  an  army  by  his  father  Alan,  11.  Routs  the  Saxons,  ib. 
Marries  Ethelburga,  Kentwyn's  cousin,  and  succeeds  him  in  the  West-Saxon  king- 
dom, ib.  Founded  Glastonbury  Abbey,  12.  Died  at  Rome,  13. 

lorwerth  ap  Blethyn  revolts  from  the  Earl  of  Salop,  118  Basely  used  by  King  Henry 
for  it,  119.  The  reason  of  it,  ib.  Delivered  out  of  prison,  126.  Forbids  Owen  ami 
Madawc  taking  shelter  in  his  estate,  126.  Beset  and  slain  by  Madawc  and  Llywarch 
ap  Trahaeru,  129. 

Ireland  molested  with  locusts,  36. 

Ithel  King  of  Gwent  slain,  -24. 

John,  Archdeacon  of  Llanbadarn,  dies  and  is  canonized,  148. 

John  King  of  England,  in  his  way  to  Ireland  through  Wales,  discharged  a  criminal  that 
murdered  a  priest,  204.  Famished  William  de  Bruce  and  Maud  his  aunt  at 
Windsor  after  his  return,  205.  The  reason  of  his  cruelty,  ib.  Marches  with  a  great 
army  into  Wales,  207.  Returns  without  su  cess,  208.  Makes  a  second  expedition, 
ib.  Orders  Foulke  Viscount  Cardiff  to  subdue  tho.»e  that  oppose  in  South  Wales, 
and  they  at  last  do  him  homage,  but  quickly  revolt,  209.  Makes  a  third  expedition, 
into  Wales,  and  hangs  the  Welsh  pledges,  210.  Reconciles  himself  to  Rome,  212. 
Engages  in  a  civil  war  with  the  Barons,  213.  Bits,  and  is  succeeded  by  his  son 
Henry,  218. 

Joseph,  Bishop  of  Llandaff,  dies  at  Rome,  73. 

Llewelyn  ap  Sytsylht  makes  himself  Prince  of  Wales,  66.  His  good  government,  ib. 
Slays  Meyric  that  rebelled  against  him  with  his  own  hand,  67.  Suppresses  another 
rebellion,  ib.  Basely  slain,  68. 

Llewelyn,  Prince  of  North  Wales,  ta-kes  David  ap  Owen  prisoner,  196.  Receives  homage 
of  most  of  the  Welsh  lords,  201.  Conquers  Gwenwynwyn's  country,  204.  Makes 
an  expedition  into  S  mth  Wales,  ib.  Marries  Joan,  King  John's  daughter,  202. 
Sues  and  obtains  peace  of  the  king  by  the  means  of  his  wife,  208.  Animates  the 
lords  of  North  Wales  to  join  with  him  in  a  revolt  against  the  king  210.  Dispossesses 
the  English  of  all  their  holds  in  his  country,  213.  Takes  Shrewsbury,  though 
excommunicated  by  the  Pope,  214.  Subdues  Caerdigan  and  Caermarthen,  216. 
Reconciles  the  lords  in  South  Wales,  ib.  Subdues  Powys,  217.  Refuses  assistance 
to  King  John  against  the  Dauphin,  218.  Makes  Reynald  Bruce  who  had  revolted 
submit  to  him,ib.  Receives  the  submission  and  allegiance  of  the  Flemings  in  Dyfed* 
219.  Subdues  the  revolted  Flemings  again,  220.  Makes  his  son  Gruffydd  submit, 
221.  Complained  of  to  the  King  of  England  by  Young  Rhys;  adjusts  matters  with 
him,  222.  Seizes  the  castle  of  William' Marshal,  Earfof  Pembroke,  in  Wales,  and 
occasion?  a  war  between  them,  ib.  Worsts  the  English  army,  pays  homage  to  Henry 
the  Third,  224.  Destroys  the  Marches,  226.  Makes  a  descent  upon  England,  227. 
Being  joined  by  the  Earl  of  Pembroke  against  King  Henry,  routs  his  army,  228. 
Makes  an  incursion  into  the  king's  territories,  229.  Makes  peace  with  the  king,  ib. 

Set* 


INDEX  TO  HISTORICAL  PART. 

Sets  his  son  Gruffydd  at  liberty,  230.  Buries  his  Princess  Joan,  ih.  Forced  to  quit 
I  he  siege  of  Ruddlan,  231.  Makes  the  Welsh  do  homage  to  his  son  David,  ib. 
Dies,  his  character  and  issue,  232. 

Llewelyn  ap  Gruffydd  and  Owen  Goch  his  brother  declared  Princes  of  North  Wales,  240. 
Quarrel,  and  Owen  with  his  brother  David  made  close  prisoners,  242.  Recovers  the 
inland  country  of  North  Wales  from  the  English,  243.  Wastes  Cheshire,  244.  Beats 
the  Irish  by  sea,  245.  Desires  peace  with  the  king  but  fails,  248.  Kind  to  Sir 
Roger  Mortimer,  ib.  Makes  a  peace,  by  the  Pope's  mediation,  with  the  king,  249. 
Refuses  to  attend  upon  King  Edward's  coronation,  250,  The  reasons  for  his 
refusal,  ib.  An  accident  made  him  pliable,  253.  Severe  conditions  of  peace  im- 
posed upon  him,  ib.  Marr'es  to  Eleanor,  Earl  of  Montford's  daughter,  at  Worcester, 
255.  Reconciled  with  his  brother  David,  and  joins  against  the  English,  ib.  Offers 
to  submit  to  the  king  conditionally,  259.  Sends  a  letter  to  the  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  and  the  general  answer  of  the  Welsh  to  his  proposals,  269.  Betrayed 
in  Bualltand  killed,  264. 

London  besieged  by  the  Danes,  55. 

Mahael  dispossessed  of  his  inheritance  by  the  means  of  his  unnatural  mother  Nest,  and 

how,  112. 

Madoc  ap  Meredith,  Prince  of  Powys,  sticks  to  the  English  interest,  159. 
Madawc  reconciled  to  King  Henry,  130.     Taken  prisoner  by  Meredith  ap  Bleddyn,  131. 

Has  his  eyes  pulled  out  by  Owen,  ib. 

Madawc  ap  Owen  Gwynedd  sails  to  America,  178.     Plants  a  colony  there,  ib. 
Maelgon  disturbs  South  Wales,  206.     Beaten  by  his  nephews,  Rhys  and  Owen,  ib. 
March,  Earl  of,  marries  Owen  Glyndwr's  daughter,  280.      Consented  by  indenture  to 

divide  England  between  Owen,  Percy,  and  himself,  ib. 
Maud  the  Empress  lands  in  England,  and  is  received  at  Arundel,  149. 
Meredith  ap  Owen  possessed   ail  Wales,  54.     Dispossessed  of  North  Wales,  57.      And 

routed  by  Edwal  ap  Meyric,  their  new  prince,  57.     Died  without  issue  male,  58. 
Meredith  ap  Owen  made  Prince  of  South  Wales,  80.      Fled  from  battle  and  perished 

for  want,  84. 
Meredith  and  Rhys  ap  Gruffydd  prevail  in  South  Wales,  157.      Meredith's  death  and 

character,  158. 

Merfyn  frych  is  made  King  of  Wales,  20.     His  death,  23. 
Mcrlyn,  Ambrose  and  Sylvester,  their  time,  country,  and  prophecies,  8,  9. 
Morgan  H£n  dies  100  years  old  ;   his  marriage,  estate,  and  issue,  49. 
Morgan  ap  Owen  kills  Robert  Fitz  Gilbert  and  his  son,  145.    Slain,  161. 
Morgan  ap  Cadwgan  repents  of  the  murder  of  his  brother  Meredith,  144. 
Murders  committed,  144. 

Newmarcb,  a  Norman,  obtains  the  lordship  of  Brecknock,  and  marries  Nest,  daughter  to 


Llewelyn  ap  Gruffydd,  111. 
mans  twice  decimated  i 


Normans  twice  decimated  and  put  to  death  in  England,  71.  They  waste  and  plunder 
Dyfed  86.  They  seize  upon  the  lordship  of  Glamorgan,  94.  The  names  of  the 
adventurers,  97.  They  possess  themselves  of  several  lordships  in  Wa'es,  111. 
Divers  of  them  slain  in  Caerdigan,  113.  Routed  again  by  Cadwgan  ap  Bleddyn, 
Prince  of  South  Wales,  and  their  castles  destroyed,  ib.  Slaughtered  divers  times  by 
the  Welsh,  and  forced  to  quit  the  country,  114. 

Northumberland  invaded  by  the  Scots,  91. 

Offa,  King  of  Mercia,  makes  a  ditch  from  sea  to  sea,  17.    His  death,  18. 

Owen  ap  Edwyn,  <a  traitor  to  his  country,  116.  Made  Prince  of  Wales  by  the  English, 
but  soon  lost  it,  117.  His  death  and  pedigree,  120. 

Owen,  the  son  of  Cadwgan,  enamoured  of  Nest,  the  wife  of  Gerald,  King  Henry's 
Lieutenant  in  Wales,  112.  Steals  her  away,  123.  Flies  into  Ireland,  124.  Returns 
and  wastes  the  country,  in  conjunction  with  Madoc  ap  Riryd,  125.  His  men  slay 
an  English  bishop,  and  cause  Cadwgan.  his  father,  to  be  be  dispossessed  of  his  estate, 
127.  Forced  to  flee  into  Ireland  with  Madawc,  128.  Returns  and  is  reconciled  to 
the  king,  130.  Divides  Madawc's  estates  between  himself  and  Meredith  ap  Bleddyn, 
131.  Flees  for  fear  of  King  Henry  into  North  Wales,  132.  Reconciled  to  the  king, 
133.  Owen  is  brave,  and  knighted  in  Normandy,  ib.  Employed  by  King  Henry 
against  Gruffydd  ap  Rhys,  138.  Slain  by  Gerald,  139. 

Owen 


INDEX  TO  HISTORICAL  PART. 

Owen  Gwynedd  succeeds  as  Prince  of  North  Wales,  148.  Greatly  concerned  at  the 
death  of  his  son  Rhun,  153.  Takes  and  razes  the  castle  of  Mold,  ib.  Pulls  out  his 
nephew  Cuneddah's  eyes,  157.  Dies,  his  character  and  issue,  176. 

Owen  Cyfeilioc  invades  Llandinam,  171.  Owen  Cyfeilioc  and  Owen  Fychan  dispossess 
lorwerth  of  his  estate  in  Powys,  175.  Cyfeilioc  dies,  leaving  his  estate  to  Givenwyn- 
wyn  his  son,  196. 

Owen  Glyndwr,  his  family,  education,  and  employment,  276.  Opposed  by  Lord  Grey  of 
Ruthyn  without  redress,  takes  up  arms,  and  makes  him  prisoner,  278.  Prevails,  takes 
the  Earl  of  March  prisoner,  279.  Retakes  Aberystwith  castle,  280.  Summons  a 
parliament  at  Machynlleth,  282.  Secures  David  Gam  upon  suspicion  of  a  design 
he  had  to  murder  him,  ib.  Burnt  his  house,  and  his  verse  upon  it,  283. 

Patent  of  lands  granted  in  Wales  to  the  Earl  of  Portland,  267.      Commons'  address  upon 

it,  ib.     King's  answer,  268. 
Peckham,  John,  Archbishop   of  Canterbury,  endeavours   a    reconciliation    of   Prince 

Llewelyn  and  his  brother  with  the  king,  255.       His  remonstrance  to  the  prince  and 

people,  256.    Solicits  the  king  on  behalf  of  the  Welsh,  258.     Sends  articles  to  the 

Welsh,  259.     Excommunicates  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  his  adherents,  263. 
Peace  in  general  between  England  and  Wales,  except  with  Prince  Rhys,  who  was  forced 

to  comply  with  the  king,  161.     Unjustly  dealt  with,  162. 
Powys,  Prince  of,  removes  his  seat  from  Pengwern  to  Mathraval,  17.     An  account  of  it 

while  a  principality  and  a  lordship,  with  the  several  divisions  and  possessors  thereof, 

whether  of  British  or  English  blood,  164  to  171. 

Rebellion  in  the  North,  caused  by  Earl  Tosty's  insolence,  81.    Appeased,  ib. 

Rhydderch  seizes  upon  South  Wales,  68. 

Rhydderch  and  Rhys,  the  sons  of  RhydJerch  ap  lestyn,  put  in  their  claim  to  South 
Wales,  73. 

Rhys,  brother  to  Prince  Gruffydd,  taken  by  the  English, and  put  to  death  at  Bulenden,  75. 

Rhys  ap  Owen  and  Rhydderch  ap  Caradoc  jointly  govern  South  Wales,  87.  The  latter 
murdered,  88.  A  rebellion  against  the  other,  ib.  Invaded  also  from  North  Wales, 
flies,  pursued,  and  slain,  89. 

Rhys  ap  Theodor  elected  Prince  of  South  Wales  as  lawful  heir,  §9.  A  rebellion  formed 
against  him,  flic*  into  Ireland,  returns  and  defeats  his  enemy,  92.  Suppresses 
another  rebellion,  93.  Slain  near  Brecknock,  in  a  fight  against  the  invading 
Normans  and  bis  own  rebellious  subjects,  93. 

Rhys  ap  Gruffydd,  Prince  of  South  Wales,  takes  Llanymddyfri  Castle,  163.  Subdues 
Caerdigan,  ib.  Gives  Henry  the  Second  hostages  to  observe  the  peace  made  between 
them,  ib.  Besieges  Caermarthen,  then  forced  to  quit  it,  164.  Possesses  himself  of 
divers  lands  belonging  to  foreigners  in  Wales,  as  did  others  according  to  his  examp'e, 
172.  Takes  Aberteifi  Castle,  and  razes  it,  175.  Subdues  Owen  Cyfeilioc,  180. 
Brings  the  lords  of  South  Wales  at  enmity  with  King  Henry  to  do  him  homage,  185. 
Makes  a  great  feast  at  Christmas  at  Aberteifi,  where  the  bards  of  North  Wales  and 
South  Wales  strive  foi-  the  mastery,  187.  Takes  advantage  upon  King  Henry's 
death  to  enlarge  his  country,  189.  Made  prisoner  by  his  own  sons,  192.  Escapes, 
ib.  Takes  two  of  his  sons  prisoners,  194.  Enlarges  his  conquest,  and  defeats  the 
English  and  Normans,  ib.  Dies,  his  character  and  issue,  195. 

Rhys  Fychan  takes  Llanymddyfri  Castle,  206. 

Rhys  ap  Gruffydd  ap  Rhys  prevails  in  South  Wales,  215.  Does  homage  to  Henry  the 
Third,  220.  Dies,  222. 

Rhys  ap  Meredith  unfaithful  to  his  country,  269.  Knighted  by  King  Edward,  and 
revolts,  ib.  Defeated  and  taken  prisoner,  and  executed,  270. 

Rhytbmarch,  Archbishop  of  Saint  David's,  dies,  117. 

Richard,  King  of  England,  goes  to  the  Holy  Land,  190.  Taken  prisoner  in  Austria,  191. 
Dies  of  a  wound  received  at  Chalons  in  France,  198. 

Richard  of  Bourdeaux  created  Prince  of  Wales,  276. 

Robert  Curthoys  rebels  against  his  father  in  Normandy,  91. 

Robert  Earl  of  Salop  rebels  against  Henry  the  First,  117.  Engages  the  Welsh  in  the 
quarrel,  ib.  Seeks  aid  of  Magnus,  Harold's  son,  and  fails,  ib.  Banished  with  his 
brother  Arnulph  into  Normandy,  119.  He  is  committed  to  perpetual  imprisonment 
by  King  Kcnry,  121, 

R  r  2  Rudtric 


INDEX  TO  HISTORICAL  PART. 

Roderic  Molwynoc  succeeded  Ifor,  13.  Driven  by  the  Saxons  out  of  the  Western 
countries  to  his  inheritance  in  North  Wales,  15.  Dirs  soon  after,  ib. 

Roderie  the  Great,  Prince  of  Wales,  23.  Beats  the  Danes  out  of  his  country,  28. 
Fights  the  English,  and  with  his  brother  Gwyriad  is  slain,  19-  His  pedigree,  and 
division  of  Wales  between  bis  three  sons,  ib.  His  imprudence  herein,  30. 

Saxons,  their  answer  to  the  British  message,  4.  They  first  repel  Ihe  Scots  and  Tilt-.  ,« 
Enter  into  a  league  with  the  Scots,  ib.  Tiny  encroach  upon  iht  Briton*,  16. 

vcotsand  Picts  invade  Britain,  1. 

Siward,  Ear!,  his  saying  upon  his  sons  being  slain  in  battle,  7o.  His  soldierly  temper  at 
his  death,  77. 

fcouth  Wales  invaded  twice  in  one  year  by  levaf  and  Tago,  princes  of  North  Wales.  i<  . 
They  quarrel  and  th«=  consequence  of  it,  48.  Embroiled  in  war  between  Rhys  ap 
Gruffydd  and  Rhys  Fychan,  and  the  former  supported  by  tlir  Knglish,  212 

Stephen,  King  of  England,  agrees  with  the  Scots,  145.  Ravages  Scotland,  140.  Sup. 
presses  insurrections  at  home,  and  rputs  the  Scots  by  his  lieutenant!,  ih.  IVsirges 
Arundel  Castle  in  vain,  150.  Takes  Lincoln,  is  defeated  and  taken  prisoner,  ih. 
Exchanged  for  Earl  Robert,  and  overthrown  a  second  time  at  Wilton,  ih.  Wins  the 
battle  of  Farendon,  153.  Agrees  with  Henry  (surnamed  Shortmanlle),  the  Empress's 
son,  and  dies,  158. 

Steward,  the  family  of,  and  their  original,  76. 

*?uiien,  Archbishop  of  Saint  David's,  dies,  92- 

Sulien,  a  learned  man  of  Llanbadarn,  dies,  152. 

Swane,  the  Dane,  wastes  the  Isle  of  Man,  57.  Lands  in  North  Wales,  ib.  Kills  Edwal, 
prince  of  the  country,  58.  His  success  in  England,  and  esteemed  the  king  thereof,  62. 

Swane,  King  of  Denmark,  invades  England  and  takes  York,  84.    Forced  to  fly,  ib. 

Trahaern  Fychan  strangely  hanged,  19Q. 

Trahaern  ap  Cafadoc  made   Prince   of  North   Wales,  87.      His  country  invaded   from 

•  reland  by  Gruffydd  ap  Conan,  the  right  heir,  ib.     They  fight,  and  Trahaern  with 

his  cousins  worsted,  arid  all  slain,  90. 

Tribute  paid  by  the  Princes  of  Wales  to  the  kings  of  England,  41. 
Tudor  Vaughan  ap  Grono,  his  family,  would  be  styled  Knight,  and  his  reasons  for  it  to 

King  Edward  the  Third,  who  confirmed  the  honour  of  it,  275. 

Vortigera  invites  the  Saxons  into  Britain,  4. 
Vortiraer  endeavours  to  repel  the  Saxons,  6. 

Wales  wasted  by  the  Mercians,  21.  By  King  Egbert,  21  and  23  Divided  into  three 
provinces,  23.  Invaded  by  the  English,  44.  Forcibly  managed  by  levaf  and  Tago 
Princes  of  North  Wales  only,  47.  Afflicted  by  the  Danes,  54  ;  and  by  a  murrain, 
55.  Gives  hostages  to  pay  the  ancient  tribute,  79.  Seldom  governed  by  the  right 
heir,  91.  Wasted  by  the  English  as  far  as  Anglesea,  116.  Embroiled  with  civil 
dissensions,  140.  Its  borders  in  great  scarcity,  247.  Annexed  to  the  Crown  of 
England,  265. 

Wahvey,  King  Arthur's  nephew,  his  tomb  found,  whose  body  was  a  prodigious  length,  91. 

Welsh  quarrel  among  themselves,  19.  They  defeat  the  Mercians  at  C'onway,  and  call  the 
battle  "  Dial  Rhodri,"  31.  Disable  the  Danes  and  English  that  invade  them,  then 
foil  out  among  themselves,  52.  Too  late,  see  the  folly  of  foreign  aid,  111.  Misera- 
bly slaughtered,  123,  124.  Being  at  peace  from  abroad,  they  fall  to  their  wonted 
method  of  destroying  one  another,  242.  Complain  to  their  prince  of  their  oppression 
from  the  English,  ib.  Beaten  by  the  English,  249-  Beaten  in  Builth,  264.  Revolt 
because  of  a  heavy  tax  from  Edward  the  First,  270.  Beaten  by  the  English,  271. 
Take  the  king's  carriages,  271.  Routed  by  the  Earl  of  Warwick,  272.  Beat  the 
Marchers,  ib  ;  but  are  at  last  overcome,  and  their  leader  Madoc  made  prisoner,  273. 

Welsh  minstrelg  reformed,  whereof  were  three  sorts,  147 

William,  Duke  of  Normandy,  claims  the  Crown  of  England,  82.     Lands  at  Hastings,  and 

defeats  the  English,  83. 
illiam  the  First  goes  with  an  army  on  pilgrimage  to  Saint  David's,  91. 

William  Rufus  invades  the  Welsh  without  success,  113.    Killed,  117, 

INDEX. 


IM)KX  TO  THE  TOPOGRAPHICAL  PART. 


,  14 

A  her,  18 
Ahererch,  27 
Aberdaron,  28 
Abergeley,  5S 
Aheryslwith,  71 
Aberaeron,  88 
Abbey  Cwmhir,  92 
A  her- Ed  w,  104 
Aber-Llyfni,  109 
A be ra von,  127 
Abeidar,  138 
Abergwili,  163 
Aberdovey,  229 
Anglesea,  247 
Amlwrh,  259 
Aberffraw,  261 
Abertanat,  297 
Alberbnry,  328 
Aberbavesp,  330 

Beddgelert,  12 
Ban^or  (Carnarvonshire),  18 
Bettws  y  Coed,  24 
Bryncroes,  28 
Bettws  Garmon,  28 
Bodverin,  28 
Brynkir,  32 
Bodysgallen,  32 
Bardsey  Island.  43 
Bryn.Ftanigle,  58 
Bangor  (Cardiganshire),  84 
Blaenporth,  84 
Beguildy,  104 
Boughrood,  105 
Brecknockshire,  107 
Brecon,  107 
BualltorBuilth,  110 
Brecknock  Mere,  112 
Battle  (Brecknockshire),  111 
Blaen-Llyfni,  116 
Brecknock  Beacons,  118 
Bridgend,  128 
Barry  Islands,  135 
Bishopston,  138 
Bach-Ynys,  171 
Briddell,  188 
Bosheston,  190 
Burton  (Pembrokeshire),l9 
Basingwerke  Abbey,  204 
Bangor-Iscoed,  208 
Bodfary,  209 
Bala,  218,  246 


Barmoujh,  228 
Beaumaris,  250 
Bodedeyrn,  225 
Bodorgan,  263 
Bodowen,  264 
Buttington.  309 
Berriew,  316 

Beltws  (Montgomeryshire), 
317 

Caernarvonshire,  I 

Caernarvon,  1 

Conway,  14 

Capel  Curig,  22 

Clynogvawr,  25 

Carn  Madryn,  27 

Criccielh,  27 

Caer  Hen,  or  Caer  Rhun,  29 

Cyffin,  32 

Capel  Voelas,57 

Cerrig  y  Druidion,  58 

Chirk,  58 

Chirk  Castle,  53 

Castejl  Dinas  Bran,  64 

Cardiganshire,  69 

Cardigan,  69 

Cwm  Ystwith,  80 

Capel  Cynin,  85 

Cwmhir  (Abbey),  92 

Caer  Caradoc  (Radnorshire) 

101 

Cefn-LIys  Castle,  102 
Cwm  y-dau-ddwr,  104 
Clyro,  105 
Crick  Howel,  114 
Cathedine,  116 
Cantref  (Brecon),  118 
Cowbridge,  132 
Caerdiff,  133    ; 
Caerphilli,  136 
Caermarthenshire,  160 
Carreg-Cenin  Castle,  162 
Caermarthen,163 
Cydweli,  167 
Cil-y  maenllwyd,  171 
Cynwyl,  171 
Carew  Castle,  179 
Cast le  Martin,  188 
Castle  Morrice,  190,  192 
Camrhos,  190 
Castle  Beilh,  190 
Clydau,  190 
Caergwrle,  197 


Cerrig  y  Craig,  199 
"aerwys,  206 
'wm  (Flintshire),  209 
Cilcen,  210 
Corwen,  214 
Cynwyd,  215 
Cymmer  Abbey,  220 
Cader  Idris,222 
Corsygedol,  228 
Cantre'r  Gwaelod,  230 
Crai^  y  Deryn,  230 
Caergai,  238 
Caergybi,  255 
Carregllwy.l,  267 
Carregiiofa  Castle,  296 
CastelUCaereinion,  297 
Cemmaes,  302 
Cefn  Digol,  313 
Chirbury,  315 
Churchstoke,  316 
Carno,  324 
Criggion,  330 

Dolbadarn  Castle,  5 
Diganwy,  16 
Dwygyfylchi,  16,  27 
Dol wyddelan  Castle,  23 
Dolbenmaen,  31 
Denbighshire,  45 
Denbigh,  47 
Devil's  Bridge,  78 
Diserth  (Radnorshire),  105 
Defynoc,  116 
Dinas  Castle,  116 
Donat's  Castle,  132 
Dyn'rafon  House,  132 
Dre  Rhudd,  158 
Dynevor  Castle,  161 
Disserth,  199 
Downing,  200 
Dolgellau,  219 
Dolymelynllyn,  221 
Dinasmawddwy,  223 
Dolforwyn  Castle,  317 
Darowain,  323 

Eglwys  Rhos,  32 
Erddig,  53 
Eliseg  (pillar  of),  64 
Eglwys  Newydd,  79 
Ewenny,  131 
Eglwys  Ilan,l40 
Eglwys  Cymmyn,  170 

Edwiusford, 


INDEX  TO  TOPOGRAPHICAL  TART. 


Kdwinsford,  175 
Eulo  Castle,  208 

Ferwick,  89 
Felindre,  109 
Faenor  (Brecoi)),  120 
Flemingston,  140 
Fishguard,  183 
Flintshire,  193 
Flint,  193 
Ffestiniog,224 
Forden,  312 

Gwydir,  24 
Gloddaeth,32 
Glynn  Llivon,  41 
Gwytherin,  57 
Giler,  58 
Gresford,  61 
Gwersyllt  (Upper),  62 
Glasgrtig,  75 
Glascwm,  105 
Glasbury,  109 
Glamorganshire,  124 
Gelli  Gaer,  141 
Glyn-Abbey,  171 
Gwyr,  183 

Golden  Grove  (Flint),  211 
Gwyddelwern,  239 
Glanach,274 
Garthbeibio,  300 
Gui'sfield,310 

Havodunnos,  58 

Holt,  60 

Henllan  (Denbighshire),  65 

Hen  Fynyw,  85 

Henllan  (Cardigan),  85 

Hay,  109 

Haroldston  (East),  191 

Haroldston  (West),  191 

Haverfordwest,  181 

Hope,  197 

Holywell,202 

Hawarden,  207 

Halkin,209 

Hanmer,  210 

Harlech,  226 

Holyhead,  255 

Hirnant,  325 

Johnston,  191 

Knighton,  101 
Kinnerton  (Radnor),  103 
Kenfig,  139 
Kilgerran,  186 
Kerry,  319 

Llanberis,  4 
Llandygau,  22 


•lanhaiarn,  25 
Vanllechid,27 
Janfihangel-y-Pennant,  32 
Jandegai,  33 
^lanfair-Fechan,  36 
-avan  Sands,  37 
Jangelynin,  37 
Jangystennyn,  37 
Jandrillo,  37 

lanbedr  y  Cennin,  37 
Janrhychwyn,  37 
Jandegwnning,  38 
~  langwynodyl,  38 

Ian  Engan,  38 
Janbedrog,  39 
LJangian,  39 
Jangybi,  39 

Llanarmon  (Carnarvon),  39 
Llanystyndwy,  40 
~.lanelhaiarn,  40 
Llanllyfni,  40 
Llandwrog,  41 
Llanwnda,  42 
Llanrhaiadr  yn  Cynmeirch,' 

50 

Llanarmon  yn  Yale,  51 
Llandegla  (Denbigh),  51 
Llanrwst,  56 
Llangernyw,  58 
Llanrhaiadr  yn]  Mochnant 

59 

Llangollen,  62 
Llangwm  Dinmael,  65 
Llanddoged,  66 
Llanelian,  66 
Llanddulas,  66 
Llanfair-Talhaiarn,  $6 
Llansannan,  66        r  •' 
Llangynhafal,  67 
Llandyrnog,  67 
Uansilin,  67 
Llansanfraid  (Cardigan),  71 

Llanrhystyd,  71 

Llanbadarnfawr,  74 

Llanfihangel  Genau'r  Glyn 
76 

Lampeter  College,  80 

Llanddewi-brefi,  81 

Llanbedr  Pont  Stephen,  82 

Llanwnwen,  83 

Llandysilio  Gogo,  83 

Llanarth,  85 

Llanbadarn  Odwyn,  85 

Llanddygwydd,  86 

Llandyssil,  86 

Llanfair  Trelygon,  86 

Llanfihangel  LlethyrTroe 
86 

Llan  Gynfelin,  86 

Llanio,  87 

Llanwenog,  88 


Jan  y  Gwyryddin,  88 
Llanddewi  Ystrad  Ennau,96 
Jandrindod  Wells,  97 
Jandegla  (Radnor),  98 
Janvihangel  Nant  Melyn, 

98 

Jananno  (Radnorshire),  102 
Jansaintfred  (Radnor),  104 
Jandeilo  Graban,  105 
Jandeilo  Talybont,  105,141 
Jan ba darn  Fynydd,  105 
Janbister,  105 
Llanelwydd,  106 
Llanfihangel-rhyd-Ithon,106 
Llanwrtyd,  112 
Llyn  Savathan,  1 12 
Llansaintfred  (Brecon),  113 
Llangattoc,  115 
Llan  aml-Llech,  115 
Llangors,  116 
Llanfilo,  116 
Llanelly,  116 
Llanfrynach,  117 
Llangammarch,  117 
Llanynys  (Brecon),  117 
Llanspyddyd,  117 
Llanafan  fechan,  118 
Llanddety,  118 
Llanddewi  (Brecon),  118 
Llanfeugan,  120 
Uanafan-fawr,  121 
Llanfihangel  Cwm  DA,  122 
Llangynydr,  123 
Llychwyr,  128 
Llantrissent  (Glamorg.),  129 
Llangarfan,  133  x 

Llandaff,  135 
Llantryddyd,138 
Llandoch,  141 
Llandyfodwy,  141 
Llanedeyrn,142 
Llanganna,  142 

Llangefelach,  143 

Llangenydd,  143 

Llanharan,  143 

Llanilltwrn,  143 

Llanilltydfawr,  143 

Llanisan,  148 

Llanmaes,  148 

Llanrhidian,  149 

Llansamled,  149 

Loughor,  149 

Llysfaen,  150 

Lalyston,  159 

Llan-Vadog,  159 

Llandovery,  160 

Llangadog,  160 

Llandilo  Vawr,  161 

Llacharn,  166 

Llantesphan,  166 

Llan  Arthne,  170 

Llanfihangcl-ar.ararth, 


INDEX  TO  TOPOGRAPHICAL  PART. 


Llrnfihangel-ar-ararth,  170 
Llangyndeyrn,  170 
Llangynnog,  170 
Llanddarog,  172 
Llandyfaelog,  172 
Llandyfeisarit,  172 
Llanegwad,  172 
Llanelly,  173 
Llanfair-y-Bryn,  173 
Llanfihangel  Aber  Bythych, 

173 
Llanfihangel  Rhos  y-Cern, 

173 

Llangathan,  173 
Llanllwny,  174 
Llansadwrn,  174 
Llansadwrnon,  174 
Llansawyl,  174 
Llan-y-Crwys,  175 
Llan  Newydd,  176 
Lamphey,  179 
Llandcilo,  191 
Llanhauaden,  191 
Llanychllwydog,  191 
Llanpedrog,  192 
Llanwnda,  192 
Llanasa,  210 
Llanddervel,  216 

Llanfor,  216 

Llanvair  (Merioneth),  218 

Llanilltyd  (Merioneth),  219 

Llantecwyn,226 

Llanfachreth,  235 

Llangelynin,  236 

Llanfendigaid,  237 

Llanuwchllyn,  238 

Llanaelhaiarn,  239 

Llandanwg,  239 

Llanaber,  240 

Llanbedr,  240 

LIanddwywen,240,  264 

Llanfihangel  y  Pennant,  24 

Llangower,  243 

Llanycil,  244 

Llandrillo,  244 

Llangar,  244 

Llansaintffraid,  244 

Llanymowddwy,  245 

Llanfaes  Abbey,  253 

Lledwigan,  252 

Llanedwin,  254 

Llanidan,  254 

Llanyngenedl,  255,266 

Llanercbymedd,  259 

Llanelian  (Anglesey),  261 

Llangadwaladr,  263 

Llanedwen,  264 

Llanallgov,  264 

Llaneigrad,  264, 266 
Llanbabo,  264 
Llandyvrydog,  265 


Llandysilio  (Anglesey),  265 

Myddfai,  175 

Llanvaelog,  266 

Milford  Haven,  179 

.lanfaethlu,  266 

Maen  Clochog,  189 

-lanvair   in    Mathavarn- 

Maen-er-Byrr,  189 

eithaf,  267 

Merthyr  (Pembroke),  189 

Janvair-pwll-gwyn-gyll, 

Morlas,  191 

267 

Mold,  194 

Janvair-yn-Nghornwy,  207 

Vlostyn  Hall,  201 

Janvechell,268 

Merionethshire,  214 

Jan-flewyn,  268 

tfawddwy,  banditti  of,  [223 

Llanvihangel-Tre'r-Bardd, 

Mawddwy,  lordship  of,  224 

268 

Waentwrog,  226 

Janvihangel-Tyn-Sylwy, 

VIontgomeryshire,  276 

268 

Mediolanum,  282 

Janvihangel-yn-Nhywyn, 

Mathrafal,  282 

269 

Meivod,  289 

Jangefni,  269 

Mallwyd,  300 

Uan-Geinwen,  270 

Machynlleth,  303 

Llan-Gristiolus,  270 

Montgomery,  313 

Llangwyvan,  271 

Mochtref,  321 

Llanidan,  271 

Manavon,  327 

Llaniestyn,  272 

Llansadwrn,  273 

Nevyn,  24 

Llantrisaint,  273 

Nant-y-Gwrtheryn,  25 

Llangynog,  288 

Noyaddarth,  85 

Llanfyllin,  288 

New  Radnor,  99 

Llanymyneich,  293 

Norton  (Radnorshire),  103 

Llanfair-Caereinion,  297 

Nantwyllt,  104 

Llanerful,  297 

Nantmel,  106 

Llangadvan,  299 

Neath,  127 

Llanwrin,  302 

Neath  Abbey,  127 

Llanllugan,  304 

Newton  Nottage,  129 

Llandyssil,  317 

Newcastle  Kmlyn,  167 

Llanmerewig,  317 

Newchurch,  176 

Llanllwchaiarn,  318 

Narbertli,  181 

Llandinam,  322 

Newport  (Pembroke),  185 

Llanwnog,  322 

Nevern,  185 

Llanidloes,  322 

Nolton,  192 

Llangurig,  322 

Northop,  194 

Llanbrynmair,  322 

Newmarket  (Flintshire),  199 

Llamvddin,  324 

Nannerch,  211 

Llanvihangel-yn  Gwynva, 

Nannau,  221,  231 

326 

Nannau  Oak,  232 

Llanwyddelan,  326 

Newborough,  262 

Llanvechan,  327 

Nant-y-Criba,  312 

Llansantffraid,  327 

New  town,  318 

Llandysilio,  328 

Llandrinio,  328 

Old  Radnor,  103 

Loton,  329 

Oystermouth,  126 

Ogmore  Castle,  128 

Menai  Bridge,  20 

Oxwich  Castle,  155 

Mylljeyrn,  42 

Overton,  212 

Moel  Fainina,  67 

Millfield,  83 

Penmaenmawr,  17 

Maud's  Castle,  104 

Pwllheli,  26 

Maes  Mynys,  119 

Penrhyn  Castle,  33 

Morris  Town,  126 

Pistyll,  42 

Merthyr  Tydvil,  130 

Penmorva,  42 

Morelay  Castle,  133 

Penmachno,  43 

Margam,  151 

Pistill  Rhaiadr,  60 

Marychurch,  155 

Penbryn  (Cardiganshire),  76 

Plinliinmun, 

INDEX  TO  TOPOGRAPHICAL  PART. 


Plinlimmon,  88 

Ruthin,  50 

The  Skerries,  275 

Penybont  (Radnorshire),  96 

Ruabon,  54 

Presteign,  100 

Radnorshire,  91 

Trevrhiw,  24 

Pain's  Cattle,  103 

Rhayad^r,  91                              Trefgaron,  81 

Patrishow,  119 

Rhos-Fferreg,  120 

Trer-Ilar,  88 

Penderin,  120 

Reynoldslon,  157 

Tremaen,  88 

Pencelli  Castle,  121 

Rhos-Sili,  158                              Troed-yr-Anr,  88 

Pen  rice  Castle,  126 

Rhoath,  158 

Trrcaslle,  113 

Pontyprvdd,  129 

Rhydodyn,  175 

TreVtwr,  115 

Penarth,"l56 

Ramsey  Island,  190 

Trallong  (Brecon),  117 

Penmarc,  156 

Rhos-Market,  192 

The  Van  (Brecon),  118 

Pyle,  157 

Rudbaxton,  192 

Tythegston,  158 

Picton,  Sir  Thomas  (monu- 

Ruddlan, 198 

Trelech,  169 

ment  to),  165 

Rhiwedog,  217 

Tal-y-Llvchau,  170 

Penboyr,  176 

Rhiwgoch,235 

Tenby,  180 

Penbre,  176 

R  hug,  244 

Tref  Asser,  192 

Pencader,  176 

Rhos-vair,  262 

Ta  lac  re,  211 

Pembrokeshire,  177 

Rh6s-colyn,  274 

Threap  wood,  212 

Pembroke,  177 

Rhiwsaeson,  323 

Trt-mei  rch  ion,  212 

Pille,  18-2 

Row  ton,  329 

Treuddyn,2l3 

Picton  Castle,  182 

Towyn,  229 

Penally,  189 

Snowdon,  5 

Travvsfynydd,  235 

Penbedw,  196 

Snowdon  Forest,  7 

Tal-y  llyri(  Merioneth),  242 

PlasTeg,197 

Strata  Florida  Abbey,  77 

Tre-Garnedd,  2f>9 

Pont  y  Glyn,2l5 

Silian,  88 

Tregynon,  327 

Pont  Aberglasllyn,  225 

Swansea,  124 

Trefeglwys,  330 

Pennal,  237 

Sully  Islands,  135 

Penmon,  253 

St.  Andrew's,  138 

Vortigern's  Valley,  25 

Plasgwyn,  254 

St.  Bride's  Major,  138 

Valle  Crucis  Abbey,  63 

Penmynydd,  254 

St.  Pagan's,  140 

Parys  Mine,  260 

St.  Nicholas',  155 

Whitchurch  (Denbigh),  49 

Porthaml,  272 

Sully,  158 

Wrexham,  51 

Penrhos  Llugwy,  273 

St.  Clare,  165 

Wynnstay,  54 

Pentraeth,  273 

St.  Ishmael's,  171,  191 

Wyston,  183 

Priestholm,  274 

Stanton,  182 

Wai  wyn's  Castle,  192 

Pentre-Heilin,  296 

St.  Dogmael's,  186,190 

Whiteford,  200                       v 

Penegos,  302 

St.  David's,  186 

Welsh  Pool,  305 

Powis  Caslle,  306 

St.  Bride's,  190 

Woollaston,  329 

Pennant-Melangell,  325 

St.  Petrox,  192 

Penstrywad,  330 

Slebech,  192 

Ysbytty  leuan,  57 

St.  Asaph,  205 

Y'stradmeirig,  80 

Rhavadr-y-Wenol,23 

South  Stack  Light  House, 

Ystradowain,  158 

Rhiw,  43 

257 

Ystrad  Marchell,  308, 

EDDOWES     PRINTER,   SHREWSBURY. 


'"CANADA 


Caradog 

The  history  of  Wales 


DA 
715 
•  C3